All in all, acne is perhaps one of the most cruel conditions of the skin. It tends to strike young people during their most psychologically vulnerable years and it does so in a way that's so very visible. Inasmuch, this condition can not only leave behind permanent scars on a person's face, but also on his or her psyche.

The sad fact of the matter is that acne can cause severe embarrassment, emotional detachment, feelings of insecurity and more. It might seem silly to allow the condition to do this to oneself, but it can and does happen. Since it strikes young people most frequently during an age when they're most insecure to begin with, acne can actually be pretty debilitating.

The psychological effects of acne have been described by some as monumental. Even though just about everyone in the world gets acne at some point in life or another, this fact seems to be of little comfort for the teen who just took an entire day of ribbing at the hands of those who are not so enlightened.

The psychological impacts of acne can include:

* Social withdrawal. Not wanting friends or family to see the person "in their condition."

* A loss of self-esteem. Looks have a lot to do with how people feel. If a teen, especially, feels less than attractive due to acne, it can really be a big hit on the self-esteem level.

* Lowered self-confidence. When self-esteem plummets, this does too, and along with it comes a lessened body image.

* Feelings of depression. While it might not be clinical depression, symptoms that fall into this arena bear watching. Severe depression is characterized as that which lasts more than a few weeks. Acne in and of itself may or may not cause this, but when coupled with other factors, attention to the problem may be warranted.

* Anger, frustration. It's hard to be pleased with the things around you when you're not happy with yourself. This can present with feelings of severe anger and frustration with just about everything.

When acne is bad enough to create negative psychological effects, it's most likely beyond time to treat the condition. Even if the person in question only has what most would characterize as "mild" breakouts, avoiding the impacts of the psychological symptoms often will benefit from treating the physical. Although there's no single "cure" for acne, there are ways to lessen its presence. Seeking medical attention for the symptoms - both psychological and physical - is a good route to choose.