The chances are that most of us will have had to endure acne of some descript during our formative years, with acne in adolescence often causing great distress during school years. After the spots eventually clear, it could be assumed then that we would be relatively spot-free for the rest of our lives, right? Well, this is not the case for some people. Believe it or not, adults can get acne, with some experiencing it well into their 30s, 40s, and even 50s. Moreover, some people only have acne for the very first time when they are an adult, with women significantly more effected than men. In fact, over 80% of cases of adult acne occur in women. It is commonly thought that most cases of adult acne are associated with changes in hormone levels that women can experience, mainly due to periods, pregnancy, and polycystic ovary syndrome. However, health experts believe that a bad diet could be behind more outbreaks of acne in adulthood, and again women being the most susceptible to suffering. A diet that is low in fruit and vegetables can cause acne to breakout during adulthood, and high levels of stress could also be a factor behind acne, according to research. It is believed that about 80% those between the ages of 11 and 30 have experienced acne at some stage in their lifetime. In addition, an estimated 5% of women and 1% of men over the age of 25 will have spots and oily skin. Therefore, researchers in Italy decided to assess 500 women and tried to determine some of the risk factors for acne in women over the age of 25. Just under half of the 500 women were sufferers of acne. It was discovered that women were twice as likely to have acne if they consumed vegetables for only three days a week. “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. Jaliman said some of the worse foods to eat are those 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. The women who said that they experienced higher levels of stress in their lives were around three times as likely to have outbreaks of acne. Family history was also found to play a role in the chances of the women getting outbreaks of acne during adulthood. The study’s findings were reported in the December issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. A dermatologist who reviewed the study, commented how it is not definitive if fruits and vegetables ward off acne. Dr. Bethanee Schlosser, an associate professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, argued that the study had contained women with PCOS or other disorders that boost testosterone levels. She says this makes it difficult to extend the study’s findings to the general population of women that do not have hormonal disorders, and also pointed out that the study found no link between dairy intake and acne, which goes against the researchers’ past work. Although the findings may not prove fish, fruit or stress reduction, will instantly get rid of a woman’s acne, it’s always wise to be mindful of diet and lifestyle, Jaliman said. For any adult with suffering with acne, Medical Specialists® Pharmacy have a wide range of acne treatments to suit different skin types and preferences, and some can also reduce the appearance of fine wrinkle lines around the face. Just some examples of the fantastic treatment options include the popular Duac Gel and Dianette, the latter of which is for women only and also used for contraceptive purposes.