efficacy, safety profile, and post-acne sequelae of 0.025% retinoic acid cream vs. 0.1% adapalene cream in mild acne vulgaris in fitzpatrick skin types iii-v

Conditions: Acne Vulgaris

Summary: the goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effectiveness, safety profile, and post-acne sequelae of 0.025% retinoic acid cream versus 0.1% adapalene cream for mild acne vulgaris in individuals with fitzpatrick skin types iii-v. main research questions are: 1. how does 0.025% retinoic acid cream compare to 0.1% adapalene cream in reducing the total number of acne lesions in patients with mild acne vulgaris and fitzpatrick skin types iii-v? 2. what is the severity of adverse effects that occur on the facial side treated with 0.1% adapalene cream and the facial side treated with 0.025% retinoic acid cream in patients with mild acne vulgaris and fitzpatrick skin types iii-v? 3. what is the severity of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (pih) that occurs on the facial side treated with 0.1% adapalene cream and the facial side treated with 0.025% retinoic acid cream in patients with mild acne vulgaris and fitzpatrick skin types iii-v? 4. what is the severity of post-acne erythema (pae) that occurs on the facial side treated with 0.1% adapalene cream and the facial side treated with 0.025% retinoic acid cream in patients with mild acne vulgaris and fitzpatrick skin types iii-v? 5. what is the quantity, type, and severity of post-acne scarring (pas) that occurs on the facial side treated with 0.1% adapalene cream and the facial side treated with 0.025% retinoic acid cream in patients with mild acne vulgaris and fitzpatrick skin types iii-v? participants will: * undergo baseline assessments, including acne lesion count, hyperpigmentation index, clinician erythema assessment (cea) scale, and post-acne scarring grading on each facial side. * apply 0.025% retinoic acid cream and 0.1% adapalene cream on different facial sides as per randomization, every night for 12 weeks. * record daily adverse effects per facial side, lesion manipulation frequency, and sun exposure duration * attend follow-up visits every 4 weeks for acne lesion count, hyperpigmentation index, cea scale, post-acne scarring grading, and assessment of adverse effect severity.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * clinical diagnosis of mild acne vulgaris, defined as fewer than 20 comedonal lesions, fewer than 15 inflammatory lesions, or a total lesion count of 30 or less, with a difference in total lesion count between the two sides of the face ≤ 5 lesions. * minimum age of 15 years. * indonesian individuals with fitzpatrick skin types iii-v. * willing to participate in the study by signing an informed consent form. exclusion criteria: * history of routine application of topical agents containing active ingredients on the face within the past 2 weeks. * history of oral antibiotic use within the past 2 weeks. * history of systemic retinoid use within the past 3 months. * currently pregnant or breastfeeding. * using oral contraceptives at the time of assessment. * presence of other dermatologic conditions on the face aside from acne vulgaris. * having sensitive facial skin classified as rosacea-type, stinging-type, or allergic-type. * unwilling to discontinue topical active agent therapy that has been used routinely for at least 2 weeks prior to study participation.

Keywords: acne vulgaris mild acne retinoic acid 0.025% adapalene 0.1% topical retinoids acne treatment fitzpatrick skin type iii-v post inflammatory hyperpigmentation post acne erythema post acne scarring adverse effects of retinoids clinician erythema assessment randomized controlled trial acne lesion count acne sequelae