ADOLESCENTS KNOWLEDGE ON THE USE OF COSMETIC AND DERMATOLOGICAL PREPARATIONS IN THE TREATMENT OF ACNE VULGARIS

Abstract

Acne vulgaris is a common, chronic, inflammatory disorder of the pilosebaceous unit that affects most teenagers with inflammatory lesions on the face and trunk. They are mainly caused by increased sebum production, hyperkeratinization of the follicle, inflammation, hormonal changes, misuse of cosmetic and dermatological preparations. This condition is more common in adolescents, but it also occurs in patients in their twenties and thirties too. These changes in the skin affect emotional stress and quality of life. Dermocosmetics play a special role in the care and treatment of acne-prone skin. A series of complementary dermocosmetics are available, which include products with cleansing, active, soothing and moisturizing properties. Dermocosmetics formulated with active substances can be used in acne monotherapy based on the effectiveness of specific active ingredients in alleviating acne symptoms without any adverse effects reported so far. Effective skincare serves not only as a preventative measure by addressing the underlying causes of acne, but also helps mitigate the negative effects of pharmacological therapy and helps manage complications such as scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This study aims the evaluation of the awareness of adolescents in relation to the treatment of acne and their knowledge about the use of cosmetic and dermatological preparations. Based on our results 40% of teenagers didn’t consult a dermatologist but used preparations that they see on social media and that their effectiveness was lower than 30%. 38% of the teenagers have used the therapy and the food regime that the dermatologist recommended which lead to a 75% effectiveness on treatment, 12% have used lotions recommended by their pharmacists and didn’t follow the food regime from which they had an effectiveness of only 42%. We also noticed that the patients who followed the instructions of the dermatologist and the pharmacist had more efficiency, while the others had less efficiency. From this we can conclude that any change in the skin for better efficiency should be managed by a dermatologist.