Assessing quality of life in patients with acne vulgaris: implications for treatment

Diagnosing acne is easy. However, treatment must be adapted to the type and severity of acne, and must also take into account the impact of acne on patients' quality of life. As there is not always a correlation between the severity of acne and its impact on quality of life, it can be helpful for the dermatologist to use a quality of life scale to determine the psychological impact of acne on patients. Either global scales or specific scales for acne can be used. This article reviews the different scales used for evaluation of quality of life in patients with acne.Consideration of specific scales suggests that the Acne Disability Index/Cardiff Acne Disability Index is the easiest scale to use in routine dermatology practice. The Acne Quality of Life scale is particularly useful for evaluating anxiety and depression. The Acne-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire has been mainly validated in adult acne. The Assessment of the Psychological and Social Effects of Acne scale has yet to be validated. Clinical trials indicate that use of global and specific scales together has complementary benefits. In the management of acne, evaluation of quality of life may help to detect depression in teenagers. It may also help to enhance adherence to treatment, which is a crucial factor for success. Finally, there are now validated quality of life scales that are easy to use during patient consultations (taking <2 minutes to complete) by clinicians wishing to evaluate quality of life in patients with acne.