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Facial Atrophic Acne Scars Impact Patient Quality of Life
Atrophic acne scarring has significant psychosocial impact on emotional distress and quality of life (QOL), according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.
Researchers aimed to determine the impact of facial acne scars on health-related QOL (HRQOL) of patients using a cross-sectional web-based survey conducted between November 2019 and January 2020. In the population-based study, adults with facial acne scars but no active lesions completed the Self-assessment of Clinical Acne-Related Scars (SCARS) questionnaire to determine the degree of acne scarring. To assess the attitude of these patients toward their scars and the impact of their scars on their HRQOL, the Facial Acne Scar Quality of Life (FASQoL), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire (DCQ) were completed.
In total, 723 patients completed the surveys. Upon analysis, the percentage of patients whose acne scars were considered a very large or extremely large concern increased with the severity of scars. Concerns were higher in patients with severe/very severe scars and moderate scars compared with mild scars (34.0%, 20.1%, and 19.3%, respectively, [P=.003]). FASQoL and DCQ scores also increased with the severity of scarring. Emotional distress reported by patients with acne scars included self-consciousness and worry about scars not going away.
“In summary, this study highlights the significant psychosocial impact of atrophic acne scars,” concluded the study authors. “Individuals with mild scars also expressed significant impact on quality of life that increases with aggravation of scar severity,” they added. “These data suggest that PROs provide unique information on the physical, functional, and psychological impact of acne scarring from the patient’s perspective.”
Reference
Tan J, Beissert S, Cook-Bolden F, et al. Impact of facial atrophic acne scars on quality of life: a multi-country population-based survey. Am J Clin Dermatol. Published online October 27, 2021. doi:10.1007/s40257-021-00628-1
