0:00:06 > 0:00:11What we see in the mirror is not always what the world sees.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Having clear skin is so important to the way we view ourselves.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16I just literally have these spots
0:00:16 > 0:00:19all of the time and it's so annoying.
0:00:19 > 0:00:2285% of young people get spots.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27There's a lot of people out there whose lives are changed by acne.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30- I know it changed my life a lot. - Morning!
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Am I your alarm clock?
0:00:34 > 0:00:38- 'This is...- Gemma Cairney... - BBC Radio One.'
0:00:39 > 0:00:42I'm Gemma Cairney and I'm at the Lovebox Festival in London
0:00:42 > 0:00:46to find out just how big a problem skin is for young people.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49So, I'm doing a documentary about acne.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Is it anything that's bothered you ever in the past?
0:00:52 > 0:00:54We had this massive discussion before we came,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57because I had a break-out recently and I was like "Oh..."
0:00:57 > 0:01:00But, no... But I don't know, you just deal with it, don't you?
0:01:00 > 0:01:03- Does it get you down? - Yeah, it does, me, all the time.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06- I had backne for a stage. - Really? On your back?
0:01:06 > 0:01:10- Yeah, a little bit of backne. - And how did it make you feel?
0:01:10 > 0:01:11Pretty rubbish at the time,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14but then most people, fingers crossed, get through it.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16- You grew out of it? - I grew out of it.- Turn around.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21- Oh, no, this is... - And now it's all smooth. - Is it all right?- It's lovely.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28'This is 15-year-old Will.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31I don't mind the cafe down there...
0:01:31 > 0:01:35'He has severe acne that he says affects his whole life.'
0:01:37 > 0:01:40I had loads of blood on the back of my shirt from where one of
0:01:40 > 0:01:42the spots had popped. It had gone all over my shirt,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44which is pretty painful.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47That's probably the worst bit about having shoulder spots is just
0:01:47 > 0:01:50the pain of putting a bag over your shoulders - it's horrible.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56So, I'm on my way to meet Will. He lives in Selby.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06So, what lotions and potions have you got in here?
0:02:06 > 0:02:11Start out with this, a face wash for men.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Never works, though.
0:02:13 > 0:02:14I'm getting them on my back,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17really big ones on my shoulders, down my back
0:02:17 > 0:02:19and then, like, more on my cheeks as well, like bigger.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22I wouldn't call them cysts, cos they're not that,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24they're not as big as that,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26but they are fairly big and there's a lot of them.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28What do you think to the attitude that,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31"Oh, spots, it's just a teenage thing,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34"it's something that will pass, don't need to worry about it,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37"you're just being a bit angsty because you're still a kid?"
0:02:37 > 0:02:42There's a lot of people out there whose lives are changed by acne.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45I know it changed my life a lot. So, yeah,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48it should be taken seriously. Very seriously.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51After two years of unsuccessful treatments,
0:02:51 > 0:02:56Will's mum Serena's paying for him to have private treatment
0:02:56 > 0:02:58and I'll follow how he gets on.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02But I want to find out what options are available on the NHS.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05I'm meeting GP Dr Radha Modgil.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10So, how many people have acne?
0:03:10 > 0:03:13So, about 9/10 teenagers will have acne at some stage
0:03:13 > 0:03:17and about 3/10 of those will need some sort of treatment from their GPs.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21It's a really common problem, but it can be helped, it can be sorted out.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25- Massively common, isn't it? - Huge, huge, absolutely.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28I probably see about three or four people a week, actually,
0:03:28 > 0:03:30coming in with acne and spots.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Mainly young people, mainly teenagers or under-20-year-olds.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Really distressed, often, about their symptoms and how it's affecting them.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41For milder forms of acne, there are lots of topical things we can use,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45and by that I mean creams or ointments that you just put on the skin.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47If that didn't work, we'd then move on, perhaps,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50to a different one or we may talk about an oral antibiotic,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52an antibiotic tablet, which you would take.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56Would you suggest that people definitely speak to their GP, then?
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Absolutely. You should definitely go and see your GP,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00because the sooner we see you,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02the sooner we can start any treatment you might need
0:04:02 > 0:04:04and the less chance there is of scarring
0:04:04 > 0:04:07and permanent damage to your skin.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Here's Dr Modgil's top tips for battling zits.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16Get advice from your GP or a local pharmacist ASAP.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Start with an acne cream from a high-street chemist.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Keep positive and try and stay stress-free.
0:04:30 > 0:04:3320-year-old Ravi from Leeds is a journalism student
0:04:33 > 0:04:36who used to have severe acne.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Now she's getting over it and offers up advice for other sufferers
0:04:39 > 0:04:42through her popular beauty blog.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Well, I've had acne since I was, I'd say, maybe 13, 14.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48That's when I first started getting it.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52It doesn't make me feel very good looking at these photos.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57I think I've come a long way since having really bad acne like this.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Like, looking at these photos, I think,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02"Was my skin really like that?"
0:05:02 > 0:05:07I went to the doctors and for acne, he prescribed me a topical lotion
0:05:07 > 0:05:11which I had to apply twice a day and he gave me a course of antibiotics.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Although the medicine worked at first, Ravi's spots came back.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20I felt a bit, kind of, a bit hopeless all the time
0:05:20 > 0:05:24because I kind of thought there wasn't actually a cure for it
0:05:24 > 0:05:27and I just wanted it to go straight away.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Next in her acne battle Ravi, tried a cream from the pharmacist
0:05:31 > 0:05:32and that did the trick.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35I found that that one worked immediately
0:05:35 > 0:05:38and it's been the best thing that I've used.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41You don't need a prescription for it and it's less than a fiver.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51On London's Harley Street, Will's having his first treatment.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58So you're probably going to feel the treatment...
0:05:58 > 0:06:01'Suzanne runs a private skin clinic.'
0:06:01 > 0:06:04We're going to bring out all the...
0:06:04 > 0:06:08'She uses a mix of chemicals and enzymes on Will's skin.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11'He'll need many more treatments for it to work
0:06:11 > 0:06:14'and he'll also have to use creams at home.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16'A complete course costs £800.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21I still want to find out a bit more about acne.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24So I'm on my way to see Dr Tony Chu,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27who's one of the leading dermatologists in the UK.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33So, Dr Chu, what is acne?
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Acne's an inflammatory condition
0:06:35 > 0:06:39affecting the hair and the oil gland in the skin.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42The key to it all is you get a blockage in the skin pore
0:06:42 > 0:06:44and it's nothing to do with dirt and grime.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46It's due to a growth change in the skin cells
0:06:46 > 0:06:49and that's all part of the disease, so that restricts the oil flow
0:06:49 > 0:06:53and the oil then pools under the skin, bacteria start proliferating
0:06:53 > 0:06:56and then your immune system reacts and you get inflammation.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- And these days, people are still made to feel responsible.- Mm.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03You know, "You're not a nice person, you eat the wrong things,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07"you don't sleep enough and you don't wash." Complete rubbish.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09What I think we need to realise
0:07:09 > 0:07:12is that acne is an incredibly treatable disease.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20I'm on my way back to Harley Street to see how Will is getting on.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26- Hello. How are you?- I'm good, you? - Give us a hug, it's been ages!
0:07:26 > 0:07:30- You all right?- Wow, look at you!
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- How are you feeling? - Yeah, good.- Yeah?
0:07:34 > 0:07:36So how many treatments has it been now?
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Uh, seven or eight. I can't remember.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40- And what's it been like? - Yeah, it's been good.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44- Really good, yeah. Awesome. - Your face looks really good.- Thanks.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48After three months there's a real improvement in Will's skin.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52He's halfway through, and it's cost £400.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58What kind of change have you noticed in Will?
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Oh, he's back to his normal outgoing little self.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02He goes out and about more again now with his mates.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Yeah, just a whole different Will.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Like Will, Ravi's moving on with her life.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Back in Leeds, she's lined up a meeting
0:08:12 > 0:08:15with one of the city's top radio journalists.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20You're lucky you've got yourself a make-up artist as a sister.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21Go on, sit on top.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Ravi's older sister is on hand
0:08:24 > 0:08:28with expert advice on how to hide problem skin.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32I'm just going to apply an oil-free moisturiser
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and then I'm going to apply the foundation.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Quite light coverage, because you don't want to have something
0:08:38 > 0:08:39that's too cakey, too heavy.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44I've got the concealer, which I'll apply over any areas
0:08:44 > 0:08:48where the foundation hasn't been able to cover it properly
0:08:48 > 0:08:52and then top it off with a powder to set it all in place.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56You look beautiful! Your day will go fine.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Hello! I'm Ravi, nice to meet you.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07At 12 o'clock, I'm Lisa Allison.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13I had so much fun.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17I liked so much just talking to Lisa, how she got into the industry
0:09:17 > 0:09:21and the things that she had to do and advice that she gave me.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23I know my skin's not completely perfect
0:09:23 > 0:09:25and I've still got a long way to go,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29but I do have more confidence than I did, say, five years ago.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Hi, I'm Ravinder Ohsan, I'm a journalism student...
0:09:32 > 0:09:35'I think to achieve anything, you have to stay positive.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38'Your life is too short to worry about your skin.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40'Your skin will clear up eventually,'
0:09:40 > 0:09:44so why should you let that hold you back from doing what you want to do?
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd