Acne can be mild and short-lived or severe and disfiguring, but what acne looks like doesn’t matter as much as how it may feel a person feel on the inside. Long brushed off as a rite of passage and temporary condition, acne is anything but for those who experience it.

A Canadian study of nearly 500 patients with acne published in the British Journal of Dermatology found even having mild acne can bring on feelings of low self- esteem, depression and suicidal thoughts. The fact that acne often coincides with the start of puberty adds to the feelings of uncertainty about body image, self-esteem and other emotional issues that adolescents and teenagers typically experience.

The study findings showed that acne can be associated with the following psychological effects:

• Social withdrawal
• Decreased self-esteem
• Reduced self-confidence

• Poor body image
• Embarrassment
• Feelings of depression

• Anger
• Preoccupation
• Frustration

Quick facts about acne

• Acne affects nearly 20% or 5.6 million Canadians.
  
  
• Acne affects about 90 per cent of adolescents and 20-30 per cent of adults aged 20 to 40 years.
  
  
• More than 80 per cent of acne sufferers are between the ages of 12 and 24.
  
  
• Acne affects the face in 99 per cent of cases.

• Infant acne affects approximately 20% of newborn babies.
  
  
• It usually starts around puberty and lasts until adulthood, although it can persist for many more years, regardless of age.
  
  
• About 25 per cent of teens will still have acne at age 25.
  
  
• Women make up 75 per cent of adult cases.