PSYCHOLOGICAL-FACTORS AFFECTING SELF-EXCORIATIVE BEHAVIOR IN WOMEN WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE FACIAL ACNE-VULGARIS

The authors examined the psychological factor associated with self-exc oriative behavior among 56 women (mean +/- SE age: 24.0 +/- 1.0 years) with mild-to-model-ate facial acne vulgar-is. Ratings associated with poor self-concept, such as perfectionistic and compulsive personality traits, correlated mot-e strongly with self-excoriative behavior than the dermatologic indices of acne severity. The study's findings sugge st that psychological factors, independent of acne severity, play an i mportant role in the perpetuation of the self-excoriative behavior exh ibited by some women with acne.