Study finds acne scarring linked to mental health impacts; Doctors urge early treatment
NEWSCENTER FIVE. ALL RIGHT, FIVE ON YOUR HEALTH, OUR FAVORITE DERMATOLOGIST, DOCTOR ABBY WALDMAN, IS HERE IN THE NEWSROOM. SHE CAN’T EVEN MAKE IT FROM THE DOOR TO HERE WITHOUT SOMEONE ASKING HER A QUESTION, BECAUSE SHE IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. THERE’S NEW RESEARCH CHANGING THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT ACNE, AND IT FINDS THAT THE SCARS ACNE CAN LEAVE BEHIND MAY BE MORE THAN JUST COSMETIC. VERY INTERESTING. MOST PEOPLE THINK OF ACNE AS TEMPORARY. IF YOU IF YOU GET A ZIT AND IT GOES AWAY, MORE THAN HALF OF ADULTS IN THE STUDY HAD SCARRING FROM ACNE. I’M ONE OF THEM. I’M 60. I STILL GET ACNE ALL THE TIME AND I HAVE THIS. SO I DO LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT YOU SAY AND WHAT WHAT YOU CAN DO. WHAT ABOUT LONG TERM SCARRING? WHAT CAN WE DO? YEAH. SO I MEAN 50% SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, RIGHT? 50% OF PEOPLE GET THAT, HAVE ACNE, GET SCARRING. BUT THAT IS WHAT THE DATA SHOWS. AND THAT IS WHAT WE EXPERIENCE IN THE CLINIC. I THINK LONG TERM, WHAT DERMATOLOGISTS HAVE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME, IF YOU INTERVENE EARLY, IF YOU TREAT ACNE EARLY, YOU HAVE BETTER OUTCOMES AND YOU SCAR LESS AND YOU WANT TO TAKE TREATMENT SERIOUSLY. AND WHEN YOU SAY THAT, YOU DON’T MEAN INTERVENING BY YOURSELF AND TAKING YOUR HANDS AND GETTING RID OF YOUR OWN PIMPLES, THAT IS NOT WHAT I KNOW. YEAH, JUST REMIND EVERYONE. OVER-THE-COUNTER TREATMENTS OR WITH A DERMATOLOGIST. ALL RIGHT, SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST FINDINGS HERE, DELAYING TREATMENT THAT DOES INCREASE THE RISK OF SCARRING. SO LIKE YOU JUST SAID, GET RIGHT TO IT QUICKLY. HOW QUICKLY DO WE SEE A DOCTOR BEFORE WE DO WE TRY TO DO IT OURSELVES. DO WE GO SEE YOU. SO IT DEPENDS ON THE SEVERITY. SO IF YOU HAVE REALLY DEEP SEATED PIMPLES LIKE CYSTS, IF YOU ALREADY HAVE SCARRING OR IF YOU HAVE SO MANY PIMPLES AND PUSTULES AND THEY’RE NOT RESPONDING TO OVER-THE-COUNTER TREATMENTS, THAT IS WHEN YOU WANT TO SEE A DERMATOLOGIST BECAUSE IT’S THE MOST ASSOCIATED WITH SCARRING. AND AGAIN, TREATMENT CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. YOU KNOW WHAT’S INTERESTING? IT ALSO THE SCARS LINK THIS TO STRESS AND DEPRESSION. SO IN YOUR PATIENTS, WHATEVER YOU CAN SHARE, HOW SERIOUSLY SHOULD WE BE TAKING THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT? AND THEN WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THAT? YEAH. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK ABOUT ACNE BEING JUST SKIN DEEP, BUT IT REALLY HAS A BIG EMOTIONAL TOLL. WE LONG KNOW THAT THE SCARRING ITSELF, THE ACNE CAN REALLY AFFECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. AND SO I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT IT’S NOT ABOUT VANITY, RIGHT? IT’S NOT JUST, OH, THIS IS ON MY SKIN. IT’S JUST ABOUT VANITY THAT TAKING CARE OF IT REALLY CAN HELP YOUR ENTIRE WELL-BEING. IT REALLY CAN. AND WHEN YOU SAY SEE A DERMATOLOGIST, YOU KNOW, WE GO INTO TO DRUGSTORES, WE GO TO PLACES AND YOU SEE ON INSTAGRAM ALL OF THESE THINGS, HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO? AND YOU’RE SAYING, GO SEE A DERMATOLOGIST BECAUSE A DERMATOLOGIST, BECAUSE YOU CAN GUIDE US AS TO WHAT PRODUCTS TO GET. THEY DON’T NECESSARILY NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, A PRESCRIPTION. CORRECT? YEAH, EXACTLY. AND IN FACT, A LOT OF TIMES THERE ARE SOME GREAT OVER-THE-COUNTER TREATMENTS FOR ACNE, ESPECIALLY IF IT’S MILD TO MODERATE ACNE. SO IF YOU’RE JUST GETTING SOME PIMPLES HERE AND THERE, IF YOU’RE GETTING WHITEHEADS OR BLACKHEADS, USUALLY YOU DON’T NEED A DERMATOLOGIST NECESSARILY. OKAY, THAT’S GOOD TO KNOW. SO, BUT IF YOU HAVE MORE SEVERE ACNE, THAT IS WHEN YOU REALLY NEED TO GET SOMETHING MORE THAN JUST OVER THE COUNTER. AND I WAS JUST SAYING, YOU’RE SUCH A GREAT FOLLOW BECAUSE YOU’RE SO SERIOUS ABOUT SKIN CANCER. AND THAT REALLY MATTERS TO YOU. AND YOU’RE ALSO SHOWING PEOPLE HOW TO GET RID OF ACNE SCARS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. SO THE FIRST TIME I’VE ASKED YOU THIS ON TV, YOU COULD NOT EVEN REMEMBER WHAT YOU WERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. CAN YOU REMEMBER NOW? YES. INSTAGRAM. IT’S ABBY DOT WALDMAN, MD. YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ME ON YOUTUBE AND ON TIKTOK. I KNOW YOU CAN REMEMBER, IT’S JUST THAT I PUT
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A new study is reshaping how doctors and patients think about acne, finding that the scars it leaves behind may go far beyond cosmetic concerns.Researchers report that acne scarring is common and can have lasting physical and emotional effects, challenging the long-held belief that acne is simply a temporary skin issue.More than half of adults in the study experienced some form of scarring, underscoring how widespread the issue is. Dermatologist Dr. Abigail Waldman said that the finding aligns with what she sees in clinical practice.”Fifty percent of people that have acne get scarring — that is what the data shows, and that is what we experience in the clinic,” Waldman said. Dermatologists say early intervention is critical.”If you treat acne early, you have better outcomes and you scar less,” Waldman explained.That doesn’t mean immediately seeking prescription medication in every case. Experts say mild acne, such as occasional pimples, whiteheads, or blackheads, can often be managed with over-the-counter treatments.But certain signs should prompt a visit to a specialist, including:Deep, cystic acneVisible scarringAcne that does not respond to drugstore treatmentsWidespread or severe breakouts”These are the cases most associated with scarring,” Waldman said, noting that professional treatment can “really make a difference.”More than skin deepThe study also highlights a growing concern among dermatologists: the mental health toll of acne and scarring.Researchers found links between acne scarring and increased rates of stress and depression.Waldman said that impact is something patients often underestimate.”People think acne is just skin deep, but it really has a big emotional toll,” she said.She emphasized that treating acne is not about vanity, but about overall well-being.”Taking care of it really can help your entire well-being,” she added.
NEEDHAM, Mass. —
A new study is reshaping how doctors and patients think about acne, finding that the scars it leaves behind may go far beyond cosmetic concerns.
Researchers report that acne scarring is common and can have lasting physical and emotional effects, challenging the long-held belief that acne is simply a temporary skin issue.
More than half of adults in the study experienced some form of scarring, underscoring how widespread the issue is. Dermatologist Dr. Abigail Waldman said that the finding aligns with what she sees in clinical practice.
“Fifty percent of people that have acne get scarring — that is what the data shows, and that is what we experience in the clinic,” Waldman said.
Dermatologists say early intervention is critical.
“If you treat acne early, you have better outcomes and you scar less,” Waldman explained.
That doesn’t mean immediately seeking prescription medication in every case. Experts say mild acne, such as occasional pimples, whiteheads, or blackheads, can often be managed with over-the-counter treatments.
But certain signs should prompt a visit to a specialist, including:
Deep, cystic acneVisible scarringAcne that does not respond to drugstore treatmentsWidespread or severe breakouts
“These are the cases most associated with scarring,” Waldman said, noting that professional treatment can “really make a difference.”
More than skin deep
The study also highlights a growing concern among dermatologists: the mental health toll of acne and scarring.
Researchers found links between acne scarring and increased rates of stress and depression.
Waldman said that impact is something patients often underestimate.
“People think acne is just skin deep, but it really has a big emotional toll,” she said.
She emphasized that treating acne is not about vanity, but about overall well-being.
“Taking care of it really can help your entire well-being,” she added.