The medical term for acne is acne vulgaris – ‘vulgaris’ meaning ‘common’. According to the NHS, about 80 per cent of people aged 11-30 will be affected by acne to some extent.
Acne is most common between the ages of 14-17 in girls, and 16-19 in boys – around the time when the hormonal changes of puberty peak. In general, symptoms tend to improve as the person gets older and usually disappear when they reach their mid-20s. However, for some people, acne remains an issue into adult life – about 5 per cent of women and 1 per cent of men over the age of 25 have acne.
In adults, roughly 80 per cent of acne cases occur in women. There is some evidence that acne runs in families. For instance, it has been suggested that if both parents suffered from acne, their child is more likely to develop acne at an earlier age and their symptoms may be more severe. Research also suggests that if one or both parents had adult acne, their child is more likely to suffer from adult acne too.