Editing Acne (section)

=== Mental health impact ===
There is good evidence to support the idea that acne and associated scarring negatively affect a person's psychological state, worsen mood, lower self-esteem, and are associated with a higher risk of [[anxiety disorders]], [[depression (mood)|depression]], and [[Suicidal ideation|suicidal thoughts]].<ref name="Barnes2012" /><ref name="Fife2016" /><ref name="Bhate2014" /><ref name=":2" />

Misperceptions about acne's causative and aggravating factors are common, and people with acne often blame themselves, and others often blame those with acne for their condition.<ref name="Goodman2006b">{{cite journal |last1=Goodman |first1=G |date=August 2006 |title=Acne--natural history, facts and myths |url=https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/200608/10602 |journal=Australian Family Physician |volume=35 |issue=8 |pages=613–616 |pmid=16894437 |access-date=16 April 2022 |archive-date=16 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416133344/https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/200608/10602 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":2" /> Such blame can worsen the affected person's sense of self-esteem.<ref name="Goodman2006b" /> Until the 20th century, even among dermatologists, the list of causes was believed to include excessive sexual thoughts and [[masturbation]].<ref name=":0" /> Dermatology's association with [[sexually transmitted infection]]s, especially [[syphilis]], contributed to the stigma.<ref name=":0" />

Another [[psychological]] complication of acne vulgaris is [[acne excoriée]], which occurs when a person persistently picks and scratches pimples, irrespective of the severity of their acne.<ref name="Rodriguez2014" /><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hv8fBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT335 |title=Conn's Current Therapy 2015: Expert Consult – Online |vauthors=Bope ET, Kellerman RD |date=2014 |isbn=978-0-323-31956-0 |page=299 |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906210844/https://books.google.com/books?id=Hv8fBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT335 |archive-date=6 September 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> This can lead to significant scarring, changes in the affected person's skin pigmentation, and a cyclic worsening of the affected person's anxiety about their appearance.<ref name="Rodriguez2014" />