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Dr. Kavita Mariwalla: You know, it is very interesting. When I started out in Dermatology, there were certain conceptions that everybody has, no rashes or rashes, acne happens when you are a teenager. And now, that I am a Dermatologist, I’ve realized how complex those things can be, and one of the complexities is that we are seeing a lot of adults with acne. I see women in their late 20s and 30s, who come in, and they are saying “Doctor Mariwalla, I am not a teenager anymore. So, why is this happening?” and they feel like they are alone.

Reality is that over 25% of women over the age of 25, actually still suffer from acne, and it can be socially stigmatizing, because it is not something we talk about. And if you see all of the ads on T.V., you know, you see teenagers and face washing, but women nowadays are at work all of the time. There is a lot of stress. They are business people. They are at a nine to five job or a lot of times longer than that. Oh yeah, you have to be a mom, you have to come home and take care of your family.

So, there are a lot of things that are going on that women didn’t have to face two generations ago, even one generation ago. So, as a consequence, your face takes a lot of that hit. You know, makeup every day, when you didn’t wear makeup every day. Going out and being with the family, kids are in a lot more sports than usual, you are exposed to the elements a lot more driving them around. And so, a lot of these factors contribute to acne, and it is something that is really a problem.

So, in my practice, I am actually finding that women that are struggling with acne, and then, I am also seeing a lot of 30 year olds, who want to do things to prevent aging. So, it’s not that they are showing a lot of signs of wrinkles or things that actually need immediate intervention, but really they want to know, “What can I do to always look the way that I feel inside?”

Acne Misconceptions

Doctor Kavita Mariwalla shares generational and lifestyle factors that contribute to acne.