HOMOEOPATHIC MANAGEMENT OF ACNE VULGARIS IN AN ADOLESCENT MALE: A CASE REPORT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21237276Keywords:
Acne vulgaris, Case report, GAGS, Homoeopathy, MONARCH, SiliceaAbstract
Background: Acne vulgaris is a prevalent inflammatory skin disorder, primarily affecting adolescents, with significant psychological and social implications. It is characterized by lesions such as comedones, papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts, commonly triggered by increased sebum production, hormonal changes, and Propionibacterium acnes colonization.
Case Summary: A 15-year-old boy presented with multiple painful pustular eruptions, predominantly on the forehead, associated with itching and occasional bleeding, which aggravated on touch, persisting intermittently for 1 year. The individualized prescription of Silicea 30C was done after repertorization and analysis and repeated as required.
Results: Significant improvement has been observed with the homoeopathic treatment. The Global Acne Grading System (GAGS) assessment showed a reduction in the global score from 24 (moderate) to 0 (none), suggesting good improvement. Recorded photographic evidence also showed improvement. The Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homoeopathy (MONARCH) inventory score was +8, showing causal attribution between the treatment and outcome.
Conclusion: This case report details the successful homoeopathic management of a 15-year-old male patient presenting with persistent acne vulgaris, highlighting the role of homoeopathic treatment in such conditions. Further research and well-designed clinical trials are warranted to substantiate these findings and explore the broader applicability of homoeopathic treatments in acne management.
Downloads
References
Sutaria AH, Masood S, Saleh HM, Schlessinger J. Acne Vulgaris. StatPearls. Published online August 17, 2023. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459173/
Layton AM, Ravenscroft J. Adolescent acne vulgaris: current and emerging treatments. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2023;7(2):136-144. doi:10.1016/S2352-4642(22)00314-5
Heng AHS, Chew FT. Systematic review of the epidemiology of acne vulgaris. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1). doi:10.1038/S41598-020-62715-3
Leung AKC, Barankin B, Lam JM, Leong KF, Hon KL. Dermatology: how to manage acne vulgaris. Drugs Context. 2021;10:2021-8-6. doi:10.7573/DIC.2021-8-6
Guguluș DL, Vâță D, Popescu IA, et al. The Epidemiology of Acne in the Current Era: Trends and Clinical Implications. Cosmetics. 2025;12(3). doi:10.3390/COSMETICS12030106
Williams HC, Dellavalle RP, Garner S. Acne vulgaris. Lancet. 2012;379(9813):361-372. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60321-8
Yosipovitch G, Tang M, Dawn AG, et al. Study of psychological stress, sebum production and acne vulgaris in adolescents. Acta Derm Venereol. 2007;87(2):135-139. doi:10.2340/00015555-0231
Vasam M, Korutla S, Bohara RA. Acne vulgaris: A review of the pathophysiology, treatment, and recent nanotechnology based advances. Biochem Biophys Rep. 2023;36. doi:10.1016/J.BBREP.2023.101578
Barbieri JS, Lai J. Acne Relapse and Isotretinoin Retrial in Patients With Acne. JAMA Dermatol. 2025;161(4):367-374. doi:10.1001/JAMADERMATOL.2024.5416
Swallow MA, Fan R, Cohen JM, Bunick CG. Antibiotic Resistance Risk with Oral Tetracycline Treatment of Acne Vulgaris. Antibiotics 2022, Vol 11, Page 1032. 2022;11(8):1032. doi:10.3390/ANTIBIOTICS11081032
Fabbrocini G, Annunziata MC, D’Arco V, et al. Acne scars: pathogenesis, classification and treatment. Dermatol Res Pract. 2010;2010(1). doi:10.1155/2010/893080
Jennings T, Duffy R, McLarney M, et al. Acne scarring-pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention and education: Part I. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2024;90(6):1123-1134. doi:10.1016/J.JAAD.2022.04.021
Habeshian KA, Cohen BA. Current Issues in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris. Pediatrics. 2020;145(Suppl 2). doi:10.1542/PEDS.2019-2056L
Nwabudike LC. Individualised Homeopathic Treatment of Acne-An Analysis of 83 Patients. Homeopathy. 2021;110(4):271-276. doi:10.1055/S-0041-1728666
Vishwakarma A. Homoeopathic management of Acne vulgaris: A case report. ~ 325 ~ International Journal of Homoeopathic Sciences. 2022;6(4):325-328. doi:10.33545/26164485.2022.v6.i4e.679
Rath P, Mondal S, Thakur T. Management of Acne Vulgaris with Homeopathic Treatment – A Case Series. AYUHOM. 2023;10(2):90-98. doi:10.4103/AYUHOM.AYUHOM_4_23
World Health Organization. International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems, 10th revision (ICD 10). 2019. Accessed November 25, 2025. https://icd.who.int/
Zomeo Kent computer repertory Zomeo Elite Version. Mind Technologies Pvt. Ltd. . Preprint posted online 2022:14.0.0.
Boericke W. Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica & Repertory . B Jain Publishers; 2013.
Doshi A, Zaheer A, Stiller MJ. A comparison of current acne grading systems and proposal of a novel system. Int J Dermatol. 1997;36(6):416-418. doi:10.1046/j.1365-4362.1997.00099.x
Lamba CD, Gupta VK, Van Haselen R, et al. Evaluation of the Modified Naranjo Criteria for Assessing Causal Attribution of Clinical Outcome to Homeopathic Intervention as Presented in Case Reports. Homeopathy. 2020;109(4):191-197. doi:10.1055/S-0040-1701251,
van Haselen RA. Homeopathic clinical case reports: Development of a supplement (HOM-CASE) to the CARE clinical case reporting guideline. Complement Ther Med. 2016;25:78-85. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2015.12.019
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Rukiya Khatun, Dr. Haimanti Das
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
