Treatment Response Patterns in Young Adults with Mild to Moderate Acne: A Time-Course Analysis

Abstract

Background: Understanding temporal response patterns in acne treatment is crucial for optimizing therapeutic outcomes. This study analyzed the time-course of treatment response in young adults with mild to moderate acne vulgaris. Methods: A randomized, patient-blinded study was conducted on 130 patients (aged 18-40 years) with mild to moderate acne vulgaris. Patients were randomized to receive either clindamycin 1% gel (Group 1, n=65) or combination therapy with clindamycin 1% gel and benzoyl peroxide 2.5% cream (Group 2, n=65) for 8 weeks. Treatment response was evaluated through lesion counts and Investigator Global Assessment at baseline, week 4, and week 8. Results: Combination therapy demonstrated superior efficacy with 55.0% reduction in total lesion count at week 8 compared to 41.8% with monotherapy (p=0.008). Group 2 showed a higher proportion of early responders (47.7% vs 33.8%, p=0.024) and lower non-responder rate (15.4% vs 23.1%, p=0.036). Inflammatory lesions showed more rapid improvement than non-inflammatory lesions in both groups, with Group 2 achieving 58.7% reduction versus 46.8% in Group 1 at week 8 (p=0.006). Excellent compliance rates were comparable between groups (58.5% vs 53.8%, p=0.624). Conclusion: Combination therapy demonstrates superior efficacy and more rapid onset of action compared to monotherapy, particularly for inflammatory lesions. Early response patterns may predict long-term treatment outcomes, suggesting the potential value of early therapeutic assessment in clinical practice.