Is acne vulgaris exacerbated during the military conflict in Ukraine? A self-reported cross-sectional prospective study

INTRODUCTION: Acne is a common disease of the pilosebaceous unit. Acne has been reported to be exacerbated by many factors, including psychoemotional stress. AIM: This study was conducted to assess the clinical severity of acne among acne patients seeking dermatological help in Ukraine during the stressful military conflict and to assess the influence of war on acne exacerbation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 143 consecutive acne patients with the mean age of 21.24 ±6.37 years. The severity of acne was measured with the Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) for acne. The self-reported acne exacerbation was studied with a single question “Have you observed exacerbation of acne during the war?”. RESULTS: Almost 45% of acne patients suffered from moderate to severe acne. The remaining ones had very mild and mild acne. The severity of acne did not differ between the sexes. More than half of patients (50.7%) reported that psychoemotional stress related to the ongoing military conflict exacerbated their acne lesions. No difference was noted in the flare of acne between female and males. CONCLUSIONS: Psychoemotional stress related to war activities exacerbates acne in more than half of patients. A prospective, multicentre study with the assessment of stress and acne flares by physicians will be of help confirming current results.