Teen Acne Severity and Stress Levels.

Teen acne severity directly related to stress levels in teens.

The largest study ever conducted on teen acne severity and stress levels in teens revealed that teenagers who were under high levels of stress were 23% more likely to have increased teen acne severity, according to researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues.

Gil Yosipovitch, MD, main author and a professor of dermatology, stated:

"Acne significantly affects physical and psychosocial well-being, so it is important to understand the interplay between the factors that exacerbate acne. Our study suggests a significant association between stress and severity of acne."


The results of the study, which involved 94 adolescents from Singapore, are reported in Acta Derm Venereol, a Swedish medical journal. Singapore was selected as the study location because teen acne severity or sebum production is known to fluctuate with variations in temperature and humidity. In Singapore's tropical climate, temperature and humidity are consistent throughout the year.

While psychological stress had been identified among many factors that affect the acne severity, there has been little research to understand the mechanisms behind this relationship. The current study looked at whether levels of sebum, the oily substance that coats the skin and protects the hair, increase in times of stress and are related to teen acne severity. Hormone levels, sebum production and bacteria are all known to play major roles in acne.(Comment from Dr.Hanish Babu: All these are in turn affected by stress, by way of the neuro-immuno-endocrinal pathway).

The study involved secondary school students in Singapore with a mean age of 14.9 years. The teens' self-reported stress levels and acne severity were measured at two different times – just before mid-year exams and during summer break. Students' long-term career prospects are influenced by the results of the examinations and they are known to induce psychological stress.

Stress levels were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale, a 14-item, self-questionnaire that is widely used in stress research. Acne severity was measured using a system that classifies acne based on type and number of lesions. Ninety-two percent of the girls and 95% of the boys reported having acne.

The researchers suspected that stress increases the quantity of sebum, which leads to increased acne severity. However, the results showed that sebum production didn't differ significantly between the high-stress and low-stress conditions.

The researchers did find that teens reporting high stress were 23% more likely to have increased severity of pimples. Levels of stress were not linked to severity of whiteheads or blackheads.

"Our research suggests that acne severity associated with stress may result from factors others than sebum quantity," said Yosipovitch. "It's possible that inflammation may be involved."

Source: Teen Acne Severity and Stress Levels

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