"I failed school because I was gay and had severe acne, and I want to stop it happening to other Welsh teens."
Welsh skincare influencer Scott McGlynn, from Cardiff, knows all too well about the hardships of dealing with bullying at school for both being gay and suffering with severe acne. The person behind the interview series, Celebrity Skin Talk and the podcast The Scott McGlynn show, he's dedicated his career to helping people feel good in their own skin.
Accompanied by shocking statistics, Scott has opened up about his personal issues and hopes for the future. Warning, some may find the following statistics upsetting.
Research has revealed that acne in LGBT+ youth drastically increases ideas around suicide, compared to their heterosexual peers.
The research draws upon the challenges of being LGBT+ and having skin issues which can lead to poor mental health in young queer people.
The rate of ideas around suicide in straight teens with acne is 1.5% higher than teens without acne, according to research presented by Dr Angelo Landriscina at the GW Virtual Appraisal of Advances in Acne Conference in America in 2020. For those teenagers who identify as LGBTQ+ and have acne, suicidal ideation goes up by a huge 20%.
Read more: The gruelling reality of suffering with acne and how I finally cured it for good
In the UK three in 10 teenagers suffer with severe acne and one in five young people identify as LGBT+. The study has found that those who identify as LGBTQ+and have severe acne are likely to suffer disproportionately to a heterosexual teen, as acne is thought to be more strongly associated with mental health issues. For transgender patients, acne during puberty can trigger gender dysphoria.
Opening up with WalesOnline, Scott spoke candidly about the hardships of navigating school being gay and suffering with severe acne.
"It was hard for me. Back then, skincare was targeted more towards women and girls," Scott explained.
"I never thought it was treatable because back then the marketing just included girls. My mum saw I was struggling so I went to a doctor.
"I tried these tablets and went on a six-month course, but I got sick and threw up a lot."
Scott's sister was a source of help growing up. Despite not having the knowledge and the tablets not working, he turned to his sister's supply of face products which helped soothe his acne only slightly. Despite trying multiple things, the bullying persisted in school.
"I didn't feel very welcome, and I was bullied from day one," he added.
"The start of school was so hard. I'd walk into a classroom and there would be comments about my sexuality and my skin. I felt so unattractive with my skin plus I was confused and miserable that I couldn’t concentrate at school and ended up leaving with nothing."
As well as the Celebrity Skin Talk series on Instagram, Scott has created a show for everyday people called 'Acne Uncovered'. Dedicated to real people and their stories, it's an opportunity to share experiences and struggles with persistent acne.
"If someone had told me in school you're a beautiful person inside and out, it would have been a completely different experience for me. I've suffered with depression for many years and it would have been great to get the support and reassurance in school."
For teens struggling with both their sexuality and skin online, Scott has praised social media for its connecting qualities, and hopes teenagers will feel comfortable to reach out to people for support if they're struggling.
"You can connect to a lot of people online. Hopefully I'm one of those people. That's why I use social media and create these shows so people can feel connected by seeing so many different stories."
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