The false notion that acne and rosacea is not a real disease but simply cosmetic must end, the Acne & Rosacea Soceity says.
“There are so many myths and marketing terms used to sell ineffective treatments for these diseases,” commented New York dermatologist, Diane Berson, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and director of communications for the AARS. Among these erroneous claims and myths are:
• Cosmetics routinely cause acne
• “Studies show.” This casually used expression often refers to a marketing study and not a bona fide clinical study. A real clinical study, as one conducted for a drug, includes variables and FDA procedural guidelines that are not required in television advertising.
• Celebrity endorsements of some over the counter products lead consumers to believe in their efficacy, when in fact these products often don’t work for a lot of people with moderate to severe acne.
The doctors agree that the widespread concept of “why should I bother seeing a dermatologist when I can treat this myself,” can have many adverse consequences. These may include:
• The reinforcement of the misperception of acne as being merely cosmetic
• If purportedly efficacious therapies (often without any supporting evidence) are available over-the-counter, acne and rosacea sufferers may delay seeking proper medical treatment
• Acne thought leaders are no longer scientists and physicians, but Jessica Simpson, Vanessa Williams, and P. Diddy
• Patients in real need of medical care take matters into their own hands, relying on unproven treatments and potentially harmful behaviors (e.g., squeezing, extractions, etc.)
• Patients delay seeing a doctor, possibly allowing their condition to worsen and to develop long-standing (perhaps permanent) consequences such as scarring
• What a patient self-diagnoses as acne may not, in fact, be “garden variety” acne at all, but may instead point to an internal problem (such as polycystic ovary syndrome) that may have more serious health ramifications
“The consequences of mismanaged or self treatment are dealt with in dermatologists’ offices nationwide on a daily basis. Self-loathing, low self esteem, lack of social interaction and even suicide are linked to the sometimes devastating effects of these two medical diseases,” emphasized Dr. Baldwin. “It’s time to begin to ‘clear things up,’ ”she concluded.