Acne's "Invisible Scars"
Acne affects adolescents at a time when they're developing their personalities and evolving into adulthood. The psychological impact of severe or even mild acne can lead your child to feelings of diminished self-esteem and be a source of anxiety when it comes to dealing with the world.
During this time, peer acceptance is very important to them and physical appearance and attractiveness is highly associated with status. Besides the physical scars that acne can produce, your teen may also be suffering emotionally.
Acne, particularly, severe facial acne, can bring out cruel taunts, teasing, and name calling from other children. Some teens lose interest in sports such as swimming or basketball because of the need to undress in locker rooms and expose their back and chests. Some kids become so preoccupied with how their skin looks that they may not want to go to school, they may pull away from their friends, show dramatic changes in their thinking and behavior, become withdrawn, and may even become depressed.
Our society places a great emphasis on physical appearance; we're all constantly bombarded with advertisements that display models and movie stars, all of whom are depicted as paragons of beauty and flawless perfection. They often serve as the spokespeople for health and beauty aids that imply that you can look like them if you buy the products they're promoting. When you see media portrayals of all those people with perfect skin, just remember that almost all of those photos are touched-up and airbrushed. Some of the models even have -- heaven forbid -- acne, just like your kid does!
Teens with acne are often told, "It's no big deal, and anyway, you'll grow out of it; it's just a normal part of life." But to a teen with acne, it is a big deal; they often feel insecure and lack self confidence. The truth is that many kids don't "just grow out of it". The main thing to remember, acne, even very severe acne, is treatable. But you as a parent should be aware of the "invisible scars" that some teens carry on the inside; they can be really tough!
You Can Do Something About It
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
Add a CommentComments
There are no comments yet. Be the first one and get the conversation started!