Dermatologist Dr Stefanie Williams has advice on what to do if you’ve developed spots in your 30s or 40s
Spots in your 30s can be a variety of different things – for example adult acne, rosacea or perioral dermatitis. It is important to see a dermatologist to get diagnosed correctly and started on treatment. Avoid going to some high street beauty salon to treat your spots – this needs to be treated by a dermatologist to avoid scarring and other problems.
Even though spots are not only very common in teenagers, but also adults, don’t be tempted to ignore them. Even mild acne can have a significant negative impact on confidence and it has, in fact been linked to depression. While extremely common in teenagers, we’re now also seeing a large increase in cases of adult acne. Adult acne can persist into your 30s or 40s. As acne can leave scars, it is very important to get treatment early and not try to fix it yourself with inappropriate over-the-counter remedies. A dermatologist can prescribe medication such as antibiotics if you need them and also a course of topical treatments to help clear the problem up.
Rosacea is another very common, chronic facial skin problem with spots that many patients mistake for acne. As well as following your prescription topical or systemic medication programme, it’s also important to look at your individual lifestyle habits and to be aware of aggravating factors such as sun, spicy food, alcohol and coffee.
Medication apart, it’s also important to consider your regular skincare in the light of recurrent spots, as the wrong type of skincare can aggravate or even cause breakouts. Our Medical Aestheticians offer special breakout Facials based on deep pore cleansing and comedone extractions, which are invaluable to any breakouts treatment.
DR STEFANIE WILLIAMS is dermatologist at European Dermatology, London and founder of www.eudelo.com
Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.
