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Clear Skin At Any Age

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Hello everyone,

Today’s writeup comes courtesy of renowned dermatologist Herbert P. Goodheart, M.D. In addition to running a respected New York office, Dr. Goodheart is also well-known for his writing on the topic of skin health. He is particularly familiar to readers as the author of the practical and very readable guide to acne titled Acne For Dummies. Below is an article he’s written titled Clear Skin At Any Age.  Enjoy.   :0)


Dr. Goodheart

Dr. Goodheart

High school is a memory. You have a career, or you’re raising a family. Bad skin, you assume, is a thing of the past. But just when you think that you’re out of the woods, acne hits you right in the face. Dermatologists regularly hear the lament, “Acne, at my age?!”, expressed by women who suddenly develop acne after the age of 18 or 30 or even later in life. Many people — mostly women — get acne for the first time as adults or develop acne after years of being relatively pimple free. And sometimes teenage acne can continue unabated from teen years into adulthood.

WHAT CAUSES IT?

When acne begins in the teenage years, the increase in your androgens — male hormones that are present in both men and women — play a major role in its development. The other major female hormone, estrogen, has an opposite (estrogenic) effect and tends to curb acne. The presence of a certain type of bacteria is also believed to have a role in causing acne.

Currently, there is some disagreement about the link between diet and acne; several researchers are suggesting that there may be a degree of truth behind some dietary factors having an influence on acne. If you’re absolutely convinced that a certain food type is making your acne worse — avoid it!

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3 Comments »

  • SkinCareGeek (author) said:

    Hello Carlos,

    Thanks so much for your comment and relaying your experience. You make a great point that a healthy diet can benefit skin health, and that the elimination of toxins can clear the skin.

    On that same note though, with some people, hormonal activity is a major contributor to their acne. This is especially the case during teen years when male hormones (known as androgens) start circulating through the bodies of pubescent boys and girls.

    Similarly, birth control pills can be a trigger (or a cure) for acne, depending on the type and how an individual female responds to the formulation. The birth control pills used for acne treatment are usually derived from newer generations of progestins, which tend have lower levels of male hormone to them.

    I've heard in interviews that Usher and Janet Jackson are super big fans of colon cleansing (Janet prompted him actually). Out of curiosity, how often do you undergo colon cleansing? Also, I'm sure others would like to know how many visits it took before you began to see benefits in the clarity of your skin.

  • garret said:

    Awesome read

  • SkinCareGeek (author) said:

    I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

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