According to a new study Nantes University Hospital in France, one in five women suffer from acne well into their mid-twenties and thirties.
Dermatologists report that more women are affected by painful and unsightly spots particularly on their t-zone – nose, chin and forehead. The spots are reportedly worse than those suffered by teenagers, known as cystic; dermatologists have reported that they are harder to treat as they are deeper under the skin.
The primary cause is believed to be the stress of high powered jobs and the demands and pressures of everyday life. Stress causes adrenal glands release male hormones which instigates the over production of oil and blocked pores. Stressed women are more susceptible to spots than their male counterparts due to their increased sensitivity to the action of male hormones on sebaceous glands.
Stress is also said to be partly to blame for the number of women who smoke which is also reported to increase the occurrence and severity of acne breakouts. According to studies, nicotine found in cigarettes increases the production of facial oil and also inhibits the effect of skin repairing vitamin E.
Adopting appropriate stress management techniques such as daily meditation or yoga and a diet of stress relieving foods can all help minimise the impact of stress on health and wellbeing .