Accutane associated Depression

Acne vulgaris or acne as it is commonly known, is a common skin disease mostly found in adolescent teenagers above the age of 14 and at times it may extend through to adulthood.

According to the Dermatological disease database, acne develops as a result of secretions of the skin sebaceous glands and blockage of skin follicles which leads to eruption of pimples, blackheads and scars on the skin1.  It is not caused by eating certain foods such as chocolate, French fries or pizza as commonly believed.

It has been reported by the British Dermatology Journal that, although not much data on acne’s epidemiology is available, it has been discovered that about 40 to 85% of teenagers are or have already been affected by this disorder, making it the most common skin disease.

For instance in America, every one out of three teenagers is or has had this disorder and the disease prevalence is not dependent on the race, sex, skin color or ethnicity.

This disease occurs earlier in females than in males a fact which can be attributed to the earlier onset of puberty and maturity in females than in males2.  On the contrary, the severity of this disease is more in males than in females especially when it occurs during the late teenage years due to androgen hormonal influences.

In adulthood, acne is more prevalent in females than in males.  Some studies have further indicated that the prevalence of acne can be seasonal especially in women where it occurs just before the onset of their menstrual periods.

More over, acne has been found to be more severe during the cold seasons than in the warmer weather conditions although these findings are not yet proven.  Some epidemiological data released by the Dermatological department of Munich University suggests that there is a close relationship between smoking and acne prevalence although still, this has not been confirmed3.

Background Information.

The history of acne disease dates back to ancient days and its origin is believed to be somewhere in ancient Greece where people infected by this disease were treated using hot water baths mixed with sulfur4.  This method of acne treatment was used all through the 19th century till early 20th century when Benzoyl peroxide treatment was discovered.

In 1950s, the use of antibiotics to treat the disease was invented especially tetracyclines although such antibiotics are no longer effective due to resistance of the disease causing germs.  More powerful antibiotics such as Retin-A were later discovered in 1960s and the disease control became much easier.  Such antibiotics are still in use especially in the U. S5.

In 1980, the famous Accutane anti-acne drug was invented and this drug although controversial, it is very effective and is still in use today.  The year 1990 saw the emergence of Laser therapy which not only treats the disease but it clears the scars as well.  This treatment is quite expensive although it is very fast and effective.

In 2000, the blue/red therapy was invented and this combined with the laser therapy invented earlier, led to more improved methods of acne treatment6.  This evolution shows how acne treatment has evolved with time, making the disease more manageable and easily treatable4.

Acne prevalence has been on the decline in the past few years mainly due to increased knowledge on the disease, improved methods of prevention and treatment and better management of the disorder7.