Prevalence of facial acne in adults

Background: Acne is usually considered a disorder of adolescence, and a num ber of studies have examined the prevalence of this condition in the adoles cent population. There are, however, relatively few data on the prevalence of acne in the adult population. Objective: A community-based study was carried out to investigate the curre nt prevalence of facial acne in adults. Methods: Seven hundred forty-nine persons older than 25 years were examined for facial acne by means of the Leeds acne-grading technique. Results: A degree of facial acne was recorded in 231 women and 130 men, giv ing an overall prevalence of 54% (95% confidence interval [CI], 49-58) in w omen and 40% (95% CI, 35-45) in men (P < .001). The acne observed in volunt eers consisted principally of physiological acne, but clinical facial acne (grade > 0.75) was recorded in 3% (95% CI, 1.2-4.8) of men and in 12% (95% CI, 9-15) of women (P < .001). The prevalence of acne did not substantially decrease until after the age of 14 years (P < .001). Conclusion: This study shows a prevalence of clinical facial acne in women of 12%, which is likely to persist into middle age.