Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Abstract

BSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Acneiform eruptions are common and important variants of acne vulgaris, there are many
examples of acneiform eruptions like steroid acne and pityrosporum folliculitis.
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the acneiform eruption that follows hair epilation.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
This case-series study was conducted in Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Baghdad
Teaching Hospital during the period from January 2005 through July 2006. Forty females were
included in this work, history was taken from each patient and all were clinically examined
regarding all relevant points to this condition. Swabs and cultures from rash were carried out on
11 patients using blood, chocolate, and McConky agar as culture media.
RESULTS:
The ages of patients ranged from14-40 years with a mean ± SD of 20.85 ± 5.52 years. History of
acne vulgaris was positive in 32 (80%) patients, and it was mild acne, resolved before the onset
of hair epilation acne. Method of hair epilation was threading and sugaring.The time interval
between hair epilation and rash appearance was 1-21 days with a mean ± SD of 4.48 ± 3.36 days.
Itching was the commonest symptom complained by 18(45%) patients.The lesions morphology
was mainly monomorphous erythematous papules surmounted by tiny pustules. Swabs and
cultures revealed no pathogenic bacteria.
CONCLUSION:
Hair epilation by threading and sugaring is a common cause of monomorphous acneiform
eruption and might be an important triggering and exacerbating factor for acne vulgaris in Iraqi
females