Dailymail.Com Health Reporter Written by Luke Andrews
17:15 06 December 2023, 18:04 06 December 2023 Updated
People with acne have a harder time getting hired, dating, and making friends than people with fair skin, a study has found.
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Massachusetts also found that people were less likely to post photos of themselves together online.
For the study, researchers recruited 1,300 people and showed them images of people with fair skin and mild or severe acne, then asked them a series of questions.
Researchers say people are blaming people who suffer from acne and called on health insurance companies to cover acne treatments. At this point, most people consider this a “cosmetic issue”.
Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting 50 million Americans each year.
It usually first appears during adolescence and affects adolescents and young adults, leaving the skin with large and small red bumps, acne, and crusty skin bumps.
This condition is caused when the hair follicles become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. This can be the result of changes in hormones such as testosterone, some cosmetics, and certain medications.
Treatments include creams, antibiotic pills, and injections, but some patients may have this condition for years.
In severe cases, patients may have permanent scarring on their skin.
In a study published today, JAMA Dermatologyresearchers digitally processed images of four adults' faces to show examples of fair skin, mild acne, and severe acne.
participant, Participants, recruited through social media, were shown one of 12 images and asked about their reactions.
They said several things, such as “I would feel safe seeing this person in images I post on social media,” “I wouldn't mind coming into close contact with this person,” and “I would feel that way.” They were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement. I feel comfortable being friends with the person in this image. ”
Two of the images were of people of color to gauge how reactions differed when skin color was included.
Most of the participants were highly educated Caucasian women approximately 42 years of age.
As a result, only 25% of respondents strongly agreed that they would date someone who had severe acne.
For comparison, 45% strongly agreed that they would date someone with fair skin.
Just under 60% of respondents strongly agreed that people with acne would be willing to post photos on social media, compared to 65% of those with fair skin.
When hiring someone, only 50% said they would strongly agree to hire someone with severe acne, compared to 65% of people with fair skin.
The responses also found that the majority of participants said they believed people with severe acne were unattractive and had poor hygiene.
The researchers also found that participants also showed a strong desire to socially distance themselves from people with acne and dark skin.
Statistical analyzes were also performed and results were adjusted for age, sex, and sex of the study population. It also showed that people were more likely to avoid people with severe acne compared to people with fair skin.
The researchers found that people were more likely to be hostile toward people who were darker-skinned and had acne, although there was no evidence of a gender association.
Dermatologist Dr John Barbieri, who led the study, said: 'Our findings demonstrate that stigmatized attitudes towards acne can potentially impact relationships and employment opportunities, impairing quality of life. It shows that it is possible.”
“Acne is often mistakenly perceived as just a cosmetic issue.
“As with any disease, it is important that people with this medical problem have access to treatment.”
She added: “Many insurance companies inadequately cover treatments for acne and rosacea as cosmetic purposes.”
“Our research highlights the need to change that narrative and identify approaches to reduce stigmatizing attitudes in communities.”
A limitation of this study is that it surveyed primarily white women, which may not be representative of the population as a whole.