Face to Face with Acne in 2016 and Beyond

Joshua A. Zeichner, MD, Editor

What is not new is that acne vulgaris (AV) continues to be the most common skin disease encountered in outpatient dermatology practice in the United States. What is new are some of the modern-day challenges clinicians face in managing their patients with AV. One major current challenge is self-management by patients via information sources and product offerings on the Internet, which frequently lead to delays in seeking appropriate care and poor adherence. This often results in unfortunate sequelae such as facial and truncal scarring and persistent dyspigmentation. Other practical challenges include cost factors and difficulties achieving medication access due to complicated and idiosyncratic systems put in place by third-party payors. On a daily basis, clinicians and their office staff battle through these and other challenges when trying to optimally treat their patients with AV.

Beyond the aforementioned practical and logistical challenges, the clinician must keep abreast of current information on the pathophysiology of AV, proper skin care, topical and systemic therapies, physical modality options, and adverse reactions. To add, it is very important for clinicians to consider the potential clinical relevance of bacterial resistance to antibiotics when prescribing these agents, especially as management of AV is typically a prolonged process. It is important for all clinicians to maintain an open mind as new information emerges by evaluating the quality and accuracy of the information and determining if it may be relevant to improving treatment outcomes in their patients with AV.

In this issue of Dermatologic Clinics , we have put together a collection of articles that addresses a broad range of topics that are very relevant to clinicians who treat patients with AV. Authors were selected based on their areas of interest; knowledge and clinical expertise; and a desire to include some “newer names” into the publication arena on AV. It is our hope that you find the articles in this issue enlightening academically and valuable clinically.

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