Having acne ⏲️ 6 Minute English

10,690 views ・ 2024-11-07

BBC Learning English


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Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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I'm Neil. And I'm Beth.
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As a society we're obsessed with our skin.
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But the pursuit of perfect skin can make life difficult
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for people who struggle with skin conditions.
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Spots, zits or pimples.
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There are many names for the red inflamed marks which appear
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on the face and neck, but the medical term is acne.
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Acne is a skin condition which can affect anyone.
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It often happens between the ages of 14 and 19,
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but can continue into adulthood.
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There are many types of acne,
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from blackheads and whiteheads to more severe forms of cysts and scarring.
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But whatever the type of acne, looking different from others
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can be emotionally damaging, especially during the teenage years
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when our self-image and physical appearance are changing.
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In this programme, we'll be hearing from a skin doctor,
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or dermatologist, who suffered acne herself.
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And as usual, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary too.
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But first, I have a question for you, Beth.
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Mild or moderate acne is very common in teenagers and young adults,
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so according to the UK's National Health Service,
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what proportion of people aged 11 to 30 experienced some amount of acne?
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Is it A. 75%, B. 85% or C. 95%?
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Oh, I'm going to guess that it is C. 95%. OK, Beth, we'll find out
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if that's the correct answer at the end of the programme.
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Doctor Sharon Crichlow is a dermatologist originally from Barbados.
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As someone who grew up with acne,
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she understands the impact it can have on a person's mental health,
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as she explains here to BBC World Service programme, The Conversation.
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Well, we know for sure that it does tend to arise from puberty onwards.
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So the biggest cohort of patients is in the teenage age group.
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However, a proportion of patients up to 20 or so percent,
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certainly in females, it will persist well into the 30s, 40s – much longer
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than people often give it credit for.
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And we also know that it has a huge psychological impact,
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so even mild to moderate acne,
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because it affects teenagers who are quite emotionally vulnerable,
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it affects their friendships, their peer groups,
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and so it should never really be trivialised.
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Acne tends to start during puberty,
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the stage in people's lives when they develop from a child into an adult
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because of changes in their body.
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Hormones such as testosterone, which are released into the body
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during puberty, often cause acne to appear.
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Of course, puberty involves emotional as well as physical changes.
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Acne can be harder to live with for someone who is emotionally vulnerable,
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meaning someone who gets their feelings hurt easily.
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Acne affects your confidence and how you interact with the world,
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so it shouldn't be trivialised or made to seem less important
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than it really is.
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At times, most teenagers are self-conscious about their looks,
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and having acne adds to social pressure.
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Acne is largely genetic, and the buildup of oil and bacteria
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in the pores of the skin, which causes spots,
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is due to hormones, which are completely natural.
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Here's doctor Sharon Crichlow again,
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telling BBC World Service programme The Conversation
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how her own experience with acne led her to help others with the same problem.
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I didn't have the luxury
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of being able to see a dermatologist when I was younger.
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My family simply couldn't afford it, so I had to get through it as best I could.
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And you just, you know, tried everything over the counter, etc..
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Um, and I just felt if I could help people with something that has been
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such a bane of my life and having that inside experience as well.
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So I would often tell my patients pretty much anything I recommend to them.
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I've tried it myself.
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I can tell them it works.
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Growing up, Doctor Crichlow didn't have anyone to help her get through acne.
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If you get through something, you manage to survive
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a difficult experience or challenging period of life.
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Instead, she got whatever medicine she could buy
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without a doctor's prescription, known as over-the-counter medicines,
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from her local pharmacy.
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Doctor Crichlow calls acne the bane of my life,
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an idiom meaning the cause of unhappiness or misfortune.
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But as she grew older and her acne improved,
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she used her experience to support her patients in the UK.
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For most people, acne stops as they grow older,
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but remember, it's completely natural and you're not alone.
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Which reminds me of my question, Beth...
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What proportion of 11 to 30 year olds get acne to some extent?
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You said it was 95%, which was the correct answer!
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OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned
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starting with puberty,
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the stage of life when a person changes from a child to an adult.
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Someone who is emotionally vulnerable has their feelings
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and emotions easily hurt.
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The verb to trivialise means to make something seem less important
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than it really is.
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If you get through it,
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you manage to survive a difficult experience or period of life.
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Over-the-counter medicines can be bought in a shop
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without a doctor's prescription.
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And finally, the idiom the bane of my life refers
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to a source of persistent unhappiness or misfortune.
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Once again, our six minutes are up,
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but remember to join us again next time for more trending topics
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and useful vocabulary here at 6 Minute English.
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Goodbye for now. Bye.
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