Women and Acne

Women have a hard time when it comes to acne because they tend to be judged more on their looks than men and their hormonal system makes them more prone to acne at certain times. As if this were not enough, treatment options are also often more expensive than they are for men and so the costs are often more difficult to meet.

Girls tend to develop acne earlier than boys with acne commonly appearing at about the age of 11 in girls as opposed to 13 for boys. This is largely because girls tend to mature faster than boys and generally enter puberty anywhere from a few months to a couple of years ahead of boys.

During puberty the human hormone system sees rapid increases in levels of several well known hormones, such as estrogen or testosterone, and these include one class of hormones which receives little attention (but which is important to the onset of acne) and which is known as androgens. All of these hormones are shared by both boys and girls but, as already noted, the rise in these hormones occurs sooner in girls.

About sixty-five percent of all teenagers will develop at least a mild form of acne and for girls the condition tends to last longer, at least cyclically. As women enter their 20s, their menstrual cycles tend to increase the possibility of developing acne and, as these follow a monthly cycle, so does the acne.

The problem of acne then tends to persist throughout the years of reproductive capacity and more than fifty percent of women (against forty-two percent of men) between the ages of 20 and 29 develop acne. These numbers then drop significantly between the ages of 30 and 39 to thirty-five percent and twenty percent respectively. By the time a woman reaches her 40s the number has reduced to twenty-six percent (twelve percent for men).

The severity of acne in women follows a similar pattern and between the third and fourth weeks of the menstrual cycle inflammations increase by about twenty-five percent and the incidence of blackheads and whiteheads rises by about twenty percent.

Pregnancy offers a little bit of relief, although it largely tends to shift the pattern and doesn't eliminate acne altogether. During pregnancy, outbreaks of acne can occur at any time and skin changes, even for those women who have never had acne, are a frequent occurrence when a woman is carrying.

The largest number of cases of acne tends to appear during the first trimester, which is not surprising as this is the time when hormone levels are changing most rapidly. The birth of the baby will often put an end to acne outbreaks, although they do tend to persist for a while in women who choose to breastfeed.

Although women must always be more careful about what medications they take when pregnant, normal over-the-counter treatments are considered safe. However, some studies have suggested that isotretinoin (Accutane) and tetracycline (doxycycline), which are often used to treat severe acne, should not be used during pregnancy as they may lead to development problems in the fetus or birth defects.

Acne Cream Retin-A Retin-A, or Retirides, is the brand name for tretinoid or vitamin A acid and is used to control, but not to cure, acne. Retin-A works by improving the blood supply to the skin and promoting the peeling of dead skin cells from the acne affected areas and unclogging the pores of the skin. Read more

The Use Of Cold Laser Treatment For Acne Scars For mild cases of acne scarring it is often possible to treat the problem either with cream or by using a chemical peel and, where this doesn't work, then the next step is to try a slightly more aggressive treatment such as dermabrasion. Read more

Pulsed and LHE Acne Therapy In cases of moderate to severe acne normal over-the-counter treatments are often of little use and sufferers need to turn to more advanced treatment options. In addition, many sufferers with even mild cases of acne are also turning to modern advanced treatment techniques which are proving increasingly popular. Read more

Try Some Free Samples Of Acne Medicine If you are looking for an acne cleanser then you will probably start your search in your local Walgreen's or Rite Aid where you will find the shelves piled high with popular brands of cleansing bars, scrubs, deep cleansing lotions, black head removal strips and much more. Read more

Should I Use A Natural Cystic Acne Cure? Many people nowadays prefer to look for natural alternative forms of treatment for a wide range of conditions and so it is not surprising that they should also want to find a good natural cystic acne cure. Read more

What Can I Eat To Get Rid Of Acne As a fourteen year old boy I had more than my fair share of problems with acne and had a face which resembled the surface of the moon. Of course everyone said that it was quite normal at my age and was nothing to worry about, but I felt very embarrassed by my appearance and for a while didn't even want to go out of the house. Read more

Using A Natural Furuncular Acne Treatment Search for furuncular acne and you might find it difficult to find what you are looking for because this is an uncommon term for what is normally referred to as cystic, nodular or nodulocystic acne. Read more

Finding A Cure For Rosacea Acne Before deciding upon a cure for rosacea acne it is first necessary to decide whether or not acne is actually present as rosacea can often be confused with acne and can also co-exist alongside acne. Read more

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