Teenage girls with severe acne are twice as likely to think about committing suicide, and boys three times as likely, compared with counterparts with clear skin, a study published on Thursday says.

The investigation, based on a questionnaire among 3,775 Norwegian youngsters aged 18-19, gives statistical evidence to back anecdotes about the toll that acne inflicts on mental health.

Fourteen percent of the respondents rated their acne as substantial.

In addition to "suicidal ideation" — contemplating suicide at times, but not necessarily carrying it out — they were more than twice as likely to lack friends, 51 percent likelier never to have had sex, and 41 percent likelier to do poorly at school.

The study, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, was led by Jon Anders Halvorsen of the University of Oslo.

Copyright AFP