{"id":43264,"date":"2026-11-04T06:16:34","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T05:16:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swissdermaclinic.ch\/what-helps-with-adult-acne\/"},"modified":"2026-11-04T06:16:34","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T05:16:34","slug":"what-helps-with-adult-acne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swissdermaclinic.ch\/en\/what-helps-with-adult-acne\/","title":{"rendered":"What really helps with adult acne?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In short:<\/strong> Adult acne often responds to tre\u00adat\u00adment that tar\u00adgets both inflamm\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon and blo\u00adcked pores and suits how sen\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adve your skin is. Depen\u00adding on seve\u00adri\u00adty, this may mean medi\u00adci\u00adnes appli\u00aded to the skin, some\u00adti\u00admes com\u00adbi\u00adned with tablets. Hor\u00admo\u00adn\u00adal influen\u00adces, pre\u00advious tre\u00adat\u00adments and any plans for pregnan\u00adcy are all part of the assess\u00adment. Gent\u00adle skin care sup\u00adports the the\u00adra\u00adpy, and if fla\u00adre-ups keep retur\u00adning, lon\u00adger-term main\u00adten\u00adan\u00adce tre\u00adat\u00adment may be worthwhile.<\/p>\n

Why does acne occur in adults?<\/h2>\n

For some peo\u00adp\u00adle, acne has con\u00adtin\u00adued sin\u00adce their teens. For others, it only starts later in life. Acne after the age of 25 is often cal\u00adled adult acne or late-onset acne. It affects women more often than men. Inflamm\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon may appear on the chin and along the jaw\u00adli\u00adne, but also on the cheeks, neck, chest or back, so adult acne is not limi\u00adt\u00aded to the lower face.<\/p>\n

Seve\u00adral pro\u00adces\u00adses work tog\u00ade\u00adther in adults too: sebum pro\u00adduc\u00adtion, blo\u00adcked hair fol\u00adlic\u00adle ope\u00adnings and inflamm\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon. Hor\u00admo\u00adnes influence the sebace\u00adous glands, and the skin can be sen\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adve even to nor\u00admal hor\u00admo\u00adne levels. Acne the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre does not auto\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly mean the\u00adre is a mea\u00adsura\u00adble hor\u00admo\u00adn\u00adal dis\u00ador\u00adder. Our over\u00adview of acne<\/a> explains the gene\u00adral background.<\/p>\n

When trea\u00adting adults, your per\u00adso\u00adnal histo\u00adry is par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar\u00adly useful. Do your sym\u00adptoms get worse befo\u00adre your peri\u00adod? Have your con\u00adtracep\u00adti\u00adon, medi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon or skin care pro\u00adducts chan\u00adged? Stress and unsui\u00adta\u00adble, pore-clog\u00adging cos\u00adme\u00adtics can also play a part. The\u00adse con\u00adnec\u00adtions are useful points for the con\u00adsul\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon, but they are not a dia\u00adgno\u00adsis. Plea\u00adse do not stop pre\u00adscri\u00adbed medi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon or your con\u00adtracep\u00adti\u00adon on your own.<\/p>\n

Is it really acne?<\/h2>\n

Black\u00adheads and whit\u00adeheads, known medi\u00adcal\u00adly as come\u00addo\u00adnes<\/a>, tog\u00ade\u00adther with infla\u00admed spots point towards acne. Deep nodu\u00adles may also occur. In adults, howe\u00adver, other skin con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons can look simi\u00adlar. A tre\u00adat\u00adment that suits acne is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre not auto\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly right for every facial rash.<\/p>\n

In rosacea<\/a>, per\u00adsis\u00adtent red\u00adness, visi\u00adble small blood ves\u00adsels and recur\u00adring flus\u00adhing may be the main fea\u00adtures. Small bumps around the mouth or nose with dry, tight skin may fit peri\u00adoral der\u00adma\u00adti\u00adtis<\/a>. The\u00adse are poin\u00adters, not a relia\u00adble self-dia\u00adgno\u00adsis. If you are unsu\u00adre, have your skin exami\u00adned befo\u00adre com\u00adbi\u00adning fur\u00adther acti\u00adve ingredients.<\/p>\n

Plea\u00adse men\u00adti\u00adon addi\u00adtio\u00adnal signs such as irre\u00adgu\u00adlar peri\u00adods, new\u00adly increased body hair or thin\u00adning scalp hair. In the\u00adse cases, a tar\u00adge\u00adted hor\u00admo\u00adn\u00adal assess\u00adment may be useful, for exam\u00adp\u00adle for poly\u00adcy\u00adstic ova\u00adry syn\u00addro\u00adme (PCOS). Whe\u00adther blood tests are nee\u00added depends on the over\u00adall pic\u00adtu\u00adre. Spots on the chin alo\u00adne do not pro\u00adve a hor\u00admo\u00adn\u00adal disorder.<\/p>\n

Which treatment really helps?<\/h2>\n

The choice depends on the degree of inflamm\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon, the depth of the lesi\u00adons, the risk of scar\u00adri\u00adng and your pre\u00advious expe\u00adri\u00adence. Tole\u00adr\u00ada\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty and dai\u00adly life mat\u00adter just as much: a tre\u00adat\u00adment plan has to be easy to under\u00adstand and rea\u00adli\u00adstic to fol\u00adlow regu\u00adlar\u00adly. The over\u00adview below explains the opti\u00adons but does not replace an indi\u00advi\u00addu\u00adal prescription.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Skin pic\u00adtu\u00adre or situation<\/th>\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble approach<\/th>\nWhat mat\u00adters<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Come\u00addo\u00adnes and mil\u00adder inflammation<\/td>\nTre\u00adat\u00adment appli\u00aded to the skin, such as ben\u00adzoyl per\u00adoxi\u00adde, reti\u00adno\u00adids or azelaic acid, com\u00adbi\u00adned if appropriate.<\/td>\nThe choice takes skin sen\u00adsi\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty and con\u00adtra\u00adin\u00addi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adons into account. Dry\u00adness or irri\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon are possible.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
More pro\u00adno\u00adun\u00adced inflamm\u00ada\u00adto\u00adry acne<\/td>\nAddi\u00adtio\u00adnal oral tre\u00adat\u00adment may be needed.<\/td>\nAnti\u00adbio\u00adtics are used for a limi\u00adt\u00aded time and tog\u00ade\u00adther with sui\u00adta\u00adble topi\u00adcal therapy.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Per\u00adsis\u00adtent acne in women<\/td>\nIn sel\u00adec\u00adted cases, a hor\u00admo\u00adn\u00adal\u00adly acti\u00adve tre\u00adat\u00adment may be an option.<\/td>\nCon\u00adtracep\u00adti\u00adon needs, pregnan\u00adcy plans and indi\u00advi\u00addu\u00adal risks have to be considered.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deep nodu\u00adles, scar\u00adri\u00adng or insuf\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adent response<\/td>\nSys\u00adte\u00admic the\u00adra\u00adpy led by a der\u00adma\u00adto\u00adlo\u00adgist, pos\u00adsi\u00adbly with an oral retinoid.<\/td>\nA careful weig\u00adhing of bene\u00adfits and risks and medi\u00adcal check-ups are essential.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Ben\u00adzoyl per\u00adoxi\u00adde acts against bac\u00adte\u00adria invol\u00adved in acne. Topi\u00adcal reti\u00adno\u00adids help, among other things, to coun\u00adter blo\u00adcked pores, while azelaic acid can influence inflamm\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon and the for\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon of come\u00addo\u00adnes. The\u00adse medi\u00adci\u00adnes are appli\u00aded to the affec\u00adted are\u00adas as ins\u00adtruc\u00adted, not gene\u00adral\u00adly just to indi\u00advi\u00addu\u00adal visi\u00adble spots. Which com\u00adbi\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon is sui\u00adta\u00adble also depends on what your skin has tole\u00adra\u00adted so far.<\/p>\n

Anti\u00adbio\u00adtics are not a per\u00adma\u00adnent skin care rou\u00adti\u00adne. Limi\u00adt\u00aded use and the right com\u00adbi\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon help to redu\u00adce the risk of resis\u00adtance. Hor\u00admo\u00adn\u00adal\u00adly acti\u00adve tre\u00adat\u00adment is not a stan\u00addard solu\u00adti\u00adon for every adult woman with acne eit\u00adher. It is dis\u00adcus\u00adsed in the con\u00adtext of your sym\u00adptoms, pos\u00adsi\u00adble con\u00adtra\u00adin\u00addi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adons and your life plans.<\/p>\n

\n

Men\u00adti\u00adon pregnan\u00adcy plans early<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reti\u00adno\u00adids for acne must not be used during pregnan\u00adcy or when plan\u00adning a pregnan\u00adcy, inclu\u00adding creams and gels. Strict rules on con\u00adtracep\u00adti\u00adon and moni\u00adto\u00adring app\u00adly to oral reti\u00adno\u00adids. Plea\u00adse dis\u00adcuss any plans for child\u00adren, pregnan\u00adcy and breast\u00adfee\u00adding befo\u00adre a tre\u00adat\u00adment is cho\u00adsen. If you beco\u00adme pregnant during reti\u00adno\u00adid tre\u00adat\u00adment, stop using the medi\u00adci\u00adne and cont\u00adact your doc\u00adtor immediately.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Which skin care supports treatment?<\/h2>\n

More cle\u00adan\u00adsing does not mean less acne. Vigo\u00adrous scrub\u00adbing can irri\u00adta\u00adte the skin fur\u00adther. Even if your skin looks shi\u00adny, your skin care should pro\u00adtect the skin bar\u00adri\u00ader<\/a>. A well-tole\u00adra\u00adted mois\u00adtu\u00adri\u00adser is par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar\u00adly hel\u00adpful when tre\u00adat\u00adment cau\u00adses dryness.<\/p>\n