Being a teenager is hard. Being a teenager with mild acne is a little bit harder. Being a teenager who is battling with severe acne outbreaks can seem like a nightmare. When a person is dealing with severe outbreaks during their teenage years, the social and psychological effects can be horrific. It needs to be pointed out that even some individuals who only have mild acne during their teenage years can feel socially disabled.
The psychological effect that acne has on a child’s social development is a very important thing to study. This is because during the teenage years, a young person is really starting to define who they are. They are creating their personality. During this time period, it is important for teenagers to feel accepted by their peers.
Medical researchers are learning more and more about the impact that this condition has on a teenager’s ability to develop socially, their view of themselves, and how it affects them as they become adults.
Obviously, having acne as a teenager can affect one’s self-esteem and the way they view their own body. It is not uncommon to see individuals affected by it to feel embarrassed. So when they walk around, they don’t look other people in the eye. As a coping mechanism, some individuals may opt to grow their hair very long as a way to cover their face. Girls may cake on makeup as a way of covering it. They do this even though they know that excess makeup might make their condition worse.
When a person has acne on their chest or on their back, they may shy away from engaging in high school sports that require them to disrobe in front of others or in public changing rooms.
When it appears on their face, they are likely going to be teased and taunted by other teenagers. As a result, it is going to be a challenge for these individuals to start new relationships, especially romantic ones. This is dangerous because during the teenage years young people learn to interact with each other. If they become shy or if they hideaway because they are afraid of being taunted, it can lead to a social phobia that will affect them for the rest of their life.
When it comes to education, teenagers who have acne sometimes shy away from school. Or when the are in school, the condition becomes their primary focus, and as a result, their academic performance fails. This can have negative long-term effects by minimizing the options they have for going to college, finding a nice job, and receiving a decent salary.
When a teenager affected by acne does apply for a job, the potential employer may view them as shy or lacking the social skills needed to accomplish the job. This is because the teenager lacks confidence as a result of having acne or as a result of the way that their potential employer inadvertently reacts when they see it on the teenager’s face.
At Advanced Skin Care, we regularly help adults and teenagers alike in the Wyomissing area conquer their acne for good. Contact our office today to learn more about how we can help you.
