In this day and age, mental health is a massive issue, as recently as 60 to 70 years ago it was a taboo subject that was not to be spoken about or brought into the public’s attention in any way. These days that has all changed and mental health is not only talked about but embraced, with a fervent quest to try to bolster people’s wellbeing and mental health in order for them to live a great life without the anxiety, stress, and despair that mental health can bring, and for acne sufferers that is no different.
There is nothing good about acne, it’s painful, irritable and unsightly. A lot of people complain when they get one pimple and cause a tremendous fuss, however, for acne sufferers, an outbreak can literally floor them. Hence why depression is a common side effect of acne. Everyone has insecurities and things they don’t like about themselves, however with people who suffer from acne they cannot hide it and so the effects this has on their self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth are tenfold. It is a vicious cycle they suffer from a breakout, this makes them emotional and full of anxiety, this then causes stress and hormone levels to go up which in turn affects their skin and so the cycle continues.
Suffering from acne can create acute psychological and social effects on an individual. Anyone can have these effects whether they are suffering from mild, moderate or severe classifications of acne. If it makes that individual feel bad then it will impact their mental health. Acne and its effects both physically and mentally can affect anyone at any age, however, the most at risk group
Many teenagers who come across acne during puberty are especially susceptible to social and psychological effects. This will occur at a time when their development is critical, they are just starting to learn about themselves, who they are, develop an identity and develop a personality. This is a time when peer groups are everything, and peer acceptance and peer status is the most critical thing for a teenager. Therefore in this article, it will explain some of the pointers that someone is going through a social or psychological crisis.
Self-esteem, Body Image, and confidence issues
A lot of teenagers will find it hard to keep or even maintain eye contact, this is down to them not liking the way they look and not wanting to see someone else acknowledging how they look. For that same reason, girls may also grow their hair long and wear it over their face to ‘hide’ their features or wear heavy makeup as they think this is covering it. Body shame can also stop them partaking in sports and so forth if the pimples are on their bodies as well as their face.
Education/work
Some teenagers will refuse to go to school, leading to poor attendance and poor performance. Many acne sufferers also call in sick to work if they have had a breakout or they are embarrassed, which causes numerous problems, and could risk their employment. They can be turned down for jobs for not having the right look for instance, while the condition itself limits career choices as there are certain jobs that would not be open to them such as acting, modelling and so forth. There is also a high unemployment rate with people that have acne than that don’t.
Social withdrawal
For anyone with body issues and low self-esteem, it is hard to form friendships and relationships with people, however, people with acne find it a lot harder. It takes a lot of confidence to start and form a relationship with someone and therefore acne sufferers find it harder. Especially as, we all know, children are cruel and so they will be dealing with constant cruel taunts and remarks from people, which will only fuel their self-loathing.
The time that most teenagers are suffering from and dealing with acne is the time that those self- image and identity lessons begin when they work out who they are and what they want from life. However, teenagers with acne maybe shy away from this environment and be reclusive rather than get negative comments off of anyone.
We all know someone who has or is suffering from a skin condition so just remember to be kind, it is the inside of a person that counts.
