The British Skin Foundation has found that more than half of acne sufferers (56.78%) have experienced verbal abuse from friends, family and other people they know due to their skin condition.
The survey was the biggest in the organisation’s history, with over 2,000 responses. The aim was to get an insight into what acne sufferers go through during their everyday lives.
Aside from the visual symptoms of acne, it is important not to trivialise the emotional impact of the disease. Being a very visual condition, acne can have a huge impact on a person’s self-esteem and confidence, bringing with it potential long-term effects on the sufferers life. This can be anything from relationships, work or state of mind.
Also from the survey it was found that just over 10% of people have been unfairly dismissed at work due to their acne. This demonstrates a degree of discrimination against a small – but still unacceptable – number of acne sufferers.
Sadly nearly 20% of the respondents have had a relationship end due to their acne, showing the effect that acne can have on personal life. More worryingly, over 20% of those with acne in the survey have thought about or attempted suicide, demonstrating the consequences of acne on mental health, confidence and self-worth.
