Truth is, breakouts rank as the top skin care concern among my clients. What they don't have in common, however is their age. Believe it or not, breakouts don't disappear once you turn 20! Acne can pop up in your 30's, 40's and beyond. Why? The cause of breakouts changes with age. Luckily, no matter how old you are there are ways to prevent and treat breakouts.
How to Treat and Prevent Breakouts in Your 40's
By now breakouts shouldn't be too problematic. However, you may still notice some monthly breakouts as your hormones fluctuate. This is the perimenopause stage in life. Meaning, estrogen regulates the oil glands, and since estrogen is on the decline during this timeframe, you may experience occasional acne.
Invest in acne spot treatments to be used as needed. If you experience cystic acne and know the spot that is normally affected simply apply a treatment to that area 3 days before your period begins, and keep applying it throughout the week. This will treat just the area that breakouts are prone to pop up, rather than your entire face, which would just cause overall dryness. If this doesn't work, ask your doctor for a cortisone injection or, apply ice and a hydrocortisone cream to reduce inflammation. Whatever you do, don't touch it! This will allow more bacteria to enter, delay the healing process, and may even cause scarring.
You may also want to consider purchasing a retinol treatment cream. This will help to prevent signs of aging, ie. wrinkles, brown spots, large pores.
As for those painful, red, pus-filled bumps try a gentle spot treatment. These breakouts require both eliminating bacteria and exfoliation. A good product to treat these is Dermalogica's Clarifying Mattifier with salicylic acid and use as needed.
No matter what your age, it's so important to remember not to switch up your skin care routine whenever a breakout strikes! Instead, focus on fighting acne the smart way. Just tweak your routine to focus more on the acne before (or during) breakouts. Choose your products wisely and apply them only to the area affected and in no time your skin will be clear again.
