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

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

At first he didn't think much of it, but then it started to get to him. He started skipping school functions like sports and get-togethers. He even stopped going to club meetings.

His mother finally confessed to me that the teasing and joking were making him a bit uncomfortable. He had started hating the way he looked and tried to avoid 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. The diagnosis was an anxiety disorder brought on by the teasing because of his acne.

I was shocked. Teenagers and acne go together like peanut butter and jelly. I always just thought that, at most, you could get embarrassed or mad, but I never thought it could get this bad.

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 deals with his self-image problems. All of the times he was teased or laughed at, his self esteem would torn 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 suggested he seek professional help from a dermatologist and not to rely just on over the counter drugs as treatments for acne. The dermatologist suggested natural acne products that would help clear up the acne and not cause any side effects.

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

Remember that acne leads to greater problems that just physical scarring. So think twice before teasing someone about their acne problems.