The impact of acne on quality of life.

Optimal acne therapy must take into account not only acne type and severity, but also the impact of this skin disorder on the patients quality of life. Several validated instruments have been used to measure quality of life in acne patients. By using these instruments, acne patients have been shown to experience levels of social, psychological and emotional distress similar to those reported in patients with asthma, epilepsy and diabetes. Several studies have demonstrated that the disability caused by acne can be mitigated by effective therapy.