Julia B. 
To speak about the social growth of human being, a reality which becomes most prominent is that majority of us undergo the horrifying experience of being haunted by acne breakout at the onset of puberty. The emotional consequences of acne that it leaves in the young mind are far more severe than its physiological consequences. The trauma of looking dreadful at the onset of youth generates complicated psychological aftermath which bears no less challenge than handling the acne itself. And it is not an easy task to determine the extent to which these psychological impacts could be disastrous. The psychological threat begins when one starts perceiving that his/her social life is being intervened by his physical appearance due to the consequences of acne. It is more difficult for a pubescent to handle this situation than an adult person since the mental growth is still incomplete at this age and the vulnerable young mind falls prey to such a tough psychosocial challenge.
It is a general nature of puberty and adolescence to prioritize one’s appearance above everything else. Looking attractive seems to be the
one and only means of getting appreciation from friends and acquaintances. And if that appearance is so severely affected and damaged due to the unwanted horde of ugly spots, then it is quite obvious what a deadly impact it might generate. And that impact is a feeling of inadequacy which becomes stronger in the presence of peer group or any other equivalent situation.
What parents mostly fail to realize is that the consequences of acne may result into diminished self esteem and self confidence. They often misinterpret social situations in their own way – giving an explanation of not being able to achieve their goals due to their spotted face. However, sometimes they are really chased by taunting remarks of the peer group and this is really too hard for the young and vulnerable mind to withstand. A fear of dejection and losing attention wobbles up their thought process and they start losing self confidence. This helplessness makes them lose the battle at every sphere of life, before even fighting it. No wonder that under such critical situations, one is most likely to come greatly under the influence of anger and frustration. Loosing temper frequently and/or being aberrantly silent are the reactions they often show in their behavior. And for all these reasons their reactions are often misunderstood and misinterpreted by parents and others whoever come in touch with them.
Lack of confidence, coupled with failure and the feeling of rejection pushes one into absolute depression. Consequences of acne can even amplify the probability of some kind of apathy to socialize with the peer group and neighbors. A tendency of isolating oneself from rest of the world becomes obvious. Loosing interest in everything and willingness to spend time with oneself is very common among young acne sufferers. This lack of interest might lead to indulgence into other immoral activities, and even the risk of showing a hostile nature. Being unmindful to their studies and achieving poor grade in exams might also prevail.
Although the psychological impact of acne is more intense on a pubescent than an adult, it might also leave a substantial impact even on a grown up mind as well. A grown up adult might also equally suffer the consequences of acne, though it is thought that they are rather capable than a teenage boy or girl, to get hold of their emotional outbursts. It is no less exigent even for an adult to fight or handle a social situation of being an issue of discussion and digesting unwanted advises about one’s horrible appearance. And it is rather unexpected from an adult to show similar psychological reactions like a pubescent. This puts him into a fairly grave situation with little space to escape and more compulsion to confront with the challenge.
Acne patients, especially those going under such a trauma, should be handled with greater care not only in terms of physical treatment, but also from psychological point of view. Scolding, ridiculing or throwing harsh comments might worsen the situation. They must not feel that their problems are not being properly read by their own. Psychological counseling or more intense therapy might be necessary depending on the seriousness of the emotional disturbance they are going through. Because, the physical treatment of acne and acne scars takes months to be fully cured and till then the sufferer must hold control over emotions. Patience is the most important virtue to be practiced by the victims as well as those who deal with them. Besides everything else, one must be made to realize that outward appearance is not the last word that matters in everyone’s life.
