During the past decades, tremendous progress has been made not only by increasing treatment options but also in the management of acne scars. Fundamental research has revealed and continues to reveal important information on the pathogenesis of acne. More recently, epidemiology is shedding new light on the complicated interplay between metabolism and skin pathophysiology. Being now able to study the skin’s microflora in detail opens up a whole new field of investigation and we can confidently expect that all this new knowledge will allow for the development of new treatment approaches.

But in the meantime, one thing has not changed. As clinicians, we are all aware that acne is a stubborn, long-lasting disease that seriously affects our patient’s quality of life. Far from being only a cosmetic condition, it marks their life and we encounter patients of all ages that suffer from acne and its often long-standing effects. Clearly, our major concern is that patients with acne receive proper treatment and counseling and many of dermatologists and health care professionals are now working towards a patient centered clinical method.

On 6 June 2014, a group of 10 experts met to discuss ‘The Changing Faces of Acne’ with an international audience of dermatologists. This supplement brings together the content of the presentations for the dermatology community. In seven papers by renowned experts in the field, the current acne landscape is examined and discussed.