This typical series of medicinal testing that accompanies acne has led to an onslaught of home remedies, pharmaceutical treatments and a list of wise tales for tackling acne. Because of this flood of acne treatment options, medical organizations such as the American Academy of Dermatology has stepped several times to separate bogus acne treatments and causes from the legitimate ones.

For years, stress has had to hang out in the category of unfounded acne causes, but not any more. According to researchers with Wake Forest University School of Medicine teens are 23 percent more likely to have increased acne severity during times of increased stress.

For this investigation, the students' self-reported stress levels and acne severity were measured at two different times – just before mid-year exams and during summer break. Exams induce psychological stress since the results of the examinations directly influence the students' long-term career prospects.

Gil Yosipovitch, MD, the study's lead author and a professor of dermatology, commented, "Our study suggests a significant association between stress and severity of acne."

The results of the study appear in the Swedish medical journal Acta Derm Venereol.