Nonprescription acne vulgaris treatments: Their role in ourtreatment armamentarium—An international panel discussion

Abstract

AbstractBackground: Acne vulgaris (acne), a common inflammatory skin disorder, has its peakincidence between 14 and 19 years of age, with girls frequently developing acne ear-lier than boys. Over recent years, persistent acne is becoming more prevalent in adultwomen.Objectives: This review and panel discussion addresses challenges in acne manage-ment, particularly in adult women. The role which nonprescription acne treatmentcan play is explored when used as monotherapy or as an adjunctive treatment foracne of all severity.Methods: The best available evidence on nonprescription acne treatment was cou -pled with the opinion of an international expert panel of dermatologists to adoptstatements and recommendations discussed in this review.Results: All severity of acne has a significant burden on patients. Addressing environ-mental factors that are important for the individual with acne may help to educate,prevent, effectively manage, and maintain acne, as per the panel. They agreed thatthe adult female acne population has unique needs because of their aging skin andsocial environment. Nonprescription acne treatment products may help to balancethe efficacy and tolerability of prescription acne treatment. Currently, there are nospecific guidelines for how to use nonprescription acne treatment products in thesepatients.Conclusion: The panel agreed that guidelines including nonprescription acne treat-ment either as monotherapy for mild acne or in combination with prescription treat-ments for more severe acne would address a significant unmet need.