Puberty is hard. It’s that time in your teenage life when your hormones are going haywire, your body is changing, and you’re dancing on the edge of adulthood. While I skated through my teen years with greasy hair, evident body changes, and a better understanding of cramps and mood swings, I magically escaped acne. Sure, I had a pimple here and there, but rarely. I never struggled with breakouts on my face or body or had to deal with dermatologists and Retin-A as a teen, but always had a hunch that my clear skin could come bite me in the ass (or shall I say, face) at some point as an adult — and it definitely has.
Here I am in my early 40s battling adult acne seemingly out of nowhere
I basically woke up one cold November day with breakouts all over my face. I assumed it was from paper masks, and switched to a cloth one, but the red bumps were still taking over my cheeks and chin. Even a facial couldn’t calm it down, and I was using all sensitive skin products per usual.
After a week, I realized it was the acne I had avoided all these decades rearing its ugly (white)heads. Normally, I use gentle face wash with an occasional scrub and moisturizer, and I’m fine. But this was a full-blown breakout. My hormones were RAGING and had something to tell me.
This wasn’t my body reacting to life stress and the throes of parenthood — this was deeper
My dermatologist recommended a blood test to check my hormone levels (and yes, I’m too young for menopause). I was prescribed some topical creams and pills in the meantime to calm down my epidermis.
I’m currently waiting for the bloodwork to come back, and my skin has thankfully improved since my dermatology check-in. It took a few days, and my skin actually got worse before it got better. That was tough to see because I felt like a greasy teenager.
I'm trying to be, well, an adult about it
I tried so hard not to complain about my skin or pick at it in front of my impressionable daughters, telling them that breaking out is normal. And when it happens when you’re older, doctors can help.
As much as parents joke about how kids are pretty darn stressful, according to my derm life, stress sometimes has nothing to do with adult acne. Apparently it’s also pretty common — some of my friends are going through this as well, so I’m glad we have each other.
And hey, we can always whip out an old game of the 1990s classic “Girl Talk” and slap plastic red “zit stickers” on each other if we need to laugh through our skin journeys together!
