‘Disease, illness, affliction? Don’t know’: Ambivalence and ambiguity in the narratives of young people about having acne

The popular characterisation of acne as a mundane and insignificant feature of adolescence sits at odds with academic studies showing the detrimental impacts of the condition on people of various ages. Drawing from in-depth qualitative interviews with 13- to 25-year olds living in England, this article will consider some of the tensions between two messages about acne through the ambiguities in young people’s narratives. Consistent with existing literature on skin conditions and visual differences more broadly, participants in the study recounted ways in which acne negatively shaped their lives socially and emotionally. However, there were topics around which participants’ accounts held nuances and complications, in relation to: understandings held about acne causes; uncertainty as to whether acne was a medical concern/problem; and comparisons to other people’s acne or broader health experiences. In attending to these aspects, this article will explore how different and potentially conflicting meanings are negotiated by young people, producing ambiguous and ambivalent experiential accounts about living with acne.