The emotional scars of acne can be as bad or worse than the physical scarring. At least 50 per cent of teenagers get acne, which needs to be treated early to prevent facial scarring. Parents need to be aware that if acne is not prevented - and it can be prevented - their children's psychological distress may be profound.

When British doctors investigated the mental health of 14- to 16-year-olds at a comprehensive school in Nottingham, they discovered that teenagers with severe acne (12 or more lesions on the skin) had double the levels of emotional and behavioural difficulties of teenagers without acne.

Yet fewer than one-third of those with acne had sought help from a doctor, according to this study, which was published in the British Journal of Dermatology. This means that fewer than one-third of parents took the problem seriously enough to consult a doctor, which led the study authors to ask: should schools teach acne management?

The American Journal of Clinical Dermatology reports the same disturbing news: teenagers with even mild acne are more likely to develop psychological problems and even suicidal thoughts. Acne scarring is entirely preventable, yet many parents don't bother to seek help for their teenagers, while those who do may not see their children receive optimal treatment. Some doctors prescribe antibiotics, but acne has rapidly become resistant to a wide range of antibiotics, so that both the acne and scarring continue. This, in turn, exacerbates the young person's despair and increases the chances of psychological and behavioural problems.

One way of managing acne scarring is to prevent its occurrence in the first place. Prescriptions for a drug that can achieve this - Accutane (or Isotretinoin) - have increased by 250 per cent in the US in the past decade. Isotretinoin, which is also prescribed in this State, can cause birth defects in the babies of girls who become pregnant while using the drug, so girls prescribed this drug must be put on the pill. This may sound extreme - but your child's emotional pain at living with acne scarring could be worse.