A Review of Advancement on Influencing Factors of Acne: An Emphasis on Environment Characteristics

Abstract

Background: Acne vulgaris is known as a commonly-seen skin disease with a considerable impact on the quality of life. At present, there have been a growing number of epidemiological, medical, demographic and sociological researches focusing on various influencing factors in the occurrence of acne. Nevertheless, the correlation between environmental factors and acne has yet to be fully investigated. Objective: To assess the impacts of individual, natural and social environmental factors on acne and to construct a framework for the potential impact of built environment on acne. Methods: A thorough review was conducted into the published social demographical, epidemiological, and environmental studies on acne through PubMed, Google Scholar and Web of Science, with reference made to the relevant literature. Results: The influencing factors in acne are classed into four major categories. The first one includes individual socioeconomic and biological factors, for example, gender, age, economic level, heredity, obesity, skin type, menstrual cycle (for females), diet, smoking, cosmetics products, electronic products, sleep quality and psychological factors. The second one includes such natural environmental factors as temperature, humidity, sun exposure, air pollution and chloracne. The third one relates to social environment, including social network and social media. The last one includes built environmental factors, for example, population density, food stores, green spaces, as well as other built environment characteristics for transport. Acne can be affected negatively by family history, overweight, obesity, oily or mixed skin, irregular menstrual cycles, sugary food, greasy food, dairy products, smoking, the improper use of cosmetics, the long-term use of electronics, the poor quality of sleep, stress, high temperature, sun exposure, air pollution, mineral oils and halogenated hydrocarbons. Apart from that, there are also potential links between built environment and acne. Yang et al. Acne Conclusions: It is necessary to determine the correlation between the built environment and acne based on the understanding of the impact of traditional factors (sociology of population and environment) on acne gained by multidisciplinary research teams. Moreover, more empirical studies are required to reveal the specific relationship between built environment and acne.

Adolescents’ beliefs and perceptions of acne vulgaris: A cross-sectional study in Montenegrin schoolchildren

“…Several studies have pointed out that family history of acne increases acne risk [ 1 , 6 , 34 , 38 , 43 ]. A cross-sectional population-based online survey of adolescents in Belgium, Czech and Slovak Republics, France, Italy, Poland, and Spain, reported that a history of maternal or paternal acne was associated with an increased probability of having acne (odds ratio 3.18, 95% CI 2.74 to 3.45, and 2.70, 95% CI 2.39 to 3.05, respectively) [ 1 ].…”

Acne Vulgaris Burden, Risk Factors, Lifestyle Modification Influence and Treatment Options – A Review

“…Some studies reported significant correlation between acne and active smokers than non-active smokers. However, other studies showed that smoking was inversely associated with acne [28]. Therefore, further studies regarding the association between acne and smoking need to be conducted.…”

“…Overweight and obesity have been reported in some studies to demonstrate positive correlation with increasing risk of acne [28]. Another study showed a significant correlation between body mass index and the severity of acne in adolescents population [29].…”

“…The relationship between diet and acne have been the question of literature in the last decades as many dermatology manuals have often recommended diet as a supplementary method for the treatment of various skin diseases [25]. It has been reported that high glycemic diet, dairy products, and greasy fatty foods are risk factors for acne [28].…”

Cell Phone Acne: New Acne Clinical Features in the Coronavirus Disease-19 Era

“…The effect of visible light exposure from smartphone devices in a study by Taheri et al showed an increase in the proliferation of Staphylococcus aureus which may be related to the pathogenesis of acne [1]. The exposure to screens and tablets just before falling asleep was reported by a large majority of subjects in the acne group than in the acne-free group [6], [7].…”