The emotional effect of acne is more devastating

The emotional effect of acne can be devastating. Most teenagers who suffer from acne cut down on their social life because they can’t bear to go out with their face full of pimples. They become more irritable and temperamental. Many of them also plunge into depression.

They don’t see acne as a physical disorder that will go away on its own. Instead they do everything possible to get rid of it at the earliest. When they fail to do so they withdraw into a shell.

They don’t realize that acne is largely caused by hormonal changes that occur at the onset of puberty, and is not a disease. Yet, it reduces their confidence levels to zero. Simple activities like going to a party or simply to their neighbor’s house becomes an ordeal. Sometimes negative feelings sprout for their best friend who is not troubled with acne.

Initially it might be just be plain jealously or envy. Things take a bad turn when they are continuously reminded by their friends, neighbors, or a distant aunt that it is not that bad. They might develop feelings of injustice, anger and hatred due to which they might tend to completely ignore them in the future. As a result they may even become lonely.

Genetics is closely linked with acne. It is believed that if either of the parents had acne during their childhood it is likely that the child too may suffer from it. Sometimes the problem of acne can be inherited on account of the grandparent’s genes. This can be traumatic for the child and most often they might blame the entire family for their problems. No doubt it becomes a major reason for continuing tension between them and their parents. They develop an inferiority complex, and may even become an introvert during school years due to the deep fear of people rejecting them on the basis of their physical looks.

Acne is not a cause for trauma among children alone. Even adults seem to be troubled by it. They find themselves socially inept and try to avoid social meetings as far as possible. Low self esteem bred due to acne can be a major reason for their poor performance in office. They develop stress related problems since they are constantly worried about what others are thinking about them. Because of this, relationships both on professional and personal level may suffer.