Causes of Adult Cystic Acne

Many people get puzzled as to what the causes of adult cystic acne may be, especially because this is a condition that has always been linked to teenagers only. The truth is that even adults who have never had any problems before can experience a sudden attack with little or no warning.

And so the question is what would be the possible causes of adult cystic acne?

Actually there are quite a number of reasons why an adult would suddenly and unexpectedly find themselves with this uncomfortable condition.

Hormonal imbalances are a common cause of acne in adults. Research has clearly shown that when the hormone balance in the body suddenly changes acne can result. These findings seem to be supported by the observation that pregnant women and those going through menopause are the ones who seem most likely to suddenly develop pimples.

These are the two groups of adults who usually go through the most radical changes in the levels of hormones. It is believed that this triggers an equally sudden increase of sebum in the pores of the skin and this is what causes cystic acne to suddenly break out.

On other occasions sufferers of this condition tend to bring it on themselves. They do this when they start pricking on blackheads and whiteheads on their skin. This is usually done using the nails on their fingers. This results in damage and the spread of bacteria and if the resulting infection is serious and widespread enough, then a severe case adult cystic acne could be the result at the end of the day.

Exercise is a good thing not only for the body but also for the skin. However too much of it could result in acne. If your exercise routine is sudden and drastic probably in the hope of cutting down a lot of weight very quickly, this could result in sudden changes in the hormonal make-up of your body causing a sudden outbreak of acne even if you are fairly mature and well past the age where this condition is common.

Sometimes the hormonal changes caused by a woman’s menstrual cycle can be enough to trigger a serious bout of acne. Already we know that many women will tend to develop a pimple or two a few days before they have their monthly period.

This is usually caused by the body’s estrogen levels decreasing at a time when her progesterone is on the rise. This hormonal imbalance may cause the sebaceous glands to produce much more oil than normal and this is what produces the pimple or two. However in extremes full-blown adult cystic acne could result.

On other occasions the environment and toxins that the body is exposed to could result in adults getting acne. When toxins and wastes accumulate in the body and are not expelled in good time, problems are inevitable.

Usually the body has quite a number of ways of getting rid of toxins which includes processing through the kidneys, liver, colon, small intestines and so on. This brings us to yet another cause of acne in adults.

If for some reasons one or more of these “cleansing” organs is not working properly, then what will happen is that the toxins will accumulate in the body and when the usual methods of expelling them become inadequate, the body will try and flush out the “poison” through the pores on the skin. Naturally what will happen next is that sores and painful pimples will start to appear on the surface of the skin. This is of course acne.

Yet another cause of adult cystic acne is a condition called Polycystic Ovarian syndrome. This is a disease that affects up to 10 percent of all women where irregular menstruation is one of the most common symptoms. Women with this disease will tend to have serious imbalances in their hormonal levels and when this is treated the acne will usually disappear.

Surprisingly even certain medications are known to cause adult cystic acne. Medications that are anti-epileptic and anabolic steroids are amongst a few of them.

Even physical pressure and friction on the skin can cause Acne in adults. This includes the straps of a backpack that is way too heavy or even playing the violin where the instrument is placed next to the jaw or chin.

All these are just some of the many causes of adult cystic acne and this condition is certainly not limited only to the very young.

Causes of Adult Cystic Acne by Sunil Visvambaram