Spot the problem: Stress, poor diet, even too much exercise - how modern life is fuelling a rise in adult acne

Spots were once the scourge of hormonal teenage years, a skin problem that was thankfully kissed goodbye come adulthood. But for a growing number of British women, pimples no longer disappear when the school uniform is hung up.

According to the British Association of Dermatology, around 14 per cent of women aged 26 to 44 seek help for adult acne every year, with many more suffering in silence.

What is compounding this eruption in skin problems, say experts, is raised levels of stress, poor diets and even too much exercise.

At any age, the underlying cause of acne is an over-sensitivity to the male hormone testosterone.

'In response, skin glands produce excessive amounts of oil that, along with dead skin cells, clog up in hair follicles, trapping bacteria and triggering superficial pimples and blackheads, as well as bumps beneath the skin's surface,' says Susan Mayou, a consultant dermatologist at the Cadogan Clinic and Cromwell Hospital.

Mayou says it has always been known that some women are more prone to spots at times when hormones fluctuate, such as adolescence, pregnancy and during the menopause. Many more also experience monthly breakouts triggered by the menstrual cycle.

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