Ditch the zits: Dealing with adult acne

It’s one of the biggest annoyances of adult life: You’ve survived the gym classes and cliques of high school, yet you still are breaking out like your old, angst–ridden teenage self. You’re not alone. Studies in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology show that 50 percent of women (sorry men, data are still out on you guys) will suffer from acne at some point in their adult years.

Seeing that we’re all in this together, the first step in treatment is identifying the factors that lead to those pesky bumps and splotches. As with many skin conditions, diet can affect the amount of insulin and oil your body produces, leading to the inevitable, dreaded zits. Foods like candy, chips, and soda that rank high on the glycemic index cause your blood sugar to spike quickly, making your body pump out extra insulin and oil. Consider cutting down on these harmful foods, replacing them instead with low– glycemic foods like squash, sweet potatoes, and whole grains.

Stress is also a factor in acne. It can worsen acne through a release of inflammatory chemicals and hormonal changes. Both of these lead to the kind of acne everyone dreads – big, red (not to mention painful) pimples that seem to love sticking around for weeks and weeks. To prevent flare ups, find an activity that can help lower your anxiety the next time you have a big deadline at work, whether it be yoga, a run, or catching a chick flick with your friends. Both your skin and your sanity will thank you.

If organic fixes like changing your diet and lowering your stress aren’t showing noticeable improvement, there are skin products and treatments specifically formulated to fight adult acne. Rather than targeting the acne of your youth, which forms more on the nose and forehead, these treatments focus on the jawline and neck, areas more prone to acne in adult years. Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Spot Treatment ($18, kiehls.com) dries clear and targets blackheads and acne blemishes. Neutrogena’s On-The-Spot Acne Treatment ($5.99, Target) contains a smaller amount of Benzoyl Peroxide than other acne treatments, preventing the irritating drying and redness that other cures may cause.

For a high–tech fix, the Zeno Hot Spot ($40, Drugstores) targets bacteria in the pimple with its heated tip, reducing its size and inflammation. The Bliss PoreFector Gadget ($175, blissworld.com) emits sonic waves over the skin to break up and remove dirt and oil, leaving skin exfoliated and free of dead skin.

Combining both lifestyle changes and adult acne treatments can liberate you of your blemish woes, leaving those troublesome bumps where they belong – in the past, between the covers of your high school yearbook.