Survey reveals Americans' beliefs about acne

Dermatology Nursing, April, 2008 by Daniel B. Burfeind

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Do you believe that acne is something that most people outgrow in time? If you answered yes, you'll be happy to learn that 77% of Americans ages 12 to 54 agree with you. But you would all be wrong! According to the dermatologists at the American Acne & Rosacea Society (AARS), varying degrees of acne can be found in anywhere from 13% to 80% of adults.

Convinced that many Americans may hold erroneous beliefs about acne, which influences how they treat it, the AARS, a not-for-profit organization comprising some of the key thought leaders in dermatology, asked almost 1,000 Americans what they know about acne.

More than half of 12 to 24 year olds (54%) believe acne usually is a result of not keeping the skin clean, while only 21% of older adults agree. However, according to the AARS, while certain oils and chemicals can cause an acne-like eruption when applied to the skin, in general, acne is not caused by oils naturally produced on the surface of the skin.

Americans 12 to 54 say, that if they had acne, they would most likely go to medical professionals (94%), dermatologists (89%), and pharmacists (76%) to learn more about which acne medication to buy.

However, what Americans say they would do if they had acne, and what they actually do, are two different matters. "If almost all of the 100 million people who experience some degree of acne actually wound up in a dermatologist's office, you'd never be able to get an appointment," said dermatologist, Hilary Baldwin, MD, AARS president. The sad fact, the AARS points out, can be found further on in the survey which indicates that nearly three in four (72%) would turn to various media outlets, including the Internet (59%), magazine articles (36%), TV commercials (28%), and magazine ads (26%). Two in three (66%) would ask family members (60%) and/or friends (52%).

The good news is that given a list of three outcomes of popping or squeezing pimples, 89% of Americans 12 to 54 believe this practice can leave scars. On the down side, Americans cling to some myths that simply have no basis in fact. Almost half believe that popping a pimple can lead to more acne, and (41%) believe it can spread acne. Teens 12 to 17 are more likely than adults to believe that popping or squeezing pimples can cause more acne (57% vs. 43%) and spread acne (49% vs. 39%).

Given a list of seven possible causes of acne, most Americans 12 to 54 correctly say that clogged pores (89%), bacteria (87%), and heredity (77%) are causes. Unfortunately, the same people (83%) who identify three of the major causes of acne, also believe that dirty skin is a cause.

Do chocolate and greasy French fries cause acne? Fifty-one percent think eating greasy foods is a cause, and 30% think consuming chocolate can cause acne. Five percent think contact with someone who has pimples can cause acne. Interestingly, this debate will have to go on, as the AARS explain that they have not definitively ruled out the role of diet in acne.

Regarding the "contagious" aspect of acne, there isn't one. One's follicles are either hospitable to the P. acnes bacteria that causes acne or not. Being around someone with P. acnes will not give you acne. If it did, say the AARS, most dermatologists would be covered!

These findings are from a survey conducted on the telephone September 6-9, 2007 among a random national sample of 250 12 to 17 year olds and 518 adults 18 to 54. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5% among the total sample, 4% among 18 to 54 year olds, and 6% among 12 to 17 year olds. Opinion Research Corporation of Princeton, NJ, conducted the fieldwork.