Background: Acne is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by open or closed comedones and inflammatory lesions in the form of papules, pustules or nodules. It is considered as one of the most common skin diseases affecting mostly young individuals. Acne vulgaris is characterized by open and closed comedones (non-inflammatory lesions) and by papules, pustules and nodules (inflammatory lesions). The pathogenesis of acne is multifactorial in nature. It is characterized by excess sebum production, hyperkeratosis of follicular epithelium. Rupture of follicular epithelium occurs leading to increase in the release of inflammatory mediating agents. More than 25 different grading systems for the assessment of acne severity have been published in literature. However, the presence of this large number of grading systems indicates a lack of consensus on this issue. Therefore, no grading system is considered to be a global standard for assessment. Several factors may influence the choice of therapy including age of the patient, extent, severity of the disease and sites involved. Topical treatment can be used alone or with combination to other topical or oral agents.