Lifetime course of acne: A retrospective questionnaire study in school teachers

Acne is primarily a disorder of adolescence, but its occurrence in adult women is not unusual. There have been few studies addressing the longitudinal lifetime course of acne in general population, especially in men. A total of 250 school teachers aged over 40 years were recruited in this self-administered questionnaire study, in which 159 subjects (105 female and 54 male) completed the questionnaire (response rate 63.6%). The lifetime prevalence of acne was recorded in 83% of men and 87% of women. Adult acne as defined by acne occurrence after 25 years of age was found in 38% women, of them 87% had acne onset from adolescence and persisting into adulthood, while the rest 13% had their first episodes after 25 years old. In male population, 46% still had acne after age 25, with age onset all dating back from adolescence and none after 2 5 years. 13 % (4/3 1) of the menopausal women had acne in their perimenopausal period. The acne distribution was noticed mainly over cheeks and forehead in both genders before age 25. In women with adult acne, the distribution of acne seems to move downward to perioral area. Association of acne with menstrual cycle was reported in 69% of women, with pre-menstrual exacerbation in 71% of them. Our study showed a similar lifetime course of acne in men and women. Persistence of adolescent acne into adulthood is not unusual in both genders. Acne of late onset is more commonly observed in women.