How I Dealt With Adult Acne In My 20's

For most folks, the passage of time from teen years to young adulthood means a few things-new careers, independence and clear skin after years of being plagued by teenage acne.

For me however, it was the other way around. Smooth, healthy skin came as a pleasant surprise during my teens when hormones usually hit the roof but I wasn't prepared for what came next.

Somewhere when my 20's began, I noticed a few pimples that, even weeks later, refused to budge. Probably just hormones during my period, I thought. But the bumps only got larger, redder and angrier. Concealer became my respite and I wrote off the problem to inane things like stress and new face washes. As long as I didn't acknowledge the problem, it didn't exist. Acne scarring may only be skin deep but it sure does a number to one's confidence and self-image too.

Unfortunately, that just propelled it further. The thing about acne is, it doesn't improve without effort. So even after upping my water intake and doubling up on greens, when I didn't see any results, I knew it was time to seek professional help. It's one thing to have a stray zit that settles with face packs but it's something else altogether to have patches of painful cysts on your cheeks that only seem to get worse. People seem to understand teenage acne but get it as an adult and suddenly, it's something you did.

My first step towards dealing with my adult acne was consulting a dermatologist. While it took some trial and error, I did finally fix on an experienced professional who dealt with my skin patiently and gently. Once my year-long breakout was pinpointed as a classic case of hormonal acne, it got a lot better from there.

You know what they say about time healing all wounds? Well, it applies to adult acne as well. Few months later, I was sticking to my prescriptions, tanking up on water and comfortable to attend social functions without a drop of makeup, marks and everything. So if you are dealing with acne as an adult; I feel you, I really do. My advice? Consult a dermatologist, don't wait for it to get any worse. Make hygiene your priority on your face, your hands, your cell phone and your towel. Finally, in between the medicines and makeup, give your skin a breather-it sure as hell deserves it.