Acne Skin Care - Does your skin get better after the teen years?

Does your skin get better after the teen years?

I've heard a lot about that most teens get acne because of their hormone imbalance causing more oil production and that usually for most their skin gets a lot better after the teen years. I have had acne since I was like 11-12 years old. First it started out small, to mild, to worse, and now it's gotten REALLY bad like all over my face and body and I'm 15 now turning 16 in April. I use ProActiv and took Minocycline but it doesn't help that much. My dad only had little acne for like 1 year during his teens but I've been battling it for like 4 years. Just wondering.. can your skin actually get better starting in your early twenties? I don't want acne forever. No one in my family ever has had bad skin! And I have a pretty good diet. And I take care of my face. =( And PS- About the hormones which increase the serebum, do the hormones get back to normal after puberty as well?

Public Comments

As far as acne is concerner, yes, it does tend to clear up.
Yeah, your skin can definitely get better after the teen years. I didn't have what I'd call REALLY bad acne, but I did have my share and I thought it was pretty bad at times. Now, I'm 30 and have always been complimented on my skin for years now as looking smooth and clean. I'll still get the occasional pimple or so on occasion, but nothing that I'd even notice now and definitely nothing like back in high school.
15 and 16 is when its supposed to be the worse, and it will probably stay bad until your early 20's in college it should start fading away, but it may leave scars which sucks too *You can ask your doctor about (acutane) I have heard alot of BAD things about the side effects, and one of my friends took it in highschool (he had TERRIBLE ACNE) and he had lots of depression and anxiety and almost commited suicide b/c of it but now he has skin as clear as a babies bottom So I guess it depends on what you think
Well hun. I do hate to tell you this...but you will still get zits when you are an adult. BUT your skin will improve from its teenage years. See a dermatologist. Also know that using things that are too harsh on skin can cause more zits because your skin creates more oil to try to heal and protect itself. Stay out of the sun and try to lay off makeup.
There are no guarantees. You should see a dermatologist. I'm a 50 year old female who has rosacea. Don't be afraid to get medical help. http://www.rosacea.org/index.php
Talk to a dermatologist. USUALLY skin gets better in later years, but you have to take care of it by listening to doctors. You won't have acne forever---don't worry!
I struggled with it too but now (i'm 26) all my friends say that I have the most beautiful skin and my friends who didn't have it in high school are starting to have problems.....I would rather have it then, then now. You will find what works for you...
There are two phases of acne - teenage acne and adult acne. They are unrelated - someone who never had acne as a teenager can still get it as an adult (in their 20's or 30's). Teenagers usually have worse acne and all over, whereas as an adult it is usually more concentrated (ex: on the chin). So, sounds like you have teenage acne which should clear up hopefully soon! You might have some scarring from it though, so make sure not to pick at it because that will make scarring worse. Try not to stress about it, and don't overscrub when you wash your face. A lot of times the temptation is to scrub really hard to get rid of it, but that actually causes more irritation and the acne gets worse. Wash your face with luke warm water and then pat dry gently with a clean soft towel. Also - change your pillowcase often, I find that helps me. I think the grease from my hair irritates my skin. Good luck!
Generally acne will clear up after puberty an into early adulthood (early 20s or so) if not actually during puberty itself. For some people it's just an unlucky combination of genetics and, once the acne starts, it doesn't seem to clear up on it's own. If that's the case a dermatologist should be consulted. There are many different acne treatments now that are highly successful and the dermatologist will discuss the treatments they feel would be most successful for you. If your acne concerns you then you could see a dermatologist now and they should be able to help you get it under control rather than waiting until after puberty to see if it clears up. As for the hormones, I'm not quite sure. I assume that they don't go "back to normal" so much as the levels during puberty become the "normal" levels. In other words, hormones that were at very low levels before puberty begin increasing during puberty and then stay at that level through adulthood. Your body will become accustomed to the new levels and everything (acne and such) should even itself out over time. Good luck!