6 Minute English / Having acne

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I m Neil.

And I m Beth. As a society, we re obsessed with our skin. But the pursuit of perfect skin can make life difficult for people who struggle with skin conditions.

Neil Spots , zits or pimples - there are many names for the red, inflamed marks which appear on the face and neck, but the medical term is acne. Acne is a skin condition which can affect anyone. It often happens between the ages of 14 and 19, but can continue into adulthood. There are many types of acne from blackheads and whiteheads to more severe forms of cysts and scarring.

But whatever the type of acne, looking different from others can be emotionally damaging, especially during the teenage years when our self-image and physical appearance are changing. In this programme, we ll be hearing from a skin doctor, or dermatologist, who suffered acne herself. And, as usual, we ll be learning some useful new vocabulary too.

But first I have a question for you, Beth. Mild or moderate acne is very common in teenagers and younger adults, so according to the UK s National Health Service, what proportion of people aged 11 to 30 experience some amount of acne?

a) 75%?b) 85%? orc) 95%?

I'm going to guess that it is c) 95%.

OK, Beth, we ll find out if that s the correct answer at the end of the programme. Dr Sharon Crichlow is a dermatologist originally from Barbados. As someone who grew up with acne she understands the impact it can have on a person's mental health, as she explains here to BBC World Service programme, The Conversation.

Dr Sharon CrichlowWell, we know for sure that it does tend to arise from puberty onwards, so the biggest cohort of patients is in the teenage age group. However a proportion of patients up to 20 or so percent - certainly in females - it will persist well into the 30s, 40s - much longer than people often give it credit for. And we also know that it has a huge psychological impact so even mild to moderate acne, because it affects teenagers who are quite emotionally vulnerable, it affects their friendships, their peer groups and so it should never really be trivialised.