The Social Impact of Acne

"There is no single disease which causes more psychic trauma, more maladjustment between parents and children, more general insecurity and feelings of inferiority and greater sums of psychic suffering than does acne vulgaris."

Sulzberger & Zaldems, 1948

The social impact of acne has not been fully appreciated until recently. Many people suffer from the psychosocial effects of having acne and in most cases it does go away on its own. It is not a serious threat to anyone's overall health, but it can significantly impact a person's outlook on life.

Some recent studies have found some common factors among people suffering from acne:

• Decreased self-esteem
• Social withdrawal
• Reduced self-confidence
• Poor self image
• Embarrassment
• Anger
• Frustration
• Feelings of depression
• Preoccupation
• Higher rate of unemployment
  

All of the effects listed above are usually interrelated and can have a crippling impact on people, often discouraging them from participating in life events.

Seeking out professional help often assists people to deal with these issues and a dermatologist or certified counsellor can be useful.