Adult Acne? ...Or Is It Really Rosacea?

While I regard myself mostly as a specialist in adult acne, I also specialize in rosacea, as well as in general sensitivity.  And, as someone who actually has rosacea herself, I can understand the frustrations that come along with not knowing how to properly manage the condition.  This can be especially frustrating when you believe you have rosacea and it turns out it's really acne, and vise versa. 

I once had a client who’d been trying all sorts of topical and internal antibiotics and other medications, even birth control (though she was in her late 40s), and nothing was working.  In fact, most of what she was using topically was making things much worse, and what she was taking orally was helping a little or not at all (like the birth control).

The Year Of Maskne: An Adult Acne Expert's View

COVacne!  The Scourge of the Year

Most people call it "maskne", of course, but I call it "COVacne" because it's obvious to me that more is involved than just the physical wearing of masks.  There is no question that friction and heat from mask wearing play the greatest roles, but there has to be meaning in the fact that for so many the acne also gets bad in areas otherwise designated as "hormonal"; the jawline, sides of the chin, inner cheeks, and lower central forehead.  Stress must play a roll, too!

Sensitive Skin? Maybe Not!

By the yearly sales of moisturizers in this country alone, you would never know that only 10% of the world's entire population actually has genetically dry skin. The rest of us with dryness issues all have **dehydrated** skin.  The problem is, the skincare industry often doesn't seem to understand this concept.  The result?  Genetically oily skin that's leaching water all day long gets lubricated with heavy, often pore-clogging, moisturizers instead of hydrated, and truly dry skin still doesn't get the replenishment of lipids, cholesterol or water that it loses all day long, either.  How does this relate to the possibility that your skin isn't actually sensitive?  If you have Adult Acne, or even just raw, irritated skin, it's actually not a safe assumption that breaking out from products means your skin is sensitive!

Stubborn Acne Around the Chin and Mouth

As an Esthetician specializing in Adult Acne and Sensitivity, acne in pores where oil glands are larger due to being located in the “T-Zone” but where pore sizes are smaller due to facial contours, is the most common problem I see in my clients, both in the salon and in my online adult acne coaching service across the nation.  Excess oil from all kinds of hormonal changes rush into pores causing inflammation of pore linings, resulting in swelling, redness and pain.

These areas of larger glands and smaller pores are located on the sides of the chin, around the mouth, the inner cheeks, and between the brows.  Sometimes, the sides of the chin will also extend to the inner jawline and lower cheeks.  

Wedding Prep for Adult Acne

The fact that right now is not “wedding season” is precisely the point of this post. 

In the 20+ years that I have been specializing in Adult Acne, I’ve had people contact me just a few weeks before their wedding (a few people, even just 2 weeks ahead), to book a facial to get rid of their breakouts.  

If someone tells me her breakouts are very recent from stress, that’s one thing.  In that instance I tell her a facial will exfoliate, calm and hydrate her skin to prep for better makeup application, but when it comes to clearing her breakout, I tell her it’s actually best to treat it at home with my Ice Therapy technique twice a day.

Scarf Attack! How Your Winter Breakouts Can Be Prevented

Do you have new jawline and neck breakouts that are bad enough to have you running to your doctor?  Don’t go making an appointment just yet… This winter is cold but the weather keeps fluctuating.  Sometimes it's humid with snow, sometimes bitter cold and dry. Nothing else bears the brunt of freezing cold like your skin. But you know what, while everyone is familiar with the drying and chapping effects of frigid winds, very few people take into account how the weather might affect adult acne.  What makes winter different, why would adult acne breakouts be any different than now?

The answer is friction.