Editorial Policy

1. Purpose

acneinversa.life is a patient-education website on hidradenitis suppurativa (also called acne inversa). Its mission is to make credible, evidence-based information about HS more accessible to patients, families, and anyone else trying to understand the condition. The site is editorial in nature: it explains, summarises, and contextualises medical knowledge. It does not diagnose, treat, or replace individual medical care. See the Medical Disclaimer for the boundaries of what this site is and is not.

2. Who creates the content

All content on acneinversa.life is written and reviewed by the site's founder and editor:

Dr. rer. nat. Dennis Alexander Kwiatkowski — biochemist, scientific writer, and pharma expert, based in Berlin. Dr. Kwiatkowski holds a PhD as well as Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Biochemistry, has worked at Charité medical university, taught medical students for five years, and authored several scientific publications. Further detail is on the About page.

Honesty about credentialing: Dr. Kwiatkowski is a doctor of natural sciences (rer. nat.), not a medical doctor (Arzt). He is not licensed to practise medicine. Articles on this site are not independently reviewed by a separate medical professional before publication. The author is the editor; the editor is the reviewer. The site does not claim, and readers should not assume, that any article has been formally peer-reviewed or signed off by an independent clinician. This is the central reason every article carries a medical disclaimer and directs readers to a qualified clinician for personal medical decisions.

3. Editorial standards

Every article published on acneinversa.life is written to the following standards:

• Evidence-based. Claims are grounded in published medical literature, current clinical guidelines, or authoritative regulatory information. Speculation, opinion, and personal anecdote are clearly separated from evidence-based claims.
• Patient-first language. Articles are written in accessible language, avoid jargon where possible, and explain clinical terms when they are necessary. The tone aims to be respectful, empathetic, and empowering — never sensationalist, fearmongering, or stigmatising.
• No cure claims, no miracle framing. This site does not describe any treatment as a "cure" for HS, does not promise specific outcomes, and does not use sensationalist language around treatments or prognosis.
• No individual medical advice. Articles describe general patterns, options, and considerations. They do not recommend specific medications, doses, or treatment plans for individual readers.
• No stigmatising framing. Articles do not attribute HS to poor hygiene, lack of willpower, weight, or lifestyle choices. Where lifestyle factors are discussed (e.g., smoking, BMI), they are presented in the context of current scientific evidence, not blame.
• Hurley staging used correctly. Disease severity is described using the Hurley staging system (Stages I–III) where appropriate, in line with current clinical practice.

4. Sources we use

Content is built on a defined hierarchy of sources, in descending order of priority:

• 1. European clinical guidelines on hidradenitis suppurativa (currently the most recent S2k guideline).
• 2. North American clinical management guidelines (Alikhan et al., Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology).
• 3. Peer-reviewed journal articles in dermatology and immunology journals such as JEADV, British Journal of Dermatology, JAAD, Acta Dermato-Venereologica, JAMA Dermatology, Lancet, and Nature Reviews Disease Primers.
• 4. Regulatory documentation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for claims about specific approved medications.
• 5. Interviews with practising clinicians (dermatologists, surgeons, pain specialists, mental-health professionals), clearly labelled as such when quoted.
• 6. Reputable institutional sources: university hospitals, dermatology societies, public-health authorities (RKI, BfArM, NHS, CDC), and established patient organisations.

Where references are listed in articles, they follow Vancouver citation style.

5. Sources we do not use

The following sources are not used as primary references on acneinversa.life:

• Consumer health portals (WebMD, Healthline, Medical News Today, and similar).
• Patient-advocacy websites used as the original source of a clinical claim (they may be cited as community resources, but not as evidence for a medical claim).
• Non-peer-reviewed blogs, social-media posts, or commercial product pages.
• Pharmaceutical company marketing materials presented as independent evidence.

This list is not intended as a criticism of these sources — many serve their audiences well — but reflects the editorial choice to ground clinical claims in primary literature and recognised guidelines.

6. Editorial review and updates

• Every article carries a "Last reviewed" date showing when its content was most recently checked against current literature and guidelines.
• Cornerstone content — articles on diagnosis, treatment options, staging, and other topics where the evidence base evolves quickly — is reviewed and updated at least annually, and earlier if a significant guideline update, regulatory approval, or change in clinical practice occurs.
• Other content is reviewed on a rolling basis as new literature warrants.
• When an article is substantively updated, the "Last reviewed" date is changed accordingly.

7. Corrections

Accuracy matters. If you spot an error — factual, citational, terminological, or otherwise — please write to info@acneinversa.life with: the article in question (URL or title), the specific claim or sentence you believe is incorrect, and, where possible, a source supporting the correction.

Verified errors are corrected promptly. When a correction is material — i.e., it changes the meaning, interpretation, or accuracy of a substantive claim — a brief note is added at the foot of the corrected article describing what was changed and when. Minor typographical or stylistic fixes are made silently.

Corrections are not used to quietly rewrite editorial positions. If the editorial position on a topic genuinely changes (for example, because guidelines change), the article is updated, the change is noted, and the rationale is briefly explained.

8. Personal stories and patient experiences

Where acneinversa.life publishes patient stories, lived-experience quotes, or interviews with people living with HS, this material is:

• Clearly labelled as a personal story or patient experience — not as medical evidence.
• Used with consent. Contributors are asked how they would like to be identified (full name, first name only, pseudonym, anonymous) and that preference is honoured.
• Not edited to misrepresent the experience. Light editing for clarity and length is normal; rewriting that changes the substance or meaning of what a contributor said is not.
• Not a substitute for medical guidance. What worked or did not work for one person with HS will not generalise to all. The site does not extrapolate clinical recommendations from individual stories.

9. Editorial independence and conflicts of interest

Editorial decisions on acneinversa.life are made independently by Dr. Kwiatkowski. No third party — no pharmaceutical company, medical-device manufacturer, advertiser, sponsor, or affiliate partner — has any input into which topics are covered, which sources are cited, how treatments are described, or how articles are framed.

Professional context disclosure: Dr. Kwiatkowski works in the life-science industry and has commercial relationships with companies operating in dermatology and related fields. To prevent any actual or perceived conflict of interest:

• This site does not discuss, evaluate, recommend, or comment on specific products, medications, or services of companies with which the author has or has recently had a commercial relationship.
• Where coverage of a therapeutic class is necessary (for example, when describing the landscape of biologic treatments for HS), descriptions are based on published clinical guidelines and regulatory information, not on the author's professional engagements.
• Where a relevant relationship cannot be fully avoided, it is disclosed in the article concerned.

Articles do not contain hidden promotional content. Where commercial content does appear on the site (advertising, affiliate links), it is disclosed separately and clearly — see the Advertising Disclosure page.

10. Advertising, affiliate links, and funding

acneinversa.life is operated as an independent project and may generate revenue through display advertising and affiliate links. These commercial elements are managed strictly separately from editorial content:

• Advertisers and affiliate partners do not commission, review, or approve articles.
• Advertising placements do not determine which topics are covered or how they are presented.
• All advertising and affiliate arrangements are disclosed on the Advertising Disclosure page.

If readers ever feel that an article reads like advertising rather than editorial, that is a signal something has gone wrong and they are invited to flag it via info@acneinversa.life.

11. What this site does not cover

acneinversa.life is focused on hidradenitis suppurativa. It does not publish:

• General dermatology content unrelated to HS.
• Original clinical research.
• Individualised medical advice, treatment plans, or second opinions.
• Promotional content for specific medications, devices, or providers.
• Content on topics where the editor cannot reach a sufficient evidence base to write responsibly.

When a topic falls outside this scope, the site does not pretend otherwise.

12. Contact

For editorial matters — corrections, topic suggestions, source recommendations, feedback on tone or framing, or questions about this policy:

For personal medical questions, please consult a qualified healthcare professional — see the Medical Disclaimer.

Name

Dr. Dennis Alexander Kwiatkowski

Address

Stolpmünder Weg 47g, 13503 Berlin, Germany

Email

info@acneinversa.life

13. Changes to this policy

This Editorial Policy may be updated to reflect changes in editorial practice, the scope of the site, or applicable legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the current version took effect. Substantive changes will be reflected in that date.