Acne Vulgaris in the Athlete

In brief: The treatment of acne is basically the same for athletes and nonathletes. However, certain aspects of sports can affect acne adversely, and in some cases treating athletes may require a cautious approach. The best treatments are topical tretinoin for comedonal acne, benzoyl peroxide or topical antibiotics and tretinoin for comedonal and mild pustular acne, and a combination of oral antibiotics and long-term benzoyl peroxide or topical antibiotics (with the eventual aim of stopping the oral antibiotics in three to five months) for moderate to severe pustular acne. For severe cystic/nodular acne, highdose oral antibiotics and intralesional steroid injections or oral isotretinoin should be considered.