Being a teenager is hard enough when all is going well but when there is a problem like acne it can have a devastating effect on a young persons self esteem. The teenagers are when people suffer from hormone surges causing all kinds of physical and emotional problems and one of the side effects is acne.



This is a period in a person’s life when they are dealing with exams, growing up, pleasing their parents and fitting in with their peers it is a high stress time in anyone’s life so with the added problem of acne on your face it can be very embarrassing causing a teenager to become withdrawn and self conscious. As society places more and more emphasis on how well you should look and developing the link between physical appearance and self worth it is very hard for a young person to develop a positive image of themselves if suffering from acne.



Moderate to severe acne can have a long-lasting negative effect on self esteem, confidence and self worth of a young person who is at the stage where they are trying to develop their personal identity through relationships with their peers. It defines who they are socially and how they react to other teenagers in a group. If they are self conscious due to personal judgments of themselves or bulling by other teenagers they will withdraw themselves from social situations and gatherings which will shape their personality and self esteem for the future. It is imperative that the situation is identified and dealt with as soon as possible a teenager or child will need outside help from and adult or counselor to help rebuild their self esteem and confidence.



If your teenager or child has been suffering
from acne and you find they are displaying the following characteristics it may be time to intervene and play a more active role in their personal development:

1) Suddenly displaying a lack of confidence in social situations.

2) Not wanting to participate in social events.

3) Personality becoming more withdrawn.

4) Overly concerned with looking in the mirror and their appearance.

5) Body language changing, holding their head down when walking around.

6) Avoiding areas where other teenagers maybe hanging out.

7) Negative comments about themselves and their abilities

8) Signs or depression and anxiety.


If the above sounds familiar then maybe its time to start intervening in your teenagers life. Encourage sports or exercising as this helps elevate stress and helps balance out hormones. Educate yourself on the causes and treatments of acne and help your child with his problem. Meeting with a dermatologist and trying out various treatments together with your support emotionally will be a great help. Eating healthy and exercising helps eliminate acne and also helps with stress and depression so concentrating on activities and good nutrition is important.


Get so advice from counselors or other sources on how to keep your teenager motivated in other areas of their lives that doesn’t revolve around physical appearance. You need to get advice on dealing with their depression and rebuilding self esteem. It important to regularly point out all the other positive characteristics and talents and emphasis that it’s not just how you look that makes you who you are but the content of your character.