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How much would teenagers pay to erase acne completely?
On average, $275 (U.S.), according to a study published in this month's Archives of Dermatology; and their parents would pay almost as much.
It's no secret that pimples are the bane of adolescent existence, but researchers at the University of California, San Francisco set out to quantify just how much a clear visage is worth. They surveyed 266 high-school students aged 14 to 18, all with at least some acne, as well as their parents.
Questions included, "How much money would you be willing to pay today to have never had acne your whole life (erase all the acne you've ever had) and never have it again?"
Faced with that tantalizing prospect, the respondents said, on average, $275; the worse they rated their own acne, the more they were willing to pay.
Their parents' responses were similar: $250 for their children to have never had acne.
Asked how much they'd pay to banish their current acne completely, teenagers offered $100. For 50 per cent clearance of acne, they said they would only pay $10.
"Reducing the psychosocial impact of acne is considered one of the guiding principles for its clinical management," writes lead study author Cynthia Chen, a doctor with the university's dermatology department.
The researchers aimed to show dermatologists how teenagers really feel about acne treatments. A doctor may think clearing up acne by half is a pretty good deal, but to teenagers it's only one-tenth as valuable as a fully zit-free face.
Not getting a huge pimple on your nose the first day of school? Priceless.
