I Had Acne for 6+ Years — My Acne Journey

I’ve had acne since I was 13 years old. I remember being in 8th grade and getting my first pimple — I felt like my life was over but little did I know, this would be the start of a very long and hard journey. By the time I was 15, it had only gotten worse and I visited my dermatologist for the first time. He said that my acne was normal for a teenager going through puberty and that I would eventually grow out of it; but I never did. I would go on to see him for the next 5 years and kept trying different creams and pills to no avail. Eventually, it was time to test out the big guns and I was put on Accutane. Accutane was a life saver for me and was what cured my acne. Trust me, I’ve tried that 10 step Korean skincare but nothing would work for my hormonal acne. I still get the occasional breakout but it’s nothing near the cystic breakouts I would suffer through. Now that I am 22, I can reflect back on what I’ve learned and would tell myself back then, that I know now.

1) LET YOUR SKIN BREATHE

Oh my gosh I literally cannot express this enough. Puberty and the combination of going through high school made me so insecure about my skin. My self-esteem was at an all time low and I just wanted to cover my skin. This was around the time that I found out what foundation was. I kid you not, I used to wear a full face of foundation everyday in order to cover up my breakouts. Since the acne was on my entire face, I looked like the peanut butter baby. I only wore foundation and nothing else…I shudder thinking about it. Not only was this a terrible look, it was also terrible for my skin. I was not letting my skin breathe and just pasting foundation over my pimples. More importantly, I wasn’t properly removing this “spackle” so this just clogged my pores even more. Skip this stage and just embrace your skin, it’s for the best.

2) Don’t Let this Affect You

I was so insecure about my acne that I literally would not make eye contact with people. I did not want people to be able to take a good look at my face and really see how bad my skin was. Looking back, I really wish I could understand that this did not define me and that it would eventually pass. I really wish that I did not pick up on this habit because, even after my acne was gone, I was still doing it. I just wish that I was never this antisocial or insecure about myself because of something as minor as acne.

3) Other People’s Opinions Don’t Matter

I used to hear comments ALL THE TIME about how I could fix my skin or how bad my skin was getting. I would let these comments get to me and affect my self-esteem. Now though, I would pay no mind. It’s hard in the moment to let comments like that go but they really do nothing for anyone. Anyone making a comment like that is a waste of time and someone you don’t wanna be around. You know the work you’re putting in and that you are implementing what is best; so, keep on keeping on!

#lemon8partner #lemon8creator #Lemon8Diary #wellness #acne #acnejourney #acnefighter #skincare #embracevulnerability #accutane