Iveta Balsytė ¹, Laurita Jasiūnaitė ¹, Dorina Buliauskaitė ¹

 

¹ Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Academy of Medicine. Faculty of Medicine

Abstract

 

Acne (or plain acne) is a chronic disease of the sebaceous follicles with a high prevalence among young people. The incidence of this condition can reach up to 90% of the population in some cases. At present, acne is the eighth most common disease in the world. Most often, acne affects teenagers and young people, but there are often late-onset forms that can last up to 45 years. This article reviews literature data on acne (ordinary acne) risk factors. Key risk factors have been identified: heredity, malnutrition, smoking, stress. Also, risk factors such as facial hygiene (facial cleansing), sun exposure and chocolate consumption are popular in society, but as discussed later, their impact on acne development is still not confirmed and cannot be considered as a risk factor for acne but rather as a myth that is more prevalent in society.

Acne is not a life-threatening condition, the main undesirable feature of this skin condition is patient dissatisfaction with aesthetic image. So far, many people in society do not understand that acne worsens the quality of life, promotes psychological and emotional health problems such as depression, suicide, self-distrust, anxiety, social exclusion, and limitation of professional opportunities. This literature review discusses the occurrence of the most frequently diagnosed psychological problems among subjects with acne. The most common symptoms are acne: dissatisfaction with their appearance, mistrust, anxiety, depression, suicide. All these symptoms are painful for acne sufferers and their close surroundings and relatives. However, these problems can be prevented by specialist help.

The aim of the article is to review the latest research on this topic and to draw the public’s attention to the problem of disorder of psychological and emotional state of acne (ordinary acne) and its importance in society.

 

Keywords: acne, acne risk factors, depression, anxiety, risk of suicide.