Impact of Acne on Quality of Life

Acne vulgaris is a prevalent skin disorder that affects up to 80% of adolescents and many adults at some point. It often affects the face, which is the most evident and examined body feature, and it frequently occurs during a psychologically erratic period when the person is most self-conscious. The key objective of this study was to examine how acne affects quality of life and its relationship with age and gender. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Dermatology department with acne patients of 10-50 years. The severity of acne was categorized as mild, moderate, or severe, and the DLQI scores were recorded. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25. A total of 141 were included. The mean age was 22.8±6.23 years. Mild acne was seen in 98(69.5%), moderate acne in 36(25.5%) and severe acne seen in only in 7(5.0%). Overall, the mean DLQI was 8.45±5.68. Among females, the mean DLQI score was 6.64±6.26; in males, the mean DLQI score was 8.84±5.50. For patients in the age group of 10 to 30 years, the DLQI score was 8.67±5.75; in the 31 to 50 years age group, the DLQI score was 5.81±4.11. The mean DLQI score was 8.45, indicating a moderate impact on quality of life, with male and younger individuals (10-30 years) having higher DLQI scores. There was no association between the mean DLQI score with gender and age (P>0.05). The study concluded that acne moderately impacts the quality of life, with younger participants and males having high scores.