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

My friend, for example, has a teenaged son with acne problems. His acne is slightly noticeable but people made fun of him all the time. Even friends he has had since elementary school had started teasing him.

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

She finally confessed to me that the teasing and joking were making him a bit insecure. He had started hating the way he looked and tried to steer clear of situations where he could be judged or made fun of.

When he started not going out, his parents started to worry. He used to be outgoing and the life of the party. Now he would just be in his room for hours.

They finally decided to take him to a therapist. It turned out that the seemingly innocent comments that everyone made had led him to develop a social phobia. He was suffering from an anxiety disorder brought on by his acne problem.

I was completely stunned. Teenagers and acne go together like peanut butter and jelly. I never thought a teenager could develop such a serious condition because of acne.

Dealing with the Physical and Psychological Problems that Accompany Acne

To treat his anxiety, he started going to weekly sessions with a therapist. In therapy, he has started to learn how to deal with his self-image issues. Every time he was teased or laughed at, his self esteem would break down just a little, and now it was time for him to rebuild his self esteem and the image he had of himself.

His therapist also recommended he seek professional help from a dermatologist and not to rely just on over the counter drugs as treatments for acne. The dermatologist proposed natural acne products that would help clear up the acne and not cause any side effects.

His skin routine has been a big step towards regaining his self confidence. He still has some minor breakouts, but he can control them both physically and psychologically.

The problems acne produce don't disappear just because the pimples go away. So next time think twice before teasing someone.