Tackling problem acne as an adult
Dermatologist tells of her battle with spotty skin flare-up
Consultant dermatologist Anjali Mahto has youthful, glowing skin. No one would even begin to guess that she has suffered with severe acne for all her adult life.
“I’ve had trouble with my skin since I was 11; you get very good with makeup over the years,” Mahto, 38, says with a smile.
Having tried every pill, potion, peel, light and laser out there, she says she’s now got her skin under reasonable control. “It is going through a good phase after a course of (acne drug) Roaccutane last summer, so hopefully I will get a good year-and-a-half out of it. But it will be back. It always comes back.”
Though she’s now come to accept that her acne will never be cured, Mahto remains sensitive about her appearance. “I’m nearly 40, and I still freak out when I get spots,” she says. “I still have days when I don’t want to go to work. Having acne is miserable. It really does stop you doing the things you wanted to do. I don’t think that feeling of being a spotty teenager ever goes away.”
Acne — spots and oily skin affecting the face, back and chest — is most commonly triggered by hormonal changes during puberty, but in recent years, experts have been reporting a marked increase in acne among adults. A 2015 study of 92 private dermatology clinics found a 200 per cent rise in the number of adults seeking treatment for acne. Women are significantly more likely to suffer with it than men, thanks to hormonal cycles, pregnancy, changes in contraception, and menopause.
For most, the problem begins in adolescence and persists, but for a fifth of female sufferers, “late-onset” acne comes as a nasty shock. “I see women who have never had any trouble with their skin develop it for the first time in their 50s,” Mahto says. “As we approach the menopause, the proportion of testosterone to estrogen becomes higher, which drives the activity of the skin’s oil glands, and can increase spots.”
Various aspects of modern lifestyles have been suggested as the culprits, including stress, pollution and diets rich in sugary, processed foods. However, Mahto warns against restrictive diets, especially given that eating disorders are more prevalent among acne sufferers. She advises her patients to reduce any triggers for their acne and adjust their skin-care routine. Many of us, she says, overuse skin products, which can worsen acne. “Facial oils have become really popular over the last few years, and my clinics are full of women that have got blackhead acne because of using them,” she says.
Acne’s links with depression and low self-esteem are well-documented: 2015 research by the British Skin Foundation found nearly 20 per cent of sufferers had considered suicide. In the selfie age, life is hard for those with less than perfect skin — whatever your age. “There’s an idea that you grow out of acne, so adults feel like they’re not taken seriously in their role at work,” says Mahto.
Mahto is aware of the irony of advising patients on acne when having a flare-up herself, but believes it has helped her relate to their problems. She says the most important step has been learning to see her acne as a chronic condition that will come and go: “My acne doesn’t bother me as much any more. I feel like it’s just kind of part of my face.”
The Daily Telegraph