For most ladies, experiencing acne is one of their biggest nightmares.
However, most people at some point in their life get affected by acne, a common skin condition that appears on the face, forehead or chest.
Acne occurs when hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells.
Dr Venkatesh Narasimhan says the most common age to get acne is puberty which is from 13 to 15 years onwards up to 25 years.
Narasimhan is a Dermatologist at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi.
“Acne that persists beyond the age of 25 years is normally caused by underlying hormonal issues, sometimes steroids, polycystic ovary syndrome or other deficiencies,” he says.
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a condition where you have few, unusual or very long periods, often resulting in having too much of a male hormone called androgen.
The medic further notes that even though stress can be an aggravating factor for acne, it is not one of the known primary factors.
He lists diet and lifestyle as the primary factors.
“What you do in terms of your skincare, in terms of what you wash your face with, what diet you take is a more important factor as compared to stress but it does play a minor role,” he notes.
He advises people with an acne problem to use water-based make-up products, adding that oil-based products are known to flare acne issues.
Online medical site Mayo Clinic says that for many women, acne can persist for decades, with flares common a week before menstruation and tends to clear up without treatment in women who use contraceptives.
In older adults, a sudden onset of severe acne may signal an underlying disease requiring medical attention, it warns.