Trends in Ambulatory Health Care Usage for Adult Acne

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of acne is increasing among young children but not well characterized in older patients. Objective: To determine whether ambulatory health care for adult acne is increasing and whether the average age of adult acne patients seeking care has been increasing over time. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of data from the 1993-2010 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for acne visits in ages 25 and older. Results: Average age of adult acne patients increased by 0.13 years per year over the study period. Visits per 100 000 population declined in the 25 to 34 age group ( P = .05) and did not change significantly in the 35 to 44 and 45 and older age groups. Conclusions: The hypothesis that adult acne visits are increasing was not supported, but the average age of adult acne patients seeking care has been rising.