Let's face it: while beauty is only skin deep, it's undeniable that first impressions count. So it's not surprising the Asia Pacific Digital Health Index earlier this year revealed that skin health was the top online discussion topic among 13- to 30-year-olds in Hong Kong, ahead of conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Acne is a leading concern. Though widely regarded as a teenage problem, it can happen at any age - half of all women and one in four men will suffer from it at some point in their adult lives.
Administrative executive Rowena Cheung, 33, never had persistent acne as a teen. 'I had the occasional breakout, but I could usually clear them with pimple creams. It was never so bad that I thought I would have to seek medical help,' she recalls. But after moving to a highly stressful job two years ago, she began developing full-blown adult acne.
Stress triggers changes in hormones such as androgen and oestrogen, which are known respectively as male and female hormones but are found in both sexes. This hormonal imbalance leads to an over-secretion of sebum by the sebaceous, or oil glands, and clogs the skin's pores. The build-up of dead skin material (keratin), the use of overly rich skincare products, or taking or discontinuing certain medications such as corticosteroids can also exacerbate the problem.
Clogged pores attract bacteria, resulting in inflammation that manifests as blackheads, whiteheads, pimples or scaly red skin, typically on the face, upper chest and back. Serious bouts of inflammation may result in scarring.
'For some adults, breakouts are a result of hypersensitivity or overproduction of androgens,' says Dr Kingsley Chan, dermatologist at the Quality HealthCare Dermatology and Laser Centre. 'But an imbalance in both male and female hormones can also cause breakouts. For women, this can happen during pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause.'