Survey of acne-related post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in the Middle East

Aim: Acne vulgaris is a common inflammatory skin disease in the Middle East, similar to other regions of the world. In the Middle East, there are a relatively large proportion of patients with darker pigmentation (Fitzgerald skin types III-VI) who are prone to developing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) as a sequela of acne. Data are sparse on the frequency and characteristics of PIH throughout the world. What information is available indicates that pigmentation problems can be very bothersome for patients and are often quite long-lasting. Thus, it is important for clinicians to be aware of the scope of the problem of acne-associated PIH as well as potential treatment options. Methods: Prospective non-interventional study of acne patients consulting dermatologists (n = 262) in the Middle East. Results: PIH was present in 87.2% of subjects. The majority of subjects (52.6%) reported that PIH had been present for one year or longer. Of note, 69.0% of subjects reported excoriating their acne lesions, suggesting that this may be a key modifiable risk factor for clinicians to stress during patient education efforts. Conclusions: PIH was bothersome for patients, with half of subjects indicating that PIH was more bothersome than acne. In addition to our study results, we present here a brief overview of PIH and its treatment.