My Acne Journey: How I’ve Learned to Embrace My Skin and How You Can Too

Photo courtesy of Anna Shvets on Pexels.

The first time I got acne was when I was 7-years-old. Acne is simply the hair follicles that become plugged up with oil and dead skin cells. Back when I was a child, I was very insecure about my skin. I got bullied because I had acne. When I entered my teenage years, I became more confident and I didn’t care what people thought about the way I look. Today, I’m going to share my acne journey from childhood to adulthood, how I learned to love my skin, and how you can learn to not be insecure about acne.

As I stated above, my acne journey started when I was 7-years-old. I’ve had countless dermatologists visits. Most of the products my dermatologist prescribed me were products that were full of harsh ingredients. I’ve always had sensitive skin so that was a struggle when it came to finding skincare products. I couldn’t use salicylic acid which was in most acne products when I was younger because it burned my skin. When I was a teenager, I’d find products with natural ingredients that were more gentle on my face.

Acne was also hereditary which means it runs in my family, specifically on my father’s side. My cousin had cystic acne when she was a teenager and ended up using accutane to help get it under control. For me, I didn’t love the idea of using oral medication. I preferred trying products like facial washes, creams, and toners.

Now that I’m an adult, I discovered part of the reason why I had cystic acne growing up. A few years ago, my gynecologist diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). One of the most common symptoms of PCOS is acne.

I get breakouts when I’m in PMS mode, basically around the time when I’m expecting my period. I don’t breakout as much as I used too which has been nice.

It took quite a long time for me to love my skin for what it is. When I was younger, I was bullied because of my acne. I know that I’m not the only one. That alone made it difficult to love my skin. It was a constant battle. When I got to high school, I just got into the mindset of not caring what people think because we’re all different. We’re individuals. We’re not supposed to look the same. My acne makes me who I am and I’m proud of that.

Have patience. Learning to love yourself and your skin takes time. Try not to focus on the girls who post flawless pictures on social media and wanting look like they do. Most of the time, those pictures are covered in a filter or edited to look perfect. Not everything you see on social media is real.

Remember that acne is the most common skin condition there is. You’re not the only one that has acne. Millions of people have it.

Try products slowly to see what works for your skin type. For me, I have combination skin on top of having sensitive skin. Combination skin is dry and oily mixed together. You may just have oily skin so try out products that target oily skin. If you have dry skin, try out products that target dry skin. It’s all about what works for you.

Well, that’s it folks. I appreciate that you took the time out of your day to read this piece.

Thank you so much for reading!