Effect of peeling with Adapalene and Adapalene with Lactic Acid 88% in treatment of acne

Abstract

Nowadays, chemical superficial peeling procedures are widely used to treat acne vulgaris and are used daily in simple dermatological procedures by cosmetic surgeons or dermatologists as primary treatment options. Exfoliating chemicals on the skin are used to remove the stratum corneum and improve collagen production. The present study aimed to compare the therapeutic effect of Adapalene and Adapalene with 88% lactic acid peeling and 70% with glycolic acid in the treatment of active acne vulgaris in East Azerbaijan. Materials and Methods: In this study, 45 patients were referred to the dermatology clinic of Sina Hospital who complained of skin lesions, and the diagnosis of active acne vulgaris was confirmed for them according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were divided into three groups A and B (as case groups) and group C (the control group). Topical adapalene gel was administered to all three groups as a basal treatment. Group A, in addition to adapalene gel, lactic acid peeling 88%, and group B, in addition to adapalene gel, glycolic acid peeling 70%, was added. Group C also received adapalene gel only as a control group. The intervention was performed at the beginning of the study, once a month for up to 3 months, and the treatment results were evaluated at the end of the third month. Results: The mean age of patients was 34.12±3.26 years. Regarding gender distribution, 15 patients (33.3%) were male, and 30 patients (66.7%) were female. In all three study groups, the severity of acne (papule and pustular lesions) significantly decreased after three months of treatment. The rate of acne severity reduction was significantly higher in the LA and GA peeling groups compared to the control group. In addition, patient satisfaction in LA and GA peeling groups was significantly higher compared to the control group. Also, no side effects were observed in any of the patients.