What Causes Acne in People Who Never Had It Before
Acne happens when pores on your skin get clogged with oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria, leading to pimples, blackheads, or cysts. For adults who never dealt with it during their teen years, sudden breakouts often start because of changes in hormones that ramp up oil production in the skin.
Hormones like androgens tell your skin’s oil glands to make more sebum, that oily stuff that keeps skin moist. When these hormones get out of balance, sebum builds up too much, mixes with dead skin, and traps bacteria inside pores. This sparks swelling and pimples. These shifts can hit people at any age, even if they skipped teenage acne.
Common triggers include monthly periods, where hormone dips and rises cause flare-ups around the chin and jaw. Pregnancy brings big hormone surges that boost oil and lead to breakouts. After giving birth, dropping hormones can keep things going. Menopause lowers estrogen, letting androgens take over and cause oily skin issues. Conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome raise androgen levels, making acne stubborn.
Stress plays a role too. It raises cortisol, a hormone that cranks up oil and swelling. Starting or stopping birth control pills messes with hormone levels, sparking new pimples. Some medicines tweak hormones or skin reactions in ways that clog pores.
Other everyday factors pile on. High-sugar foods or dairy might worsen oil for some people. Sweat from workouts, greasy makeup, or hair products block pores. Heat, humidity, or tight clothes trap moisture and bacteria. Even laundry detergents or pillowcases can irritate skin.
These breakouts often show up on the lower face, like jawline, chin, or cheeks, and can feel deep and painful. Genetics make some folks more prone, even if acne waited until adulthood.
Sources
https://www.medicaldaily.com/hormonal-acne-adults-acne-causes-skin-hormones-explained-474128
https://www.draliabadi.com/blog/hormonal-acne/
https://www.doctorrogers.com/blogs/blog/acne-pimples-101-why-we-break-out-what-s-actually-going-on-and-how-to-handle-it-like-a-dermatologist
https://fashionmagazine.com/beauty-grooming/adult-acne-causes-treatments/
https://drsambunting.com/en-us/blogs/sam-bunting/how-to-fix-adult-acne
