Kosta

Age at interview: 14

Age at diagnosis: 13

Brief Outline:

(Text only clips) Kosta has had acne for about 8 months. His acne can be painful and make him feel awkward sometimes, but he is accepting of his skin condition and thinks that it will go away after puberty.

Background:

Kosta is 14 years old and a secondary school student. His ethnic background is White Greek.

More about me...

Kosta has had acne for about 8 months. He remembers first getting some spots around his mouth and down the left side of his face. Most of his acne is on his face but he has recently had some spots on his chest and back which have been uncomfortable. Kosta thinks that his acne has recently become more severe because of irritation from sea water on his summer holidays. He thinks that acne is expected by most teenagers, although he says that not many of his classmates at school have yet hit that stage of puberty. 

Kosta saw a doctor in his home country, but he has not seen a GP or dermatologist about acne in the UK. The doctor gave him advice such as to wash his face more and to avoid picking at the skin. He says that the reason he hasn’t seen a doctor in the UK is because he’s mostly accepted having acne and doesn’t know if they could offer any other solutions. Kosta currently uses two kinds of creams for his spots which he bought from a shop. One cream dries out his skin and the second cream cleans off the dried skin. He has been using the combination of treatments at night time for about a year. His face feels very dry and irritated after applying the creams which can make difficult to fall asleep.

Kosta finds that his spots sometimes make his face ache. He has had to stop shaving his face as he finds this can be painful and cause more spots. Sometimes he accidentally scratches his skin which causes bleeding, something which he tends to do more if he’s feeling anxious or annoyed. His skin can also become itchy when he’s sweaty after playing sports, which makes it more likely that he’ll pick at the spots.

Kosta knows that acne can have a big impact on someone’s confidence, although he says that he himself copes well with this. He thinks that a lot of importance is placed on image within “teenage society.” Kosta thinks that his spots will eventually go and that he just has to be patient in the meantime, but there are a few ways that acne sometimes affects his confidence. For example, he prefers to have photographs on his social media accounts that are at a distance rather than close ups. He also finds that it can be awkward hanging out with girls and having photographs taken of him whilst he is performing with his band. 

Kosta finds it okay spending time with male friends, but feels more worried around girls.

Hang out with the boys I’d say I suppose not yet because some of them have not gone through the acne phase yet or people that do can relate to what issues occur during this age. Hanging out with girls makes it quite awkward sometimes, having spots it changes your image, how people see you in that sort of sense but you can’t change it.

I suppose it kind of does make you a bit more anxious or makes you think how they might be judging you and you kind of lose a lot of confidence talking to people while you have acne because it ruins your image to other people.

Kosta tends to scratch his acne when he feels nervous.

Can I ask you about picking spots-

[laughs]

-and whether that’s something that you’ve done?

I do tend to pick the spots quite a lot I’d say during classes maybe anxiety can lead to scratching the spots. Or even sports, when you get sweaty it’s just inevitable not to scratch a spot sometimes.

Can I ask a bit more about anxiety and if something is a bit stressful?

It’s just another way of reacting I suppose, the spots. And my, in my case when I’m anxious or annoyed, I might tend to start scratching and then as the wound gets deeper you just carry on scratching I suppose [laughs].

Does it ever affect your concentration or if you’re doing some work and it affects that at all?

I have to admit if I do start scratching my face it does become quite constant and I can’t stop scratching. That might just be me or it just can be a natural reaction for everyone I suppose. 

Kosta wasn’t sure about seeing a GP about his spots at first, but found his appointment helpful.

I suppose I felt quite uncomfortable at the beginning talking about spots, I suppose not as serious as other conditions that people could talk to a doctor about. But they were quite helpful and provided me with more solutions for the issue.

Can you tell me a bit more about some of the suggestion that they had?

Obviously I should avoid picking them, washing or rinsing my face three to four times a day to avoid oily skin and then applying the creams twice a day in the morning and at night before bed.

Kosta says he doesn’t “feel insecure” about acne, but knows others do. He thinks his age and gender make a difference to this.

Could I ask a bit more about confidence and your experiences with that?

Well, in my opinion you should just accept that you have spots. You can’t change it, you’ll just have to wait, be patient until they leave but certain people seem to make big deals out of it. They can either-, it can actually lead people to being depressed having spots, having to cover, cover them up, but that’s not my case I suppose.

Why do you think that might be, that you’re a bit more sort of okay about it?

Well, in my case I think as-, in my age group and generally boys I wouldn’t say I care that much about my image. It doesn’t bother me I wouldn’t mind if someone commented on me having spots but I suppose for other people it must be quite harmful and it must bother them quite a lot.

Kosta doesn’t like having close up photographs taken. He likes being in a band but finds it “awkward” performing sometimes.

I do tend to avoid close up pictures now because it’s just does not help having acne. So I do prefer having long shots as a profile picture or a posted picture on my profile.

Do you un-tag photos or do you just leave them?

I don’t know, I think at a younger age I’d tag photos and people but I don’t bother that much anymore.

Okay. Does acne affect any hobbies or anything that you enjoy doing in your spare time?

From the sports I do I wouldn’t say it does, however I’m in a band and since I sing at the lives it’s quite awkward sometimes being the front face with the acne. Mostly pictures getting taken can become quite awkward with seeing multiple acne on your face but again I suppose it’s inevitable, so I don’t have anything else to do.