Acne needs to be taken more seriously, say charities
Acne before and after photoshopping and make up
By Felicity Morse-20 April 2016
Acne is not taken seriously enough, despite the bullying and stigma people face, say charities.
James Partridge, founder and chief executive of disfigurement charity Changing Faces, says attitudes desperately need challenging.
"We need to show respect, help people cope, not belittle and stigmatise.
"Every year there are instances of suicide due to people's distress around acne," says James. "Self harm is also very common."
Because it's not life threatening, money and research is going into other areas, the British Skin Foundation argues.
Spokesperson and Consultant Dermatologist Dr Anjali Mahto tells Newsbeat: "The anxiety skin disease creates often gets neglected.
"Because it's not going to kill you, it falls at the bottom of a list of what needs to be done."
Image captionDr Mahto has struggled with acne herself
People with acne are often overlooked - told to 'get on with it' or that they'll grow out of it.
"I often see patients who refuse to make eye contact. People who grow their hair so it covers their face. People who refuse to go out, go to work or to go to school," says Dr Mahto.
The psychological impact of acne can last beyond the spots themselves.
"If you've grown up with the mindset you're a spotty teenager, the negative body image can stay with you for many years afterwards," she says.
Image captionAcne is commonly linked to the changes in hormone levels and is known to run in families. It's caused by grease-producing glands next to the hair follicles in the skin producing too much oil
Michael Willocks, who suffered with severe acne for years, wants schools to make discussing skin issues routine. He thinks this could help young people suffering with skin conditions.
His project, school derm time, aims to show teachers how acne can affect behaviour.
During his school years he bottled everything up because he thought nobody would understand.
"All I needed was a prompt from the school, anything that resonated with how I felt," he explained.
Looking at myself would make me feel sick
Jordan Grey is 22 and had acne at school.
Image captionJordan when he was younger
"I would go into the changing room and kids would ask: 'What's wrong with you?' It was degrading.
"It stopped me from going out. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I felt sick. My face felt pus-filled and disgusting."
Image captionJordan now
He thinks better awareness of acne amongst teachers would have helped him.
Katy Gilroy, 22, feels the same.
"Had we been taught, in science or PSHE, what the causes of acne are or that it's a medical condition like any other, then people would not have felt the need to comment negatively on it."
