Acne And Older Women
By John Scott
If you listen to medical experts - usually men - you will hear the link made between acne and puberty. Yes, the underlying cause of acne is always the same: too much oil produced in the skin. Yes, this is most likely to happen when the hormones kick in during the teen years. These experts will tell you that, for almost everyone, acne tapers off as the teen years end and only a small percentage continue to be affected as adults. Well, “only a small percentage" is actually several million women. Ignoring this problem simply drives them into the arms of the cosmetics industry which is only too willing to sell expensive foundation powders and creams to cover up the problem, and skin washes of different varieties to cleanse the skin.
Well, the medical community is finally waking up to the idea that treatment may be better than costly cosmetic products. The first question is therefore why more adult women are affected by acne. As an aside, let's be honest. Acne is not a disease or serious disorder. Everyone has colonies of bacteria growing harmlessly on their skin. When excess oil is produced in the skin, it can trap dead skin cells inside the pores. This provides a wonderfully warm environment in which some of the bacteria can reproduce The result is an infection and a spot. Unfortunately, the eruption of many spots over the face, neck and shoulders damages self-esteem. Our culture has made clear skin one of the criteria of beauty. So women affected are treated as less beautiful. Why is this excess oil produced? The most common reason is a hormone imbalance during pregnancy and, increasingly, during the menopause.
The cosmetics industry recommends you use exfoliating products to remove surface oil and some of the bacteria from the skin. The stronger exfoliates also encourage the dying skin cells to fall away, leaving a smoother healthy skin underneath. As a halfway house between a cosmetic and a medical product, you can also use a retinoid cream. This increases the rate at which your skin is shed. The stronger creams are only available on prescription. The medical response falls into two stages. Assuming no desire to produce children, taking an oral contraceptive reduces fluctuations in hormone levels and usually clears acne. This can be useful as you come into the menopause, particularly when combined with a drug to reduce the production of androgen, the hormone that triggers the excess oil production.
But the ultimate solution to all acne problems is accutane. Its use in older women is far safer than among the young because of the reduced chances of pregnancy. Thus, during the menopause with an oral contraceptive, the use of accutane will almost always clear up acne on the first use. If not, a second round of treatment is usually the end of the problem. It's easy to buy accutane online without the need of a prescription. Buying online also gives you access to cheap accutane. If you go see your doctor, you pay for the advice and prescription, and are forced to pay the retail price for the drug. Accutane is quite simply the best treatment. You do not need a doctor to tell you this.
John Scott is a frequent contributor to http://www.skincaremedication.net/articles/acne-and-older-women.html and is a highly regarded writer, having professionally dealt with numerous subjects. Visit the site to read John Scott's contributions.