Is beauty just skin deep? Maybe not. Research has proven that acne can lead to social anxiety and social withdrawal, especially in young people.

My friend's teenage son has a case of mild acne. Even though it is not serious, he is regularly teased at school by his friends and even people he does not know. Sometimes he even has to withstand rude remarks from strangers.

At first he just shrugged it off, but then it started to get to him. He started skipping parties, school functions and football games. He even stopped going to club meetings.

His mom finally confided in me that the jokes and comments were making him a bit self-conscious. He had started hating the way he looked and tried to stay away situations where he could be judged or made fun of.

A red flag went up when he stopped attending his favorite school functions. He was socialble in school, but now he would just stay in his room.

They finally decided to take him to a therapist. He said that the "innocent" comments had turned his acne problem into social phobia. He was suffering from an anxiety disorder brought on by his acne problem.

I was shocked. Teenagers and acne go together like peanut butter and jelly. I thought the worst thing that could happen is embarrassment, but I never considered an anxiety disorder.

How to Treat the Physical and Psychological Problems that Accompany Acne Now he has weekly sessions with a therapist to deal with the anxiety. He's also started seeing a dermatologist to get precise treatment for his type of acne.

In therapy, he is learning to deal with his self image. All of the times he was teased or laughed at his self esteem would break down just a little. Now it is time for him to strengthen his self esteem and the image he had of himself.

His therapist also recommended that he seek professional help from a dermatologist and not to depend on over the counter drugs as treatments for acne. The dermatologist suggest that he try some biological acne products that would help his skin clear up and not cause any side effects.

Now he has an established, healthy skin care routine that has helped clear up his skin. He still has some minor breakouts, but he can control them both physically and psychologically.

So next time you think about teasing someone with acne, remember that the problems that come with acne don't disappear just because the pimples go away.