Incidence

The condition is most common in teenagers with about 60% affected sufficiently to seek treatment:

• 85% of people between the ages of 12 and 24 years have acne, and while it is most common in teenagers, acne affects 8% of adults aged 25-34 years, and 3% of adults aged 35-44 years. (1
• peak incidence is seen in females aged 14-17 years and in males aged 16-19 years (1)
• is most prevalent among young people and younger adults, affecting approximately 80% of people at some time between 11 and 30 years (2)
• boys and men tend to get acne more severely than girls and women (3)
• about 5% of women and 1% of men aged 25-40 years either continues to get acne lesions or they may develop late-onset acne (1)
  • prevalence in this age group is believed to be increasing

Presentation in infancy occurs rarely.

References:

1. Karimkhani C et al. Global skin disease morbidity and mortality: an update from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. JAMA Dermatol. 2017 May 1;153(5):406-12.

2. NICE (May 2023). Acne vulgaris: management

3. Tan JK, Bhate K. A global perspective on the epidemiology of acne. Br J Dermatol. 2015 Jul;172(1):3-12.