Abstract
Background Acne is a common disorder of the pilosebaceous follicle. The face, back and chest
are usually involved. It leads to significant diminution in quality of life. Numerous
treatments are documented in therapeutic guidelines. Naturopathic approaches have
been proposed in some, but the role of homeopathy is not examined.
Methods In this study, 83 patients treated for acne with individualised homeopathic medicine
alone were reviewed. Most had received conventional acne treatment, with limited success
prior to presentation for homeopathy. Each patient was prescribed a single homeopathic
medicine and followed up at 6- to 8-week intervals. The individualisation process
resulted in 17 different medicines being used in this group. Photographic documentation
was obtained per patient, with informed consent. Patients were classified as mild
(comedonal acne with no papules or pustules), moderate (inflammatory and non-inflammatory
lesions) and severe (predominantly inflammatory lesions: pustules, cysts, nodules).
Results of treatment were recorded as remission (decrease in new lesion number, duration
and intensity), failure to respond, and lost to follow-up (LTF).
Results The average age of patients was 21.5 years (range 11–45 years). The F:M ratio was
55 (66.3%):28 (33.7%). Average pre-treatment duration was 5.5 years (0.25–22 years).
Seven (8.4%) patients had mild acne, 37 (44.6%) moderate, and 39 (47%) severe acne.
There were 13 (15.7%) LTFs, two (2.4%) failed to respond, and 68 (81.9%) went into
remission. Average time to remission was 1.9 months (range 1.5–6 months), with no
relapses or side-effects. The most commonly prescribed medicines were Lycopodium (38.6%), Palladium (15.7%) and Platinum (12.1%).
Conclusion Individualised homeopathy may be useful for acne therapy. The most useful medicines
appeared to be Lycopodium, Palladium and Platinum, though 17 different medicines were used in this study, underscoring the value of
individualisation of therapy, a key characteristic of homeopathy.
Keywords
homeopathy - acne -
Lycopodium
-
Palladium
-
Platinum
