Temple Health tips for controlling and eliminating breakouts, adult acne

CHELTENHAM, Pennsylvania -- Acne may seem like just a teenage problem, but adults get it too, some for the first time.

Experts at Temple Health say it shouldn't be ignored, because there are solutions.

For 20 years, Kristine Brophy avoided cameras because of her acne.

"It was something that really affected me," Brophy says of the physical and emotional impact.

And she thought she'd have it forever, that there were no effective remedies.

"Gradually as I got older, it just started traveling down to like my chin and then my chest," she recalls.

When she went to Temple Health dermatologist Alina Shevchenko, it was for her hair not her skin.

But the talk turned to the acne.

"Acne is one of those complex conditions that can have multiple reasons. There's genetic reasons, there's environmental reasons," Dr. Shevchenko notes.

Family history is one factor in adult acne, whether it is a continuation from the teen years or starts for the first time.

Fluctuating levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone hormones play a role, typically during pregnancy and menopause.

Dr. Shevchenko says hormones can cause extra skin oils, which mix with bacteria.

"They cause some inflammation and that leads to acne," she says.

It's also linked to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or PCOS.

Dr. Shevchenko says adult life itself can heighten breakouts.

"There's usually way more stress that we go through and experience in our lives," she says.

She tells patients that topical treatments are a good starting point, but don't expect overnight results. Be patient.

"It would take about 6 to 8 weeks to actually see the full results if you use them consistently," she tells people.

And it can be trial and error to find the product and strength that's tolerable and effective.

Anyone breakout-prone should use "non-clogging" skin care products, as well as mineral sunscreens.

Brophy finally found she needed the oral medication, Accutane.

It takes a little time to get used to the regimen.

"You do have to avoid the sun. You have to carry around a lot of lotion, a lot of sunscreen," Brophy notes.

In addition, there are monthly pregnancy tests for women patients, due to the birth defect risk the drug carries.

But Brophy says a 6-month course of Accutane has changed her life.

"I'm in love with myself again. I feel like I'm 17 all over again," she says.

"My skin glows. I'm constantly happy to take a picture. I'm happy to be on video," she says with a laugh.

Dr. Shevchenko says science is still trying to understand adult acne. Once recent find is a possible connection to fatty and sugary foods that raise blood sugar quickly.