A 20-year-old college student with acne had dark marks (hyperpigmentation) on her skin due to pimples.

20-year-old college student, Miss B. R., reported to Dr Batra's™ for treating her acne. She had complaints of acne since about 15 months. Her complaints started with pus-filled, hard and painful eruptions on the cheeks and forehead. She had very oily skin and her past eruptions had left behind dark marks (hyperpigmentation) on the face.

She had started treatment at a renowned skin care centre, and undergone laser treatment and glycolic peeling for the same. However, the condition worsened after stopping treatment and her eruptions became more painful. Her complaints would worsen every month before her menses and the acne would last about two weeks. Thereafter, it would leave behind dark disfiguring marks on the skin. Her mother had a history of acne problems during her own teenage years and the patient's maternal uncle also had acne.

The patient was a vegetarian with a normal appetite and thirst. She had a liking for spicy and hot food. No complaints of stools or urination were reported. Perspiration was scanty and odourless with no staining. She would sleep on her abdomen and dream of trying to complete her portion during examinations. She would be comfortable with warmth in general but was intolerant of heat. Exposure to the sun would give her sunburn. Her menses were regular and she would experience anger and irritability before her menses.

She had suffered from recurrent colds and cough in childhood. Her father had male pattern baldness and her paternal aunt was diabetic.

The patient stayed with her parents; her father worked with a bank and her mother was a teacher. She had spent major time with her grandparents as both her parents would be away at work.

The patient described herself as a short-tempered girl when things would not happen the way she wanted. She would especially get irritable when her mother would shout at her. After verbally expressing her anger, in about 10-15 minutes, she would cool down. Sympathy was something she disliked and hence she was averse to consolation.

She had worked for some time in a call centre and had started mixing with people though she was not very comfortable doing this earlier. She was possessive about her things, friends, etc., in general. She would feel bad when she would not be able to spend much time with her parents. Emotionally, she was very close to her mother. As her parents were not with her most of the time, she would make lot of friends, she said, and would share a lot with them.

She had not scored well during her board (tenth) exams and this had upset her a lot, though with her parents' help she had overcome this.

Regarding her condition, she described a feeling of disgust. She would constantly feel very bad and would not be able to concentrate on whatever she did on account of her looks. She would take great care to dress up well in order to cover up for her bad skin.

Based on her history, she was prescribed homeopathic medicines by her consulting doctor at Dr Batra's™. Gradually, her acne started getting better and the outbreaks starting reducing in intensity. The lesions were less painful than before and would not leave behind disfiguring marks any more. Continued treatment over a period of about 16 months gave her very good results with clearing up of all the dark marks on her face. She would no longer get the breakouts every month as before and she was glad she opted for treatment at Dr Batra's™ at the right time.