Increased pressure leads to more adult acne
Samantha Critchell, Associated Press
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
(03-18) 04:00 PDT New York –
Here’s another bump in the landscape of economic meltdown: adult acne.
Stress is a leading cause of breakouts, and there’s no shortage of that these days in the Oakland office of Dr. Katie Rodan. Many of her clients are either in the financial field or have husbands who are.
Meanwhile, Manhattan dermatologist Cheryl Karcher is performing far fewer liposuctions or Botox injections but is seeing more patients than ever. “They’re all insurance patients for eczema, acne and warts; they’re all another hit from the immune system,” she says.
Karcher explains that the nervous system and hormone systems work together. “They are tightly intertwined, and the nervous system is stimulated by stress. … I am seeing more acne than you can believe.”
Dr. Kathy Fields points to a Stanford University study from 2002 that found students had more severe acne during exam periods than other times of the year.
Makeup can be a quick fix without exasperating the problem. Rodan says mineral makeup is OK and some concealing products contain salicylic acid, which would mean that if some makeup is creeping into the pores, some medicine is going with it.
Still, it’s easier to minimize acne if you get to it before it’s fully developed, she says.
If you’re not sleeping or if you find yourself picking at your skin even before a pimple appears, she says, you might be helping to trigger a breakout. Instead, use an anti-acne product and manage the stress.
“Try a yoga class,” Rodan suggests.
“If you’re so stressed that it’s affecting your skin, then it’s affecting the rest of your body,” Karcher adds. “It would be a disservice if you’re just treating your acne, although you do want to treat it. Not doing it would cause even more stress.”
Karcher recommends over-the-counter products with salicylic acid or glycolic acid, which can help unclog pores. If pimples are already visible – and especially if you have an upcoming event for which you feel appearance matters, such as a job interview – consider a cortisone injection at a dermatologist’s office, Fields says, or try over-the-counter cortisone products.
If there’s still no improvement then it’s time for benzoyl peroxide, Rodan says.
The single-worst thing you could do, according to Rodan is pop your pimples. “Infections also increase when cortisol levels are high and wound healing slows down.”
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/18/DD6Q16EA38.DTL
This article appeared on page E – 10 of the San Francisco Chronicle
