Acne
Acne vulgaris is one of the most common skin diseases and is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit affecting seborrheic areas such as the face, back and chest.
It is characterized by comedones, papules, pustules, cysts, nodules and cicatricial lesions. The incidence of the disease during adolescence is around 90%. However, recent studies show that there is an increase in the incidence of the disease after puberty, especially in female patients.
Acne Treatment
Before starting treatment, it is important that patients and their families are informed about the pathogenesis, course, complications and duration of treatment of acne. Acne treatment can be planned as topical or systemic treatment according to the clinical severity of the disease. Patient expectation is that acne lesions regress rapidly and do not recur. However, the first clinical response with treatment is obtained in 6-8 weeks. Depending on the effectiveness of the treatment and the treatment agents used, treatment is continued for a minimum of three months. Recurrence of the disease cannot be prevented with treatment.
Cosmetic Acne
It has been used to describe a condition that develops in women between 20 and 40 years of age as a result of prolonged use of various cosmetic products containing comedogenic substances. This condition is characterized by mostly closed and sometimes open comedones (white or black bumps) that usually appear after several months of use of the cosmetic product. It should be kept in mind that some procedures applied for facial care and skin cleansing can also cause acne.
Late Onset (Adult) Acne
Acne detected in adults after the age of 25 is defined as late-onset (adult) acne. In population-based studies, the prevalence of late-onset acne has been reported to be around 14%, 12% in women and 3% in men.
Pregnancy-Acne
While acne lesions can be triggered by hormones (androgen hormones such as testosterone, androstenodione and 17-hydroxyprogesterone) during pregnancy, some patients show regression.Acne vulgaris can be triggered by hormone levels, diet, smoking, emotional stress and cosmetics in genetically predisposed individuals.Acne scars create aesthetic, social and psychological problems.In addition to the drugs used in acne treatment, it is important to clean the skin, moisturize the skin properly and use sunscreen. In acne vulgaris, dermocosmetic products should be prescribed by physicians.
Topical Treatments
- Topical retinoids: Adapalene, tretinoin, tazarotene and retinol
- Benzoyl peroxide
- Topical antibiotics: Erythromycin, Clindamycin
- Azelaic Acid
- AHA: Alpha hydroxy acids: Glycolic acid
- Beta Hydroxy acid salicylic acid
- Systemic Therapies
- Antibiotics (Azithromycin, Tetracycline, Doxycycline)
- Isotretinoin ( Roaccutane, Zoretanin)
- Birth Control Pills