Acne vulgaris is a chronic disease of the pilosebaceous unit, which is conformed by the hair follicle and its sebaceous gland. Acne vulgaris can be due to several factors, however it seems to originate by a genetic pre-disposition also sometimes called the acne gene.
No cure currently exists but the good news is that there is many effective acne vulgaris treatment products to keep acne under control and severe acne cases can be treated by dermatologists with great results. Click here for Acne Vulgaris Treatment There is one bacterium known to cause acne, Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes). Other acne causing agents include medication containing lithium, barbiturates or androgen’s, anabolic steroids, chronic use of amphetamines and exposure to halogens .
The severity of acne vulgaris has different levels that can be identified by the type, size, quantities, and scarring. A variety of drug products are available for acne vulgaris treatment. Acne occurs more frequently on the face, but can also occur on back, shoulders, and chest.
Acne vulgaris usually occurs in patients entering puberty but it extends beyond that group age, males are affected in greater numbers than females due to the fact that testosterone levels are higher in males and the body produces even more during puberty and testosterone increases the secretion of sebum. Acne vulgaris occurs in all races and all over the world.
The Federal Drug Administration FDA advices the Acne Drug Industry to use the Investigator’s Global Assessment scale in their research, this scale can give us a general idea on how to determine the severity levels of acne, we represent this scale here for informational purposes only.
| Grade | Description |
| 0 | Clear skin with no inflammatory or noninflammatory lesions |
| 1 | Almost clear; rare noninflammatory lesions with no more than one small inflammatory lesion |
| 2 | Mild severity; greater than Grade 1; some noninflammatory lesions with no more than a few inflammatory lesions (papules/pustules only, no nodular lesions |
| 3 | Moderate severity; greater than Grade 2; up to many noninflammatory lesions and may have some inflammatory lesions, but no more than one small nodular lesion |
| 4 | Severe; greater than Grade 3; up to many noninflammatory and inflammatory lesions, but no more than a few nodular lesions |
