Teen girls peg acne as big problem during 'big moments'

National report -- A survey released last month says that 78 percent of teenage girls feel acne makes them feel embarrassed, unhappy, less attractive and wanting to hide their appearance.

The "Big Moment" national survey, which polled 738 girls ages 13 to 17, was conducted American Counseling Association (ACA) to help raise public awareness of the impact of acne during important moments in a teenager's life. The survey was sponsored by Dermik Laboratories, makers of topical acne treatments.

Fifty percent of the teenagers surveyed said that looking their best during the biggest moment of their high school lives -- their high-school prom -- is important. More than one-third of young women (35 percent) said that they were embarrassed by pimples, 24 percent reported wanting to hide and 21 percent said that developing acne made them feel very unhappy.

The survey also found that 42 percent of the teen girls surveyed said they would turn to a doctor or dermatologist for help if they broke out a week before a "Big Moment," such as prom or graduation, while 28 percent said they would turn to their mothers for help.

Interestingly perhaps, while most teens responded that they would seek medical advice, only 7 percent said their moms would be likely to take them to a doctor or dermatologist.

-- Compiled by Staff Correspondent Bill Gillette