The use of plant-derived agents for treatment of acne

Acne is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease with a variety of morphological manifestations including papules, pustules, comedones, nodules, and cysts. The etiology and pathogenesis of acne are complex and multifaceted, therefore the treatment of this disease requires a comprehensive and individual approach. Objective — to identify the effectiveness of plant­derived remedies in the treatment of patients with acne vulgaris. Materials and methods. The study included 168 patients with mild to moderate papulopustular acne. All patients were randomized into three groups, depending on the prescribed treatment: Group 1 (62 patients) was prescribed Finer syrup and topical treatment with retinoids; Group 2 (49 patients) was prescribed antibiotic therapy, Finer syrup and topical retinoids; Group 3 (57 patients) used only topical retinoids. Results were assessed one month after treatment using the Investigator’s Global Assessment of Acne Severity (IGA), a subjective patient self­report scale, and a specially designed questionnaire. A partial survey was also conducted in subgroups of patients whose treatment was extended for 3 months. Results and discussion. A statistically significant reduction in IGA was found in the groups of patients one month after the appointment of treatment with Finer syrup and topical retinoids, as well as in patients who received antibiotic therapy, Finer syrup, and topical retinoids (p < 0.01). During the observation period, there was a statistically significant decrease in all indicators: the number of rashes, the intensity of inflammation, the number of new rashes, and improvement in skin condition in groups of patients who were prescribed Finer syrup as part of complex treatment. Conclusions. The use of Finer herbal syrup in the complex treatment of acne patients has high clinical effectiveness. The results of treatment with Finer syrup and external therapy are statistically no different from the group of patients who used additional antibiotic therapy (p > 0.05), and significantly exceed the results of treatment of patients who were prescribed only local therapy (p < 0.05).