Acne in Adolescence - Consequences for Self-Esteem

80% of adolescents are affected by acne. Whether it is barely visible or on the contrary severe, a lack of care can have repercussions on social life and self-esteem. Sometimes irreversible scars that it is possible to avoid. Advice. Let's discuss acne in adolescence and it's consequences for self-esteem.

When you think about acne, you think about puberty, oily hair, blackheads... In short, at a time in life when self-image and body image are most often undermined. Acne, this dermatological condition that affects about 80% of adolescents is therefore never well experienced. It is manifested by the appearance of pimples usually localized on the face and in the upper back. To this violent physical attack on the face and upper body can be added a violent psychological impact, even if there are only two or three pimples.

Acne is more or less severe depending on the extent and type of damage it causes.

• Minor acne: a few pimples and blackheads appear on the face.
• Medium acne: infected or not red pimples also appear and can gain the shoulders and back.
• Severe acne: small colorless painful bumps (nodules) and filled with fluid (cysts) are present and leave scars.

Acne in Adolescence: A Link with Diet?

The link is confirmed. If more and more teenagers suffer from acne, it seems that our eating habits and especially sweet foods play a role. "We have the feeling, because it is not based on scientific data, that there is a direct link between our western way of life and acne, explains Professor Wolkenstein, professor of dermatology at the University Paris-Est Créteil. For example, it has been noted that the excluded populations of refined sugars do not have acne. Thus, on the day when the western way of life was imported to Asia, with the arrival of ice cream, sodas and other sweet products in particular, populations began to have acne."

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Acne and Self-Esteem in Adolescence

Acne is a visible pathology. Unaesthetic, it forces young people who are affected to put in place avoidance strategies: your teenager hides or tries to camouflage his lesions, for example by using makeup sometimes unsuitable even to aggravate acne. And when the entourage minimizes the situation, the teens toast. "We're not going to make an appointment for this," "it'll heal on its own," or "I had it too when I was your age. “ ,,, Result: the acne teenager may sometimes feel powerless and isolated to react. "We are witnessing a complex struggle between parents and children: the former relativists, the latter want treatment at all costs," says dermatologist and psychoanalyst Sylvie Consoli. Parents of acne-prone adolescents can then miss a real suffering caused by acne. Thus, out of ignorance or fear, out of fear also of not finding the right words to address a subject that touches the self-image, it is months of care that are lost.

In addition, severe acne can be experienced as a disability. Indeed, acne pimples affect their daily life, their evenings, or their relationships with their friend(s). At this age, young people experience this period of adolescence badly. Some even avoid public changing rooms or wearing swimsuits and confine themselves. It is therefore essential that the relatives of acne patients can determine whether the disease is experienced as suffering and that they can accompany their child in his treatment process. Both to convince him to consult, but also to follow the treatment. And specially to ensure that it does not get discouraged by its side effects or duration.

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Acne and Skin Problems: A Burden on Teens

At 19, Anaïs suffers from acne. This "burden" that she has been carrying since her 8 years has a real impact on her daily life. "Today, I lost all confidence in myself," she explains. Since my childhood I hear mockery on my face. People, adults, children, adolescents are cruel people when a person is different… They despise you and this leads to a lot of things in the life of a young teenage girl who is in search of inner well-being but who cannot because of people's daily gaze. Anxieties are constant... As soon as I get out, I get stressed out."

Acne weakens. "On a fragile teenager, a depressive episode can set in," warns Dr. Consoli, a dermatologist and psychoanalyst. And the whole problem is that it's not easy to track. "Generally, those who do not complain about it are also the most prone to depression. "And for good reason: the teenager has a hard time saying that he wants to be beautiful and seductive. "It is essential that he be able to take care of himself and his well-being. We also need to help her express herself. Offer to make an appointment, accompany him, keep a link. The teenager himself must actively take care of his acne."

Acne in Adolescence: Preventing Scars

The whole problem with acne is that if you do nothing, sometimes deep lesions appear until they leave scars. Scars most often irreversible or in any case difficult to erase despite technical advances in Aesthetic Dermatology. On the other hand, preventing their occurrence is possible, provided that they are taken care of by a dermatologist as soon as possible.

Acne in Adolescents: Consult A Dermatologist

Severe acne systematically requires management by a dermatologist. How are the consultations going? First, the dermatologist categorizes acne (minor, severe…) and assesses the psychological and social consequences it has for adolescents. It is a question of noting all the collateral effects that acne has: drop in school results, social isolation, cessation of leisure, etc. "we must know that 15 % of acne people have black ideas," says the dermatologist. The treatment implemented by the specialist therefore takes into account both the objective severity of acne and the psychological impact it generates. "We don't treat acne; we treat patients with specific profiles."

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How to Treat Acne in Adolescence?

Not only are there effective treatments but above all we must not relativist the ill-being of adolescents. "There are still a lot of misconceptions around acne, including in parents. People lack information. Either they think there are no treatments, or they are resigned. They think that acne will disappear over time… Finally, there is still a lot of ignorance about treatments and especially isotretinoin [Roaccutane ® and generics, Ed.]. It has a reputation for being a dangerous treatment. In fact, its profit / risk balance is clearly in favor of profits. First, this drug is reserved for severe acne. Then, in case of prescriptions the patients are closely followed and the prescription is framed. Nevertheless, managing acne takes time."

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The Right Gestures to Pass on To Your Teen

For a teenager or teenage girl who has normal skin, a daily toilet is necessary, using soap or bread surgras or liquid syndet. In case of acne, this advice remains true, but preferably with products dedicated to acne skin. It is necessary to avoid the application of foundation and fatty cosmetics, as they aggravate acne. The use of tinted creams or moisturizing creams designed for acne skin is nevertheless possible. It is necessary to treat any acne, but the means are very variable from one case to another and it is necessary to take advice from the pharmacist or the generalist and preferably from the dermatologist. Also avoid aggressive soaps for the skin and especially do not give in to the temptation to squeeze pimples…

Acne in Boys

There is a large gender disparity in care. Although the suffering caused by acne and the consequences for the quality of life are the same for boys and girls, they are better managed because they are in action. On the contrary, boys are generally more resigned to treatment. Culturally, they are more shy to express themselves on their skin or to take care of it. It is experienced as something devaluing. In girls, it is quite the opposite: the skin is very invested, it is a full-fledged organ, and they want to find solutions.

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How to Reassure the Teenagers?

The most important thing is not to lose the connection. Especially since the teenagers rarely expresses himself. It is therefore necessary to strike a balance between too steep words that can be subject to rejection and, on the contrary, an attitude that would minimize the reality of things. One should not avoid the topic and be frank, neutral and concrete. Like saying, " Do your buttons worry you? " or "I feel like you're hurting because of your pimples." And this even if the teenager has only 2 or 3 pimples because he can suffer terribly. The psychological repercussions are not proportional to the severity of acne. Finally, you really have to stop with the misconceptions of the type "if he has pimples it is because he is dirty". Let's not accuse our teens of all his evils!

To conclude, acne in adolescence causes many physical and psychological problems to teenagers and we have to take care it properly.