When treatment for acne requires more than topical therapies, systemic treatments may be warranted. John S. Barbieri, MD, discussed with Dermatology Advisor some of the most common mechanisms of acne and how best to address them.
If a second course of therapy is needed, it is not recommended before a 2-month waiting period because the patient’s acne may continue to improve following a 15 to 20-week course of therapy.
Nutrition, pollution, stress, and harsh skin care — climate and sun exposure, too — may be the most frequent contributing factors to acne, according to a large, international study.
Topical ketoconazole may have a place in clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of adult female acne, either as a monotherapy or in conjunction with other treatments, based on its notable improvement effect and excellent safety profile.
Complete suppression of Propionibacterium acnes can be realized with repeated, low irradiation and radiant exposure and is more successful than single, higher irradiation and radiant exposures.
Tretinoin 0.05% lotion was significantly more effective than vehicle in reducing inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions in women with moderate acne, with notable improvements in treating women with severe acne.
Amzeeq topical foam 4% will soon be available (January 13, 2020) by prescription for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of non-nodular moderate to severe acne vulgaris in patients aged 9 years and older.
As there exist limited conclusions about blue-light therapy for acne, clinicians and patients should consider the balance between benefits and adverse events, as well as costs, when considering this therapy.
Results from a novel study suggest that there is no specific Cutibacterium acnes phylotype associated with acne fulminans, raising the possibility that the mechanism involved in acne fulminans could be more related to abnormal activation of the cutaneous innate immunity.
