Total management of patients with acne

Abstract

Acne occurs in pre-pubertal individuals, teenagers and adults, and can have a devastating effect on self esteem and social relationships. Whether an acne sufferer will seek treatment often depends, apart from the severity, on cultural and social aspects which play a significant role in the attitude of the individuals and how they cope with the condition. Compliance to treatment is often low due to slow results of treatment, adverse effects and poor patient management. Acne surgery is a simple procedure advocated as one form of treatment which could provide major benefits to many patients. Many misconceptions exist on the causes of acne, contrary to the published evidence, and the common ones include chocolate, diet and insufficient washing. Patient management and compliance can be markedly improved by keeping the information and medication simple, allowing the patient to make choices from the available treatments and seeing the patient at regular intervals to ensure that the treatment is being used in the correct way. It is also important to consider the geographical, cultural, social and psychological factors relevant to each individual and to tailor treatment and advice appropriately.

Key Words:

• Compliance
• Acne
• Management