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The Human Toll of Acne: Quotes from Teens and Adults

In their Own Words…

My life was horrible. Kids call[ed] me pizza face or crater face [and] really cruel stuff.

I can't show my face in public. Help! I'm the only one with acne and I'm only twelve years old. I'm sick of it. I can't show my face in public. Help!

I was really shy about going to a dermatologist; I thought it was embarrassing and unnecessary.

I had suicidal thoughts. Although I have a strong Christian faith, I gave up.
I popped every zit on my face [and] after I wiped off the pus from the mirror, I asked Don [my brother] if my face looked any better. He said my face looked like the moon. I had so many craters!...I had suicidal thoughts. Although I have a strong Christian faith, I gave up…"

It all started about halfway through the 6^th grade. We though[t], "Over time…you'll grow out of it…but over that time, it spread to cheeks and all around my face. My self-esteem was EXTREM[E]LY low.

you won't go swimming. It's really hard when you're only 12 years old and you are so self-conscious that you won't go swimming with all your friends because you don't want them to make fun of you.

I felt just plain UGLY! I hated the way I looked and felt and my self esteem was incredibly low. I felt just plain UGLY!

I stopped going to school because I was so embarrassed….

I feel like a vampire. . ."I don't look in mirrors.... I am like a vampire--I shy away from mirrors. I comb my hair using my silhouette on the wall to show the outline of my head. I have not looked myself in the eyes in years. It's painful not to be able to do that, and that is a direct result of acne, the acne scarring."

I feel so insecure . . ."I think that if I had more self-esteem about the way I looked, I think I would have been more outgoing. I would have gone to more parties. I probably would have been more outspoken in class and would not have felt so insecure about going up and speaking in front of a group of classmates."

I feel humiliated . . ."It is really humiliating to feel like I have no control over my acne. I hold my head down, and I am ashamed to look at people; I feel so embarrassed. I am 25 years old and to be acting this way is very frustrating."

I hate that the first thing people see is my bad skin . . . "It's associated with being dirty, and I hate that, because it's not at all like that. I inherited it from my mother, and she's always telling me that she had the exact same thing and that it will go away. I am mad that I inherited it from her. My dad makes me feel bad because he never had bad skin when he was younger, so he doesn't understand.... I hate that the first thing people see when they look at me is bad skin. I really. really hate that."

Not a day goes by that I don't think about it . . . "I feel like I don't look right no matter how hard I try to dress up and look nice—there is always that area of pimples there, and it is very unsettling. There really hasn't been a day gone by that I don't think about it, or look at my face.... Should I spend that much energy on it? I could be doing other things...instead of wasting 5 to 10 minutes every day looking at my face in the mirror, or playing with it, picking at my acne."

Facts:

Acne decreases self-esteem.1
Even clinically mild to moderate non-cystic acne can be associated with significant depression and suicidal ideation.13
There's no reason why anyone has to endure acne.12
Acne is associated with teasing and stigmatization from peers.4
Acne affects more people than you might think—85% of teenagers suffer from acne.9
People with acne are less likely to participate in sports.5
In one study, almost 40% of teenagers said they avoided going to school because they were embarrassed.5
55% of 11-18 year olds said acne prevented them from having a boyfriend or girlfriend.

1 The social impact of acne. AcneNet. http://www.skincarephysicians.com/acnenet/socimpct.html.

13 Gupta MA, Gupta AK. Depression and suicidal ideation in dermatology patients with acne, alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Br J Dermatol. 1998;139(5):846-850.

12 Acne myths. AcneNet. http://www.skincarephysicians.com/acnenet/myths.html.

4 Thomas DR. Psychosocial effects of acne. J Cutan Med Surg. 2005;8(suppl 4):3-5.

9 Lolis MS, Bowe WP, Shalita AR. Acne and systemic disease. Med Clin North Am. 2009;93(6):1161-1181.

5 Hanna S, Sharma J, Klotz J. Acne vulgaris: more than skin deep. DOJ. 2003;9(3):8.

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