Oily Skin: Solutions That Work -- No Matter What Your Age

Although most folks associate oily skin with the teen years, age is only part of the story.

Indeed, while problems don't usually begin until around puberty, for many people, oily skin persists long after the senior prom has faded into memory. For some, oily skin can last a lifetime.

"If you have oily skin, you have oily skin – it's just something that happens to some people," says Joel Schlessinger, MD president-elect of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery and director of LovelySkin.com in Omaha, Nebraska.

While heredity can play a role – if your mother or father had oily skin you might as well – so do hormones.

""Oil production is stimulated by hormone production - so anything that causes hormones to fluctuate can cause skin to become more oily," says dermatologist Doris J. Day, MD, associate professor, NYU School of Medicine in New York City.

For women, hormone changes occur not only during puberty, but at the start of each menstrual cycle, and during pregnancy and perimenopause. For both women and men, oily skin can be stimulated by any physical or emotional situation that puts hormones in a tailspin.

The good news: Regardless of cause(s) of your oily skin, there are steps you can take to control it

WebMD talked to 4 top dermatologists to gather the low-down on what works and what doesn't to keep oily skin looking great. From proper cleansing techniques and oil-targeted skin care, to treatments aimed at reducing oil production, you can replace that oily shine with a healthy glow -- in less time than you think.

Taking Care of Oily Skin: Where To Start

Regardless of your age, oil - also known as sebum – is always produced by the sebaceous glands.

Located deep within the second layer or "dermis" of the skin, these glands are most plentiful in the face, neck, chest, head and back – one reason that these areas appear to be affected by oil production the most.

To get from the glands to your skin, the oils flow into nearby follicular pores, and eventually works its way to the surface. Here it plays a vital role in the health of both skin and hair.

"It helps seal moisture in, which gives hair that healthy sheen and helps keep skin plump and hydrated," says Charles E. Crutchfield III, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology, University of Minnesota Medical School Medical and Director, Crutchfield Dermatology.

But in some folks too much oil is produced. Skin and hair no longer look healthy, but instead, greasy, slick and even dirty.

One way to control that is with proper cleansing. But if you think you need harsh products to scrub away the extra oil, think again. Experts say that's a big – and all too common – mistake.