mind over matter

If you’re searching for evidence that life’s not fair, look no further: a new study published in the Journal of Health Psychology says that acne sufferers shun exercise and experience poorer quality of life.

My first thought was, “No, if you have bad skin, at least build up a nice bod!” After all, being a But-her Face is better than nothing, right? But the reasons provided by the study sort of make sense. Dr. Martyn Standage of the University of Bath explains:

“Fear of having one’s skin evaluated by others has implications for physical and social well-being. Sport and exercise activities provide many opportunities for the skin to be exposed to evaluation. Due to this, acne sufferers may become so anxious about their appearance that it prevents them from participating in physical activity.”

The research, which involved 50 young-to-middle-aged adults from an acne support group, also found that acne sufferers who believe others negatively evaluate their skin experienced poorer quality of life and lower self-esteem.

Sometimes I skip the gym because I’m afraid it will make me break out (all that sweat and 12-hour-old makeup), but I never thought about the converse. Still, I think psychologists should try to find a way to combat ‘dermatological social anxiety’ (Accutane?), because the last thing these people need is extra pounds. Kidding aside, acne sufferers really could use some of the psychological benefits of exercise. In 1999, a study led by James Blumenthal found that exercise was as effective an antidepressant as antidepressant drugs themselves. What with the trifecta of bad skin, low self-esteem and poor quality of life, acne sufferers could really use the exercise-induced endorphins.

Maybe the solution is to buy them all home-use treadmills?