Skin Health Acne Treatment Treating Acne In Adult Men By Angela Palmer facebook Angela Palmer is a licensed esthetician specializing in acne treatment. Learn about our editorial process Angela Palmer Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Casey Gallagher, MD on November 19, 2019 Casey Gallagher, MD, is board-certified in dermatology and works as a practicing dermatologist and clinical professor. Learn about our Medical Review Board Casey Gallagher, MD Updated on January 06, 2020 Print Haven't outgrown your teen acne? Or maybe your acne made a comeback (or even a first appearance) in your adult years? You aren't the only one dealing with this skin problem. Adult acne in men is frustrating, stubborn, but not uncommon. Gentlemen, here are 10 things you must know to successfully treat your adult acne. 1 Adults Get Acne, Too Daniel Ingold/Cultura/Getty Images Teens aren't the only ones who get acne. Lots of people break out long after the high school years are over. Many men find the acne they had during their teen years never really goes away and continues right into adulthood. But sometimes acne can appear for the first time post-adolescence. Acne affects both sexes equally during teenhood, but men tend to have longer-lasting acne than women. And unfortunately, guys are more likely to have more severe acne. The good news is acne can be treated successfully, even in adults. Everything You Need to Know About Adult Acne 2 Know the Causes of Acne This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing. See Photo DermNet / CC BY-NC-ND In your teens, you might have been told that working at a fast food place, or eating pizza, caused acne. We know so much more about acne development now that many of your old beliefs about what causes pimples might not hold true anymore. There are a few main factors that are responsible for causing acne: excess oil, a buildup of dead skin cells in the pore, proliferation of acne-causing bacteria, and inflammation. Why is it important to know what causes acne? Because it will help you treat it right, and get better results from your treatments. The Top 3 Reasons Why You Get Pimples 3 Take Care of Your Skin Just to be clear—acne isn't caused by a dirty face. But a good skin care routine will definitely help get your acne treatments on track. If you're not really "into" skin care, don't worry. You don't have to spend a lot of time, and you don't need a lot of products, to care for your skin effectively. Most men just need a good cleansing morning and night, and a moisturizer if acne treatments are drying out your skin. Easy! Get Clearer Skin With These Simple Care Tips 4 Be Careful When You Shave This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing. See Photo DermNet / CC BY-NC-ND Acne can make shaving difficult (and sometimes painful.) Take extra care when shaving. Don't shave the tops of pimples off, if you can help it. And try to shave super carefully over acne blemishes. If your blade razor is irritating your skin, try an electric to see if that helps. If you have more serious inflammatory acne, or if shaving in itself seems to really irritate your acne, you might want to experiment with a beard trimmer. This will clip the hair short but not completely remove it, and it can help save your skin from irritation (at least until acne starts to clear.) Sometimes what men think is acne is actually ingrown hairs, folliculitis, or an inflammation of the hair follicle. Guys with curly hair in the beard area are more prone to folliculitis because the hair tends to curl under the skin. Again, leaving the hair a bit longer can help. Not sure if it's acne or folliculitis? Your doctor can diagnose folliculitis, and prescribe medication if you need it. How to Shave the Right Way When You Have Acne 5 Enlarged Pores Can Improve Lots of men find that large pores are just as annoying as pimples. Large pores, also called follicular prominence by skin docs, are common in those with oily skin. There really aren't any skin care products that can completely eliminate large pores, but you can help those pores look smaller. Over-the-counter acne products can give you some improvement. Some prescription products, like topical retinoids, are also good for large pores and treat acne at the same time. What Your Pores Say About Your Skin 6 You Have Treatment Options There are many acne treatment options available today, and that's a good thing. There's a treatment out there for everyone. You might be able to get some improvement with an over-the-counter product if your acne is mild (meaning some light pimples and blackheads). More stubborn acne will respond better to prescription medications. Isotretinoin might be an option for you, too. You might know this medication by the brand name Accutane. Used properly, this medication can clear up severe cases of acne, even acne that hasn't improved with other treatments. Acne Treatment Options 7 Body Acne Can Be Treated Maybe you have acne on places other than your face. Lots of people do. Back and body acne can be treated too. You can buy body washes made specifically for body breakouts at your local drug store, Target, Wal-mart, etc. The most effective will contain benzoyl peroxide. If OTC products don't work, prescription medications are needed. Because it can be really hard (and messy) to smear a cream over your own back, an oral acne medication might be prescribed. 8 See a Dermatologist Sure, there are plenty of OTC acne products to choose from. But if your acne isn't getting better with them, it's time to move on to stronger treatments. Even though time spent in the doctor's office may not be your idea of a good time, don't put off making an appointment. Your dermatologist will help you find a treatment that will clear up your skin. The sooner you make that appointment, the sooner you will start seeing results. Top 5 Reasons to See a Dermatologist About Your Acne 9 Be Patient Acne treatments take time to work. Don't get discouraged and definitely don't give up too soon. It can take up to three or four months before you really notice a difference in your skin. Stick with a treatment at least that long. And expect to still get some new pimples, or even a flare-up, during the initial weeks of treatment. This doesn't mean your treatment isn't going to work. Give it some time, but ask your dermatologist if you have any questions. Why Your Acne Treatment Might Not Be Working 10 Don't Let Acne Drag You Down Although it may be hard to admit, acne can affect your self-confidence. It can make you feel angry, anxious, depressed. Don't be too hard on yourself; you're not being shallow or vain. Lots of people feel this way. If you feel like acne is affecting your life for the worst, and you can't seem to get past it, talk to your doctor. There is some good news here—almost every case of acne can be cleared with the right treatment. Get on a treatment plan. Just feeling like you have some control over your skin can immediately give you a boost. How to Feel Better When You Have Acne Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Dealing with acne can be frustrating. Our free guide provides expert tips to help you take control. Sign up and get yours today. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Skroza N, Tolino E, Mambrin A. Adult acne versus adolescent acne: A retrospective study of 1,167 patients. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2018;11(1):21–25.