6 Minute English Having Acne

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 5

BBC LEARNING ENGLISH

6 Minute English
Having acne
This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

Beth
And I'm Beth. As a society, we're obsessed with our skin. But the pursuit of perfect
skin can make life difficult for people who struggle with skin conditions.

Neil
'Spots', 'zits' or 'pimples' – there are many names for the red, inflamed marks which
appear on the face and neck, but the medical term is acne. Acne is a skin condition
which can affect anyone. It often happens between the ages of 14 and 19, but can
continue into adulthood. There are many types of acne from blackheads and
whiteheads to more severe forms of cysts and scarring.

Beth
But whatever the type of acne, looking different from others can be emotionally
damaging, especially during the teenage years when our self-image and physical
appearance are changing. In this programme, we'll be hearing from a skin doctor,
or dermatologist, who suffered acne herself. And, as usual, we'll be learning some
useful new vocabulary too.

Neil
But first I have a question for you, Beth. Mild or moderate acne is very common in
teenagers and younger adults, so according to the UK's National Health Service,
what proportion of people aged 11 to 30 experience some amount of acne?

a) 75%?

6 Minute English ©British Broadcasting Corporation 2024


bbclearningenglish.com Page 1 of 5
b) 85%? or
c) 95%?

Beth
I'm going to guess that it is c) 95%.

Neil
OK, Beth, we'll find out if that’s the correct answer at the end of the programme.
Dr Sharon Crichlow is a dermatologist originally from Barbados. As someone who
grew up with acne she understands the impact it can have on a person's mental
health, as she explains here to BBC World Service programme, The Conversation:

Dr Sharon Crichlow
Well, we know for sure that it does tend to arise from puberty onwards, so the
biggest cohort of patients is in the teenage age group. However, a proportion of
patients up to 20 or so percent - certainly in females - it will persist well into the
30s, 40s - much longer than people often give it credit for. And we also know that
it has a huge psychological impact so even mild to moderate acne, because it
affects teenagers who are quite emotionally vulnerable, it affects their
friendships, their peer groups and so it should never really be trivialised.

Beth
Acne tends to start during puberty, the stage in people's lives when they develop
from a child into an adult because of changes in their body. Hormones such as
testosterone which are released into the body during puberty often cause acne to
appear.

Neil
Of course, puberty involves emotional, as well as physical, changes. Acne can be
harder to live with for someone who is emotionally vulnerable, meaning someone
who gets their feelings hurt easily. Acne affects your confidence and how you
interact with the world, so it shouldn’t be trivialised, or made to seem less
important than it really is.

6 Minute English ©British Broadcasting Corporation 2024


bbclearningenglish.com Page 2 of 5
Beth
At times, most teenagers are self-conscious about their looks, and having acne
adds to social pressure. Acne is largely genetic, and the buildup of oil and bacteria
in the pores of the skin which causes spots is due to hormones which are
completely natural.

Neil
Here's Dr Sharon Crichlow, again, telling BBC World Service programme, The
Conversation, how her own experience with acne led her to help others with the
same problem.

Dr Sharon Crichlow
I didn't have the luxury of being able to see a dermatologist when I was younger -
my family just simply couldn't afford it, so I had to get through it as best I could…
and you just you know tried everything over the counter et cetera. I just felt if I
could help people with something that has been such a bane of my life and having
that inside experience as well so I would often tell my patients, pretty much
anything I recommend to them, I've tried it myself, I can tell them, it works…

Beth
Growing up, Dr Crichlow didn't have anyone to help her get through acne. If you
get through something, you manage to survive a difficult experience or
challenging period in life. Instead, she got whatever medicine she could buy
without a doctor’s prescription - known as over the counter medicines - from her
local pharmacy.

Neil
Dr Crichlow calls acne, the bane of my life, an idiom meaning the cause of
unhappiness or misfortune. But as she grew older and her acne improved, she used
her experience to support her patients in the UK.

Beth
For most people acne stops as they grow older, but remember it's completely
natural and you’re not alone.

6 Minute English ©British Broadcasting Corporation 2024


bbclearningenglish.com Page 3 of 5
Neil
Which reminds me of my question, Beth – what proportion of 11 to 30 year-olds
get acne to some extent? You said it was 95%, which was… the correct answer!
OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, starting with puberty, the stage of
life when a person changes from a child to an adult.

Beth
Someone who is emotionally vulnerable has their feelings and emotions easily
hurt.

Neil
The verb to trivialise means to make something seem less important than it really
is.

Beth
If you get through it, you manage to survive a difficult experience or period of life.

Neil
Over the counter medicines can be bought in a shop without a doctor's
prescription.

Beth
And finally, the idiom, the bane of my life refers to a source of persistent
unhappiness or misfortune. Once again, our six minutes are up, but remember to
join us again next time for more trending topics and useful vocabulary, here at 6
Minute English. Goodbye for now!

Neil
Bye!

6 Minute English ©British Broadcasting Corporation 2024


bbclearningenglish.com Page 4 of 5
VOCABULARY

puberty
stage of life when a person grows from a child into an adult because of changes in
the body’s sexual reproductive system

emotionally vulnerable
have your feelings and emotions easily hurt

trivialise
make something seem less important than it really is

get through (it)


manage to survive a difficult experience or challenging period of life

over the counter


describes medicine that can be bought in a shop without a doctor’s prescription

bane of (my) life


source or cause of persistent unhappiness or misfortune

6 Minute English ©British Broadcasting Corporation 2024


bbclearningenglish.com Page 5 of 5

You might also like