Children with Acne have Trouble in School

Is beauty just skin deep? Maybe not. Research has shown that acne can lead to social anxiety and social withdrawal, especially in young people.

My friend, for example, has a teenaged son with acne problems. His acne is barely but people made fun of him anyways. Even life long friend had started teasing him.

At first he didn’t think much of it, but then it started to get to him. He started skipping parties, school functions and football games. He even stopped going to club meetings.

She finally told me that the teasing and joking were making him a bit self-conscious. He had started hating the way he looked and tried to steer clear of situations where he could be judged or made fun of.

When he started not going out, his parents started to worry. He used to be outgoing and the life of the party. Now he would just stay in his room for hours.

They finally decided to take him to a therapist. It turned out that the seemingly innocent comments that everyone made had led him to develop a social phobia. He was suffering from an anxiety disorder brought on by his acne problem.

I was completely stunned. Teenagers and acne go together like peanut butter and jelly. I never thought a teenager could develop such a serious condition because of acne.

Dealing with the Physical and Psychological Problems that Accompany Acne

To treat his anxiety, he started going to weekly sessions with a therapist. In therapy, he deals with his self-image problems. All of the times he was teased or laughed at, his self esteem would break down just a little, and now it was time for him to rebuild his self esteem and the image he had of himself.

His therapist also advised him to seek professional help from a dermatologist and not to rely just on over the counter drugs as treatments for acne. The dermatologist proposed natural acne products that would help clear up his skin and not cause any side effects.

He now has a solid skin care routine that has reduced his acne. He still has some minor breakouts, but he can control them both physically and psychologically.

The problems acne produce don’t disappear just because the pimples go away. So next time think twice before teasing someone.

If you feel like a social outcast, talk to someone about it and try natural skin care treatments to help prevent breakouts. Pimple treatment is not only about treating acne. Acne should not keep you from doing the things you love to do.

- Valerie DeVette