The Acne Problem

An acne free skin is everybody’s preference. The hormonal activities of a woman’s body apparently make her more prone to an acne problem. Girls reach physical maturity faster than boys and the hormones that aid in it can become active in her by the age of eleven.

As children grow into sexual maturity, the hormones, estrogen in women and testosterone in man, record a fast level of increase. But besides these sex hormones, there is another class of hormones known as androgens, which play a very important role in creating an acne problem in women.

It is the rise of androgens in body that often makes an acne-free skin a challenge for many. As a woman matures, hormones make their presence in her body earlier and make her skin a repository of an acne problem. However, once young boys mature, an acne free skin may become a bigger challenge for them, because the androgen levels in a mature male is generally higher than that of females.

More than 65% of the teens tend to have an acne problem. And a woman might have more prolonged periods of suffering with it, as there could be a fresh eruption of acne prior to every menstrual cycle in about 62% of them. This pattern might continue for the entire length of her reproductive life.

About 50% of women in their twenties, as against 42.5% of men in the same age group, have an acne problem. The percentage is only 35.2% for women in their thirties, 26.3% for those in their forties, and 15% for those older than that. In the case of men in the corresponding age groups, the percentage is 20.1%, 12%, and 7% respectively.

For women, the acne problem often follows a cyclic pattern. Inflammations are up by about 25%, which include a 20% rise in whiteheads and blackheads, after the third week of the menstrual cycle. While this cyclic pattern may change with pregnancy, it does not disappear completely, and acne pregnancy takes a special hue of its own. Acne problem occurs at random then.

Acne pregnancy is prevalent mainly during the first three months, since these are the three months during which the hormonal levels change pretty fast. There could be a reduction in acne after that and the acne problem might end completely with the birth of the child. However acne might continue for a longer period in the case of women who are breastfeeding.

Over the counter acne medications work for most women. Though Accutane (isotretinion), or tetracycline (doxycycline) are normally suggested as best acne treatment for women, these should ideally not be used during pregnancy. It is suggested that these acne medicines have properties that could lead to birth defects in the child growing inside.

The best acne treatment is, needless to say, a dermatologist specialized in the field.

There are also some effective and proven acne cure products that can be purchased online – and these have helped many men and women to get rid of acne.