Why acne can strike women after the teen years

Why does acne still plague some women into adulthood? A new study offers some hints. Researchers from Italy who looked at 500 women uncovered some factors related to the risk of acne after the age of 25 -- including a low intake of fruits and vegetables, high stress levels and a family history of adult acne.
The findings do not prove that those things cause acne in some women, but it's plausible that they are involved, dermatologists said.
"We see that people who have a diet of junk food tend to break out more," said Dr. Debra Jaliman, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
Specifically, Jaliman said, research has implicated foods with a high "glycemic index" -- which cause blood sugar to surge. Some high-GI foods include white bread and rice, chips and crackers, and sugary baked goods.
Similarly, Jaliman said, chronic stress takes a toll on overall health, and that could show up on the skin.
Over 80 percent of teenagers have bouts of acne. The good news is, most see their skin clear up after age 20, according to a team led by Dr. Luigi Naldi, of the Study Center of the Italian Group for Epidemiologic Research in Dermatology in Bergamo, Italy. Still, anywhere from 20 percent to 40 percent of adults continue to have breakouts, the researchers added.
"Women tend to get adult acne more often than men," Jaliman said. "It's often due to changes in hormone levels and or hormonal imbalances."
Women may get acne before their menstrual period, for example, or when they start or stop birth control pills, Jaliman said.
But it's not completely clear why some women continue to have acne, while others don't.
To look into the question, Naldi's team surveyed women seen at dermatology clinics in 12 Italian cities. Overall, 248 were diagnosed with acne and 270 were diagnosed with other conditions to serve as the control group.
The researchers found that certain lifestyle factors were tied to the risk of an acne diagnosis.
Women who ate fruits and vegetables, or fresh fish, on fewer than four days out of the week were more than twice as likely to have acne, compared to women who ate those foods more often. 
    HealthDay

Why acne can strike women after the teen years

Why does acne still plague some women into adulthood? A new study offers some hints. Researchers from Italy who looked at 500 women uncovered some factors related to the risk of acne after the age of 25 -- including a low intake of fruits and vegetables, high stress levels and a family history of adult acne. The findings do not prove that those things cause acne in some women, but its plausible that they are involved, dermatologists said. We see that people who have a diet of junk food tend to break out more, said Dr. Debra Jaliman, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Specifically, Jaliman said, research has implicated foods with a high glycemic index -- which cause blood sugar to surge. Some high-GI foods include white bread and rice, chips and crackers, and sugary baked goods. Similarly, Jaliman said, chronic stress takes a toll on overall health, and that could show up on the skin. Over 80 percent of teenagers have bouts of acne. The good news is, most see their skin clear up after age 20, according to a team led by Dr. Luigi Naldi, of the Study Center of the Italian Group for Epidemiologic Research in Dermatology in Bergamo, Italy. Still, anywhere from 20 percent to 40 percent of adults continue to have breakouts, the researchers added. Women tend to get adult acne more often than men, Jaliman said. Its often due to changes in hormone levels and or hormonal imbalances. Women may get acne before their menstrual period, for example, or when they start or stop birth control pills, Jaliman said. But its not completely clear why some women continue to have acne, while others dont. To look into the question, Naldis team surveyed women seen at dermatology clinics in 12 Italian cities. Overall, 248 were diagnosed with acne and 270 were diagnosed with other conditions to serve as the control group. The researchers found that certain lifestyle factors were tied to the risk of an acne diagnosis. Women who ate fruits and vegetables, or fresh fish, on fewer than four days out of the week were more than twice as likely to have acne, compared to women who ate those foods more often. HealthDay