Table 2.
Responses of Teenagers and Adults on Their Experiences with Acne
| How important to you is the way you look? (For respondents over age 18 with teen children: How important is personal appearance to your teen?) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teens | Adults | |||
| Response | n | % | n | % |
| Extremely important | 415 | 41% | 90 | 43% |
| Somewhat important | 509 | 51% | 101 | 49% |
| Important net | 924 | 92% | 191 | 92% |
| Not very important | 67 | 7% | 16 | 8% |
| Not at all important | 15 | 1% | 1 | < 1% |
| Not important net | 82 | 8% | 17 | 8% |
| How important is the way you look to your parent(s) or guardian(s)? (For respondents over age 18 with teen children: How important is your teen's personal appearance to you?) | ||||
| Extremely important | 249 | 25% | 57 | 27% |
| Somewhat important | 377 | 37% | 130 | 63% |
| Important net | 626 | 62% | 187 | 90% |
| Not very important | 271 | 27% | 20 | 10% |
| Not at all important | 109 | 11% | 1 | < 1 |
| Not important net | 380 | 38% | 21 | 10% |
| What's the most difficult aspect of puberty? | ||||
| Getting acne | 554 | 55% | 451 | 45% |
| Your body changing | 217 | 22% | 403 | 40% |
| Body odor | 125 | 12% | 41 | 4% |
| Your voice changing | 37 | 4% | 24 | 2% |
| Other | 73 | 7% | 83 | 8% |
| Which of the following do you think is the most difficult to have in high school? | ||||
| Extra weight | 568 | 56% | 529 | 53% |
| Acne | 339 | 34% | 407 | 41% |
| Braces | 67 | 7% | 41 | 4% |
| Glasses | 32 | 3% | 25 | 2% |
| Have you ever had acne? | ||||
| Yes, and I still Have it | 543 | 54% | NA | NA |
| Yes, but I don't currently have it | 282 | 28% | NA | NA |
| No | 181 | 18% | NA | NA |
| Which of the following best describes your acne most of the time? (Among respondents who have ever had acne). (For respondents over 18 with teen children: Which of the following best describes your teen's acne most of the time?) | ||||
| Severe: Numerous red and inflamed pimples cover large parts of my face or other parts of my body | 59 | 7% | 9 | 9% |
| Moderate: Pimples are frequent, inflamed, and red | 336 | 41% | 55 | 52% |
| Mild: Occasional pimples that clear up on their own | 430 | 52% | 41 | 39% |
| If you have ever had acne, which of the following best describes you? | ||||
| My acne existed only as a teenager | NA | NA | 310 | 31% |
| My acne lasted into adulthood before disappearing | NA | NA | 131 | 13% |
| My acne lasted into adulthood, and I still have it | NA | NA | 202 | 20% |
| I have never had acne | NA | NA | 359 | 36% |
| Did your acne bother you more as a teen, or as an adult? (Among respondents who had acne both as teens and adults) | ||||
| Teen | NA | NA | 212 | 64% |
| Adult | NA | NA | 121 | 36% |
| Have you ever been embarrassed by your acne? (Among respondents who have ever had acne)(For respondents over 18 with teen children: Have you ever been embarrassed by your teen's acne?) | ||||
| Yes | 527 | 64% | 18 | 17% |
| No | 298 | 36% | 87 | 83% |
| Do your parents or other adults in your life have acne? | ||||
| Yes | 378 | 38% | NA | NA |
| No | 628 | 62% | NA | NA |
| About what percentage of your friends have acne? Your best guess is fine. | ||||
| Response | n | % | n | % |
| None | 50 | 5% | NA | NA |
| 1-9% | 173 | 17% | NA | NA |
| 10-19% | 111 | 11% | NA | NA |
| 20-29% | 119 | 12% | NA | NA |
| 30-49% | 133 | 13% | NA | NA |
| 50-69% | 203 | 20% | NA | NA |
| 70-99% | 195 | 19% | NA | NA |
| 100% | 22 | 2% | NA | NA |
| Which of the following would you be willing to do if you could get rid of your acne forever? Please choose all that apply. (Among respondents who have ever had acne) | ||||
| Stay off Facebook for a year | 485 | 59% | NA | NA |
| Not go on a date for a year | 247 | 30% | NA | NA |
| Take my mom or dad as a date to my prom | 109 | 13% | NA | NA |
| Have my grade point average drop a lot | 91 | 11% | NA | NA |
| Other | 123 | 15% | NA | NA |
| Which of the following, if any, have you ever done to address your teen's acne? (Among respondents whose teen children have acne) | ||||
| Encouraged a proper skincare regimen such as washing their face twice a day | NA | NA | 78 | 74% |
| Purchased medication over the counter | NA | NA | 74 | 70% |
| Taken them to a doctor for guidance or a prescription treatment | NA | NA | 43 | 41% |
| Made changes in their diet such as avoiding chocolate or caffeine | NA | NA | 29 | 28% |
| Other | NA | NA | 3 | 3% |
| I haven't done anything to address my teen's acne | NA | NA | 6 | 6% |
| Which of the following, if any, did you do to address your acne as a teenager? Please choose all that apply. (Among respondents who had acne as teens and adults) | ||||
| Purchased medication over the counter | NA | NA | 352 | 55% |
| Started a proper skincare regimen such as washing my face twice a day | NA | NA | 345 | 54% |
| Visited a doctor for guidance or a prescription treatment | NA | NA | 148 | 23% |
| Made changes in my diet such as avoiding chocolate or caffeine | NA | NA | 144 | 22% |
| Other | NA | NA | 19 | 3% |
| I didn't do anything to address my acne as a teenager | NA | NA | 98 | 15% |
|
Which of the following have you ever done to deal with your acne? (Among respondents who have ever had acne) | ||||
| Popped or picked it | 638 | 77% | 485 | 75% |
| Applied over-the-counter acne medication | 481 | 58% | 466 | 72% |
| Applied hot water or steam to your face | 398 | 48% | 269 | 42% |
| Applied rubbing alcohol | 280 | 34% | 232 | 36% |
| Used a prescription medication | 274 | 33% | 173 | 27% |
| Applied another substance not intended for acne, such as baking soda or toothpaste | 225 | 27% | 142 | 22% |
| Other | 40 | 5% | 23 | 4% |
| I have never done anything to deal with my acne | 28 | 3% | 31 | 5% |
|
Which of the following have you ever done to hide your acne? (Among respondents who have ever had acne) | ||||
| Used concealer or other makeup to cover it | 398 | 48% | 336 | 52% |
| Tried to comb or style hair over it | 343 | 42% | 136 | 21% |
| Refused to get your picture taken | 192 | 23% | 119 | 19% |
| Avoided social situations, such as a party | 168 | 20% | 138 | 21% |
| Covered it with clothing, such as a scarf or hat | 104 | 13% | 38 | 6% |
| Worn a band-aid over it | 66 | 8% | 67 | 10% |
| Cancelled a date | 52 | 6% | 34 | 5% |
| Other | 13 | 2% | 5 | 1% |
| None of these | 198 | 24% | 201 | 31% |
|
Have you ever sought advice from a doctor for your acne? (Among respondents who have sought medical advice for their acne) | ||||
| Yes | 261 | 32% | 203 | 32% |
| No | 564 | 68% | 440 | 68% |
|
How many different types of prescription acne treatment have you tried? Please think of treatments such as creams, pills, gels, and washes. (Among respondents who have sought medical advice for their acne) | ||||
| None | 8 | 3% | 9 | 4% |
| 1 | 25 | 10% | 37 | 18% |
| 2 | 51 | 20% | 51 | 25% |
| 3-4 | 76 | 29% | 48 | 24% |
| 5-9 | 56 | 21% | 31 | 16% |
| 10 or more | 45 | 17% | 27 | 13% |
| Which of the following best describes the majority of prescription acne treatments you've tried? (Among respondents who have sought medical advice for their acne and tried treatment) | ||||
| They completely cleared my skin | 17 | 7% | 24 | 12% |
| A major improvement, but my skin wasn't completely clear | 57 | 23% | 35 | 18% |
| A noticeable improvement, but I still had some acne | 74 | 29% | 59 | 30% |
| A little improvement, but not much | 84 | 33% | 59 | 30% |
| No improvement | 21 | 8% | 17 | 9% |
| How effective was the best prescription acne treatment you've ever tried? (Among respondents who have sought medical advice for their acne and tried treatment) | ||||
| Extremely effective | 70 | 28% | 46 | 24% |
| Somewhat effective | 142 | 56% | 111 | 57% |
| Effective Net | 212 | 84% | 157 | 81% |
| Not very effective | 31 | 12% | 33 | 17% |
| Not at all effective | 10 | 4% | 4 | 2% |
| Not effective net | 41 | 16% | 37 | 19% |
| Which of the following reasons have you ever had for not treating your acne or putting off treatment of your acne? Please choose all that apply. (Among respondents who have ever had acne) | ||||
| My acne is or was not severe enough to require treatment | 340 | 41% | 327 | 51% |
| Acne treatments I've used in the past haven't worked | 277 | 34% | 123 | 19% |
| It's too expensive | 206 | 25% | 201 | 31% |
| Acne treatments are too expensive | 196 | 24% | 166 | 26% |
| I've heard acne treatments do not work | 177 | 21% | 59 | 9% |
| I'm afraid of possible side effects | 156 | 19% | 73 | 11% |
| Other | 37 | 4% | 20 | 3% |
| None of these | 111 | 13% | 94 | 15% |
Abbreviation: NA, not applicable, this question was not asked of this study group of participants. Survey questions are in italics.