Clinical research has shown that acne affects roughly 25% of adult men and nearly half of all adult women at some point in their lives. Most people assume that acne is a disorder present only during your adolescent years, when hormones are out of control and all sorts of changes are taking place. However, surprisingly enough, acne can either develop or reoccur in adults also. This can happen well into your 30's, 40's and onward. And though adults are hopefully a bit more mature than the 13 year old girl faced with an acne outbreak, it can still be an embarrassing problem, difficult to solve and hard to live with in the meantime.

We all understand that hormonal changes happen throughout our teen years and that's one of the causes of acne for the younger generation. However, similar hormonal effects can impact adults as well, contributing to acne development.

Other causes, such as environmental factors, stress, or reaction to certain chemicals might also play a part. Unfortunately, since the causes vary from one person the next, it might be a good idea to seek out the help of a dermatologist to help figure out what the exact cause is for your adult acne outbreaks.

There are a number of adult acne treatments available. In fact, most are very similar, if not identical, to treatments used by other acne sufferers, regardless of age. Some are over-the-counter products you can find in any local drug store.

Then of course, you have the option of using prescription drugs, though some people wish to avoid the side effects these might cause. This is especially true if you are also taking other medications, since we all know that medications can often not "play nice" with each other or can counteract one another.

You'll find that often times, benzoyl peroxide is a common ingredient in both over-the-counter and possibly in prescription medications as well. However, it's a fairly strong chemical, sometimes causing dryness and redness. Therefore, some people seek out alternative solutions for their acne problem.

For natural acne remedies, there are a host of herbal and homeopathic remedies. These are often sought out as an alternative to strong medications that might cause adverse side effects or for people who would rather take a natural approach to treating their acne. However, it might be a good idea to use these in conjunction with more traditional acne remedies for best results.

It might take some trial and error to figure out what combination of products or methods gives you the best results for treating your acne. This is something your dermatologist can also advise you on, or you can find a number of websites online with more information and advice for acne-fighting regimens.