J Am Acad Dermatol

AAD releases updated guidelines for the management of acne

February 2, 2024

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recently updated its clinical practice guidelines for acne management. The new guidelines include 18 evidence-based recommendations and five good practice statements. The following are highlights from the new guidelines:

• For patients over the age of 9 years, topical therapies such as benzoyl peroxide and retinoids, either as monotherapy or combined, are recommended. (Strong recommendation)
• Topical antibiotics are also strongly recommended, but not as monotherapy. (Strong recommendation)
• Fixed-dose topical combination therapies could help with adherence and, in some cases, may be less expensive than prescribing the components individually. (Strong recommendation)
• As a systemic antibiotic, doxycycline is recommended (Strong recommendation); minocycline and sarecycline are conditionally recommended (Conditional recommendation).
• Oral antibiotics should be used concomitantly with benzoyl peroxide and other topical therapies. Systemic antibiotics should be limited to the shortest possible duration to reduce the development of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic-associated complications. (Strong recommendation)
• Intralesional corticosteroid injections may be used as an adjuvant therapy in patients with larger acne papules or nodules. (Good clinical practice)
• Isotretinoin is recommended for patients with severe acne or for those who have failed other oral and topical therapies. (Good clinical practice)
• Available evidence was insufficient to develop recommendations for procedures such as chemical peels, laser- and light-based devices, microneedling, as well as for dietary changes, or alternative therapies such as vitamins or plant-based products.

Source:

Reynolds, R. et al. (2024, January 30). J Am Acad Dermatol. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(23)03389-3/fulltext