Apparently, not everything is bad when it comes to acne. A new study says that people who suffered from acne in their teen years went on to have higher grades and better paying jobs than those who didn’t suffer through the physical trauma. Maybe misery makes us all a little more hardworking and humble?
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The research, published in the Journal of Human Capital, is based on a longitudinal study that analyzed the relationship between acne in middle school and its long term educational and employment repercussions. Over 90.000 people from grades 7 to 12 were sampled and 15,000 of them followed up with results throughout their adult lives.
Teens in the study who had acne reported higher GPAs and higher grades in important subjects like English, math, science and history. They were also more likely to finish their bachelor’s degree. This relationship of teen acne and adult success was stronger when the subjects were female. No matter their race, these women tended to earn higher salaries and to have better grades than their counterparts.
Researchers theorize that acne could be a big influence on teen’s social lives and their perception of themselves. It could negatively impact their self-esteem, making them more isolated, thus, having more time dedicated to their school work. Per Quartz: “Both inside and outside the classroom, the experience of acne seems to encourage young people to put an emphasis on intellectual pursuits.”
As for women, researchers said that this group was particularly influenced by acne because it had a stronger psychological toll on them, an idea that other studies have corroborated.
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While this study doesn’t directly say that having acne will make you smarter and more successful in the future, it does imply that there’s a link between the two, which is hopeful enough for young people everywhere. All will be well with your zits.
