FROM ACNE TO menstrual cramps, many conditions traditionally associated with teenagers continue into adulthood.
Hong Kong accountant Simone Lockard, 29, has suffered from 'embarrassingly dry and itchy skin' since she was a child. 'When I finished studying and started full-time work, it became a bigger deal,' she says. 'I wanted to be confident when I met new people, but eczema doesn't really do much for your confidence.'
Lockard isn't alone. Many people suffer such problems into adulthood - and it's never too late to take action.
Here are possible solutions to the ailments we don't always outgrow.
Eczema
Mei Tam, a member of the Australasian College of Dermatologists, says eczema - characterised by dry and itchy skin - is common in children and can be aggravated by climate change and stress.
'Most children improve with age if they belong to the mild spectrum of the disease, but patients with moderate to severe conditions don't clear up completely.' Tam says that, from her experience, Asians tend to suffer from the condition more than Caucasians.