Occasional acne; an acne variant

Abstract

This article is about a common skin eruption that dermatologists face regularly in their clinics. It is a form of acne that patients frequently refer to as nightshifts acne, stress acne or airplane acne (after experiencing a prior occasion that might aggravate it). Physical or psychological stress is not the only causative factor, therefore we took into consideration of naming it based on its presentation irrespectively of the skin proneness to acne and self-limiting tendency, we name the entity as “occasional acne”. This article will discuss the similarities and differences between this entity and other forms of acne, as well as different causative factors that are involved in the eruption. These factors vary individually whether single or multiple factors might provoke it; maladaptation driven by mental and/or physical stress, temporary imbalance of sebum lipids and nicotine effect, etc.