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Best Face Forward
Coping with teenage acne By Carma Haley
Whether correct or not, our society teaches children that how they look is as important as who they are -- often more important. These lessons can lead to horrific ramifications. Depression, eating disorders, self-isolation or social anxiety are all conditions that can result from the pressure teens feel to "look good." So what can teens do when such conditions are caused by acne?
With proper education and treatment, teens can stop worrying about their skin and concentrate on what's really important to them: their lives.
About 95 percent of American teens suffer from acne, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. As some cases are less severe than others, teens may be able to conceal their skin condition with makeup, tinted skin treatments or by using their hair or clothing to conceal affected areas.
"Because [a teen's] image has been interfered with by the pimples, camouflage is very important," says Dr. Sadia Baxt, a certified dermatologist in Paramus, N.J. "Certainly young girls who are going to school can use makeup to cover their pimples so they have an enhanced view of themselves. I've even given a tinted cream to the boys that allows them makeup-like coverage for their pimples, as it gives them the camouflage they need and want."
Michelle Smith, a writer from Chico, Calif., recalls the frustration of having acne when she was 13. "I would get [blemishes] on my chin, the sides of my face along my jaw line, my chest, and my back and shoulders. I would wear clothes that covered them or long hair to hide my acne," Smith says. "I can remember walking around trying to hide my face with my books or leaning with my hand covering my pimples. It was such an awful thing -- feeling ugly."
