Survey Finds Acne Causes Americans to Miss Out on Important Social Events

University Medical, a pharmaceutical company who releases wellness products like the Acne Wipeout skincare system, released results from a national survey conducted by Acne Wipeout and OnePoll that measured consumer confidence levels after the pandemic.¹

In total, 2,000 Americans responded to the survey, 1,000 of which identified themselves of mothers of teenagers and 1,000 from the general popular aged 18 to 55. The top insecurities about transitioning to post pandemic life was weight and acne for both teens (40% and 38%) and adults (57% and 30%). 

"We are in this important transition period when we are all trying to get back to life and our old routines, but for many, confidence levels take a hit when we're no longer behind masks and virtual filters," said Matt Stevens, vice president at University Medical and one of the creators of Acne Wipeout, Irvine, California. "The study reveals that acne is a top cause of self-doubt and missing out on life among today's teens and adults. Our #NOMOAcne campaign represents our mission to help teens and adults with their overall skin health, so acne is no longer a reason to miss out on life's most important moments."

It was also found that when dealing with acne, skin care, and the pandemic:¹

• Responders missed out on dating (26%), school (21%), hanging out with friends (20%), and work meetings (16%) because of acne.
• When meeting someone for the first time, 33% of responders associated clear skin with confidence and 19% associated acne-prone skin with stress.
• 66% of survey takers are more determined than ever to take better care of their skin after the pandemic.
• 38% of mothers notice a negative change in their teens skin during the pandemic. The top reasons being puberty (21%), wearing a mask (20%) and stress (20%).

In the realm of self-image, it was found:¹

• 47% of Americans feel nervous to get back to life and go back out in the 'real world' without masks or social media filters.
• 48% percent of respondents have taken steps to "rethink" how they look in virtual meetings, including washing their face more frequently (46%) and wearing heavier makeup than usual (45%).
• 48% have turned off their camera during a video call because they feel insecure about their appearance.
• 33% feel less confident since the pandemic started.

When responders were asked about their teens, in both self-confidence and communications, it was found:¹

• 59% of moms of teens believe social media has influenced how teens perceive themselves.
• 42% of esponders thought that peer pressure on social media made their teen more insecure. 39% of mothers said influencers/vloggers and 37% said photoshopped pictures were the reason.
• When asked what they thought their teen was most insecure about, 40 % of responders believe their children are most insecure about weight, 38% said acne, 19% said wearing glasses, and 19% said crooked teeth.
• 52% of responders "sometimes feel helpless" when they try to talk to their teen about difficult topics. When asked about which topic was hardest to talk to their teens about 31% said puberty/body changes, 25% said death, and 19% said alcohol/drugs.
• 28% of responders said they're hesitant to encourage their child to take better care of their skin, and 21% worry it's not their place to do so.

Reference:

1. New survey finds Americans have missed out on dating, parties, school and work simply because of acne; many admit self-confidence has taken a hit after a year hiding behind screens, filters, and masks. Accessed September 7, 2021. Published August 11, 2021. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-survey-finds-americans-have-missed-out-on-dating-parties-school-and-work-simply-because-of-acne-many-admit-self-confidence-has-taken-a-hit-after-a-year-hiding-behind-screens-filters-and-masks-301352777.html