It was all okay when we were kids, without any care in the world, we used to play in the sun, sand, and dirt. But the moment puberty hit us, things changed completely for us! And one of the dreadful results that came with puberty was acne/pimple. One would think that ‘okay, this pimple will go away in a few days’, but the urge to pop it gets high every time we look ourselves in the mirror. And if you are someone who pops them up from time to time, then you have to stop then and there. Reason? The scars that they leave behind.
It is often assumed that people who have acne, keep their face dirty, follow a poor diet laden with greasy foods with an absence of fruits and vegetables. However, studies show that there are no foods that cause acne directly, but the root problem occurs beneath the skin.
Only the people with acne scars know the emotional trauma that they have to go through. The acne scars become the ‘only talk’ in their lives, and everyone would come up with ‘their’ solutions on how to get rid of them. Acne scars and the way society perceives them show that there is nothing more to life than just a way of getting rid of them.
Here in this article, we will talk about how acne scars can affect more than just your skin.
Acne scars and mental health
For many people who have acne scars, this skin condition affects more than just their appearances. Acne scars can take a toll on one’s emotional health as well. Researchers have found after study that people with acne and acne scars can develop:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- Poor self-image
- Decreased quality of life
- A feeling of being all alone
How society perceives people with acne scars
An online survey: “How people with facial acne scars are perceived in society: an online survey administered in the USA, UK, Japan, Germany, France, and Brazil to respondents 18 years and over presented three facial pictures of clear skin or digitally superimposed acne scars (but no active acne lesions) in a random fashion. At least one clear and one scar picture were presented to each participant.”
Results of the survey
Among the 4618 responders, 33% themselves had facial acne scars. The skin was the first thing noticed about the face by 41% when viewing pictures with scars vs 8% viewing clear skin (p < 0.05). Those with scars were less likely to be considered attractive (17% vs 25%), confident (25% vs 33%), happy (23% vs 30%), healthy (21% vs 31%) and successful (17% vs 24%), and more likely to be perceived as insecure (15% vs 8%) and shy (23% vs 14%) compared to those with clear skin (all p < 0.05). Those with scars were thought less likely to have a promising future (78% vs 84%) than those with clear skin (p < 0.05). The majority of respondents reported willingness to pay money to eradicate scars.
Summing up
Above all, acne and acne scars are not just skin conditions but they can affect your daily life, confidence, and relationships with others.
No, we are not saying that you need to bend hell to diminish the severity of scars, but try to be more comfortable in your skin. After all, if you won’t love your skin how can you expect others to?