I don't actually know whether to laugh or be insulted. Perhaps I'm feeling a lil bit of both. I was perusing the January issue of Cosmo when I came across this article on adult acne according to your age group. I read the article titled 'Blemish-Proof Your Skin' with some interest since, as I blogged about in December, I had suffered from a bout of acne on my jawline. As I read the characteristics of acne in your twenties, I realized that none of the points listed resonated with my experiences. It stated that in your twenties, due to hormonal changes and product experimentation, acne usually affects the t-zone area and twenty-somethings will see occurences of blackheads, whiteheads and sometimes pus-filled cysts (I have had these kinda zits at some point during my teens but it still warrants a ewwwwww!).
I kept on reading the article, moving on towards acne in your 30s. And that's when I became uncomfortable. It mentioned that dryness and inflammation are characteristics of 30s acne. Check, I have an extremely dry and flaky patch in the middle of my forehead exactly at my hairline. Another point said skin cells regenerate at a slower rate, creating flakes that get trapped under skin surface, forming stubborn blemishes. Check, I have VERY stubborn blemishes, some taking months to disappear, those dark marks really annoy me. Sun damage can exacerbate redness. Check, sunny climate = sun exposure, part of my routine that I've incorporated beginning mid of last year was to consistently apply SPF50 face base as I became more aware of the melanoma effect. Stress due to big life changes such as getting married, having a baby, working longer hours which keep the level of the stress hormone cortisol high for long periods of time. It is the leading cause of adult acne. Lack of sleep also compunds the problem as cortisol levels dip when we snooze so not sleeping keeps 'em up. Ok, no to the first, no to baby but major red alert for stress cause number three and four!
Ok, the causes were spot on, ringing through my head and reading further just made me laugh out loud. It goes on to say that acne in your 30s strike along the U zone, the jawline and cheeks (these areas are where the hormone cortisol is most active). Skin is also driest and dead skin cells get trapped in the pores causing small, red bumps to appear. Blemishes may leave dark marks for a few weeks due to melanin pigmentation increasing when in the 30s. The thought running through my head was 'Are they talking about me specifically?' Everything stated was what I went through.
I mean I'm grateful for the 'diagnosis' and the subsequent suggestions but hell, I'm still a coupla years away from reaching 30! This seems unfair that my skin is aging faster than the rest of me. I'm not particularly, to quote Metallica's 'The Memory Remains', mirror vain, but damn, does that not deal a blow to your self-esteem. I feel it's quite a funny situation as I've always been mistaken for younger for my age but this article has been a reality check of sorts :) It means, all you people who thought I looked at most 24, go get your eyes checked, apparently I'm more 30-ish than 20-ish! Laughs, well, it's a small dent in my ego but I'll live. I mean I'm slowly changing my habits and taking sun exposure more seriously, it'll take awhile to see any difference. Can't expect a recent routine of spf slathering to result in miracles right away, can you?
I kept on reading the article, moving on towards acne in your 30s. And that's when I became uncomfortable. It mentioned that dryness and inflammation are characteristics of 30s acne. Check, I have an extremely dry and flaky patch in the middle of my forehead exactly at my hairline. Another point said skin cells regenerate at a slower rate, creating flakes that get trapped under skin surface, forming stubborn blemishes. Check, I have VERY stubborn blemishes, some taking months to disappear, those dark marks really annoy me. Sun damage can exacerbate redness. Check, sunny climate = sun exposure, part of my routine that I've incorporated beginning mid of last year was to consistently apply SPF50 face base as I became more aware of the melanoma effect. Stress due to big life changes such as getting married, having a baby, working longer hours which keep the level of the stress hormone cortisol high for long periods of time. It is the leading cause of adult acne. Lack of sleep also compunds the problem as cortisol levels dip when we snooze so not sleeping keeps 'em up. Ok, no to the first, no to baby but major red alert for stress cause number three and four!
Ok, the causes were spot on, ringing through my head and reading further just made me laugh out loud. It goes on to say that acne in your 30s strike along the U zone, the jawline and cheeks (these areas are where the hormone cortisol is most active). Skin is also driest and dead skin cells get trapped in the pores causing small, red bumps to appear. Blemishes may leave dark marks for a few weeks due to melanin pigmentation increasing when in the 30s. The thought running through my head was 'Are they talking about me specifically?' Everything stated was what I went through.
I mean I'm grateful for the 'diagnosis' and the subsequent suggestions but hell, I'm still a coupla years away from reaching 30! This seems unfair that my skin is aging faster than the rest of me. I'm not particularly, to quote Metallica's 'The Memory Remains', mirror vain, but damn, does that not deal a blow to your self-esteem. I feel it's quite a funny situation as I've always been mistaken for younger for my age but this article has been a reality check of sorts :) It means, all you people who thought I looked at most 24, go get your eyes checked, apparently I'm more 30-ish than 20-ish! Laughs, well, it's a small dent in my ego but I'll live. I mean I'm slowly changing my habits and taking sun exposure more seriously, it'll take awhile to see any difference. Can't expect a recent routine of spf slathering to result in miracles right away, can you?
