Clinical Features of Adult Male Acne in a Tropical Country: A Prospective Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the characteristics of post-adolescent male patients with acne in terms of the onset of the condition, its clinical course and severity, and the behaviors associated with its severity.
 Materials and Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on adult males with acne who visited Siriraj Hospital, Thailand. All male acne patients aged 21 years and older were enrolled. Diagnoses and physical examinations were performed by dermatologists.
 Results: Seventy-two patients (mean age, 26.9 [± 4.3] years) were included. Persistent acne, relapse acne, and late-onset acne (onset at age ≥ 21 years) were reported in 62.5%, 33.3%, and 4.2% cases, respectively. Persistent acne tended to subside at 26 years of age, whereas late-onset acne tended to start at 28 years of age. The acne severity was mild in most cases. Pimple-picking, followed by frequent face washing, were common habits among male acne patients. Shaving influenced the severity in some adult male with acne.
 Conclusion: Adult male acne commonly presented as inflammatory lesions and comedones on the cheeks. They commonly had an onset earlier than 21 years old and continued into adulthood, but the post-adolescent severity tended to be mild. While several factors have been reported elsewhere to be involved in the severity of acne, this study found that only shaving influenced severity.