History of acne vulgaris and topical drugs in Unani medicine

Abstract

Acne is a common skin disorder that affects both adolescents and adults. Acne vulgaris affects about 85% of teenagers and may continue to adulthood. There are about two million visits to physicians per year for teenagers and the direct cost of acne treatment in the US exceeds $1 billion per year. Psychological, social, and emotional impairments that result from acne have been estimated to be equal and in some instances higher than that of diabetes, arthritis, epilepsy, and asthma. There is no ideal treatment for acne until now. Conventional drugs are associated with recurrence of acne and disastrous side effects on long-term usage. Unani medicines are gaining increased popularity due to their advantages, such as better patient tolerance, long history of use, fewer side effects, and relatively less expensive. Furthermore, they have provided good evidence for the treatment of a wide variety of difficult-to-cure diseases. More importantly, other than consumption as preventive or treatment remedy, they might be accompanied by synthetic drugs to reduce their side effects. Topical Unani drugs are an important part of the treatment strategy in dealing with acne. Many Unani topical drugs with anti-inflammation, wound healing, and antibacterial activities are used in different ways in the treatment of acne and other infective diseases. The present paper presents a list of topical Unani drugs used in the prevention and treatment of acne vulgaris for centuries.