Acne across Europe: an online survey on perceptions and management of acne.

BackgroundAcne is common among young people. ObjectiveTo describe the burden, management and sources of advice of acne in a representative sample of young people in Europe. MethodsThis cross-sectional survey was conducted in a representative sample of individuals aged 15-24years from Belgium, Czech and Slovak Republics, France, Italy, Poland and Spain (n=3099). ResultsMost individuals considered their acne (all severity stages) to be no/minor problem, although 29.7% considered it a major problem/burden. Over-the-counter (OTC) topical treatments were used more frequently than prescribed treatments. Acne was diagnosed by physicians in 47.6% of cases; other health professionals (nurses, pharmacists) or patients accounted for the remainder of diagnoses. Physicians were the source of acne information in just over one-quarter of cases (27.0%). The vast majority of advice was from friends/family and the Internet. ConclusionAlmost one-third of young people consider acne to be a major problem/burden. Fewer than half of acne diagnoses are made by a physician, and acne is often self-managed using OTC treatments.