Teens Reveal There Is More Pressure on Physical Appearance Than to Have Sex or Drink Alcohol at Prom

NEW YORK, April 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Teens(1) today feel a lot of pressure to look good at prom and admit appearance, especially with their skin, will affect whether or not they have a good time. About half of teens said the appearance of their skin will affect their experience at the prom (56 percent) and having beautiful, clear skin is important to how they look on prom night (52 percent).

According to a recent survey, prom not only conjures up feelings of anticipation and enthusiasm among teens, but also causes tension and anxiety. About one in two teens say they feel pressure to go to the prom (55 percent) -- more so than teen pressures such as having sex (32 percent), drinking alcohol (26 percent), and even taking drugs (20 percent). The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive and polled over 1,000 teenagers, between the ages of 13 to 18 from across the U.S.

Dr. Gilda Carle, Ph.D., relationship expert and author of "Teen Talk with Dr. Gilda," says, "The way teens perceive their looks determines their activities. Many of the teens I work with say that when they feel unattractive, they just won't go out. My advice to them is to take charge of their appearance. That includes seeing a doctor if they have acne, and get more exercise if they want to tone up."

In terms of looking good, having beautiful, clear skin (52 percent) is just as important to teens as having the perfect dress/tuxedo (55 percent), having the perfect hairstyle/cut (51 percent), and being in shape (50 percent). Over half (56 percent) of teens believe the appearance of their skin will affect their experience at prom. About a third (36 percent) say that they would consider skipping the prom entirely if they had severe acne that day.

"Acne is a seriously big deal with the potential for devastating effects on emotions and functioning. We need to hear teens, understand their pain, and respond with solutions that work well," says Dr. Rick Fried, MD, Ph.D., internationally recognized dermatologist/clinical psychologist and author of "Healing Adult Acne: Your Guide to Clear Skin and Self-Confidence."

Teens felt so strongly about attending prom with beautiful, clear skin that over half (56 percent) said they'd be wiling to give up watching TV or talking on the telephone/cell phone for a week to obtain "prom-ready" skin (defined as skin that is beautiful and clear and free from acne). In addition, survey results indicate that the appearance of skin also plays a role on the selection of a potential prom date. About two-thirds (66 percent) of teens would not go with someone with severe acne, while only 55 percent would not go with someone who is overweight and only 17 percent would not go with someone who was not popular.

Doctors say there is no need for teens to feel helpless if they are suffering from breakouts. There are simple and effective ways to manage acne. Teens should speak to their doctor to learn how to properly manage their skin. Visit http://www.takechargeofyouracne.com/ for more information on how to take charge of your skin today for "prom-ready" skin.

About the Survey

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Galderma Laboratories, L.P., makers of the Differin(R) line of acne-treatment products, between February 20 and 26, 2007 among 1,009 teens (aged 13 through 18) who are in grades 7 to 12 and have a prom or spring dance at their school. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, parent's education, region, urbanicity, and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

With a pure probability sample of 1,009, one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results would have a sampling error of +/- 5 percentage points. Sampling error for data based on sub-samples would be higher and would vary. However, that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About Galderma Laboratories, L.P.

Created in 1981 as a joint venture between Nestle and L'Oreal, Galderma Laboratories is the number one dermatology company in the world according to recent IMS D-Class survey. With a worldwide presence in 65 countries Galderma has over 1,000 sales representatives dedicated to dermatology. Galderma is a fully integrated specialty pharmaceutical company with a global sales and marketing structure and worldwide product development capability. Galderma provides innovative therapeutic skincare solutions to meet the needs of dermatology patients and physicians. The company is committed to improving the health of skin with an extensive line of products that treat a range of skincare conditions including: acne, rosacea, fungal nail infections, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, hyper-pigmentation disorders, non-melanoma skin cancer and photo-damage.

With a new research facility in Sophia Antipolis, France Galderma has one of the largest research facilities dedicated to dermatology. Galderma is also poised to continue making significant impact on dermatology treatments with the introduction of exciting technology and products on the horizon. For more information see http://www.galdermausa.com/.

For more information on Galderma, visit http://www.galdermausa.com/. Galderma is a registered trademark. (1) For the purposes of this survey, "Teens" were defined as U.S. teens (ages 13 to 18) who are in grades 7 to 12 and have a prom or spring dance at their school. Carrie Yamond Email: carrie.yamond@eurorscg.com Phone: 212-845-4259