The New Face of Preadolescent and Adolescent Acne: Beyond the Guidelines

Acne is a highly prevalent condition, affecting the majority of people at some point in their lifetimes, most often during adolescence. Acne has also become increasingly common among preadolescents (aged ≥7 to ≤12 years old).Acne is often treated in primary care settings by nondermatologists. The most recent acne guidelines were published in 2016; since then, there have been important developments in the acne treatment landscape. Familiarity with these options is important for physicians who manage patients with acne.The Preadolescent Acne Roundtable group of dermatologists was convened in July 2019 to support discussion around modernizing the approach to treatment and evaluation of preadolescent acne. During a face-to-face meeting, 5 key areas requiring careful communication emerged: acne pathophysiology, specifically the role of hormones; psychological aspects of acne; management of acne in younger patients; acne in skin of color; and evaluation of clinical success.This roundtable report describes these 5 focus areas, with the aim of empowering primary care physicians to refine the care they provide for patients with acne. This report can help bridge the information gap until new acne treatment guidelines are published.