Prevention and early treatment remain a primary strategy against acne scars, a recent study found. Researchers performed a prospective study of subjects (n=1,972) consulting a dermatologist for active acne to assess the frequency of acne scarring. They administered a short questionnaire on all acne patients examined in an office setting for 1 consecutive 5-day work week to assess scar frequency. Additionally, the first 4 subjects with acne scars identified were enrolled for a second phase (scar cohort) of the study during which further medical history was collected and a clinical evaluation performed. They found:

• Subjects with acne scars were significantly more likely to have severe or very severe acne; however, 69% of the subjects with acne scars had mild or moderate acne at the time of the study visit.
• Risk factors correlated with increased likelihood of scarring were acne severity, time between acne onset and first effective treatment, relapsing acne, and male gender.