“Our hope with the State of Acne in America survey is to expose the underlying struggles women face when dealing with their acne and understand just how important it is for them to find an effective treatment,” affirms David Lortscher, CEO of Curology, in a media release about the new data.
For a skin care maker like Curology the survey results are a confirmation of sorts: “This survey validates what our dermatology providers hear from customers every day - that acne is more than just skin deep. Changes in the appearance of the skin have a major impact on a person both socially and emotionally - and that’s why I created Curology,” says Lortscher.
Numbers
The survey went out to just over 1,000 women between the ages of 18 and 44, who have, as Curology puts it “suffered from acne, blackheads or clogged pores at some point in their lives.”
In its media release, Curology also sites data pointing to a significant chasm between the number of dermatologists working in the States and the number of people with acne. There are, according to the skin care maker, fewer than “10,000 dermatologists in the United States and more than 50 million people suffering from acne.”
Ageless
One of the more significant takeaways of the State of Acne in America survey is how many women are using skin care products to manage both the signs of aging and acne simultaneously. “Women don’t have the luxury of staying focused on preventing and treating their acne as they’re often seeking ways to also slow or prevent the process of aging,” notes Curology.
Indeed the company’s survey found that just over 25% of women between the ages of 25 and 44 are using both anti-aging skin care and anti-acne skin care (which may include products to treat blackheads and clogged pores more generally).
At work
Looking at the full survey results, it’s clear that many of the questions posed were meant to establish a monetary or a shame-mitigating value for clear skin. Beyond all that, it’s worth noting that acne can, to some degree, get in the way of women’s professional confidence.
Depending on age, between 30 to 40% of women reported feeling anxious at work because of acne. And a similar number of survey respondents were nervous about giving presentations or giving interviews while having acne.
According to the Curology media release, these concerns can “potentially [put] their professional reputation and future at risk,” which makes effective skin care all the more pertinent.