Clive Anderson - AT THE DERMATOLOGIST RECENT survey carried out by Galderma (the makers of a popular acne treatment) found that parents and teens are not on the same page when it comes to acne. The responses to the survey questions from 504 teenagers with acne and 500 parents of teens with acne showed marked differences in their perceptions of the disorder and its complications.
Results showed that only 15 per cent of parents said they believed that acne caused their teenager to experience problems with body image, while more than twice that many teenagers (36 per cent) said they had to cope with such issues. In fact, the survey showed that about one in four teens with acne experienced powerful negative emotions because of their acne, including embarrassment, humiliation anger and confusion.
More than one in six teens experienced depression or preoccupation/obsession because of their acne. Some startling differences emerged between parents and teens: -
69 per cent of parents believed they were supportive and understanding toward their teens' acne while only 48 per cent of teens agreed.
15 per cent of parents believed their teenager experienced problems with body image because of acne, while 36 per cent of teenagers felt this way.
Just one per cent of parents believed their teenagers' acne caused difficulty with family members, while 18 per cent of teenagers said it did.
9 per cent of parents believed their teenagers exhibited anger as a result of his/her acne, and 25 per cent of teens said this was true.
28 per cent of parents said they had advised their teenagers to seek advice from a dermatologist, but only 17 per cent of teens said they had received this advice.
It emerges from this survey that parents often underestimate the effect of acne on teenagers. But even worse than this, the survey found that most teenagers were given inappropriate advice by their parents on how to treat acne. Much of the advice given was based on myths and might aggravate rather than help the condition.
The most common advice teens got from parents was to wash their face more frequently (62 per cent). Acne is not a sign of poor hygiene and does not result from dirty skin. What looks like dirt in blackheads is actually the skin pigment melanin. In fact, washing the face with harsh abrasive cleansers may dry out and damage the skin, aggravating the acne instead. Advice teens instead to use a gentle cleanser to wash with.
The second most common bit of advice was to stop eating greasy or oily food (29 per cent). Extensive scientific studies have so far not found a connection between diet and acne. Food does not cause acne, not chocolate, fries or pizza. Some people insist that that certain foods affect their acne and in these cases it is wise to avoid these foods. Eating a balanced, healthy diet is certainly good for the skin.
'You just have to let acne run its course' is another bit of advice frequently given. The truth is that acne can be cleared up and there is no reason to endure acne and get scars. The acne will eventually go away on its own but it will leave scars on the skin and on the teens' self-image. Consider seeing a dermatologist.
'Acne only happens to teenagers' not true, about 25 per cent of all persons aged 25-44 have active acne. A persistent myth is that acne clears up faster when blackheads are squeezed. Not only is this false but squeezing blackheads may damage the skin. The trauma of squeezing can injure the sebaceous follicle and tissue around it and force contents of the blackhead deeper into the tissue as well as extruding it on the surface of the skin. This may result in an inflammatory reaction and scarring.
Acne is often labeled as a normal part of growing up, but the devastating effect it has on ones self-esteem and confidence is ignored.
Dr. Clive Anderson is a Dermatologist and Venereologist.
