Dealing with Acne - Physically & Mentally

WARNING: this post is very wordy, if you want to look at pretty pictures, skip this post now.

I'm sure all of us have had spots, however not everyone suffers with acne. There are many recommendations for getting rid of the spots and scars and although I have some to recommend, I'm also going to focus on the mental side of acne and how to deal with negative comments or self image.

For reference, this is a very hard post for me to write - it's actually taken me a week or so to get this perfect before posting because I kept leaving and coming back to it. But I want to post this to help other women, most likely younger than me, who suffer with acne to help them deal with the mental side because I don't want other people to be as affected by it as I was and lose their self confidence as much as I did because it's unnecessary. I've only recently been able to take pictures of myself and starting this blog was hard for me as it would involve me posting pictures of my face and having people judge me silently which I hate the thought of.

I developed acne at the age of 12 or 13 in early secondary school. I went through puberty before most other girls, I started my periods at age 10 and starting wearing a bra around the same time. This meant that when I started getting spots, it was before everyone else which I feel made me more of a target for bullying. I was bullied for my acne (and early puberty) from around age 11 to around 15, I lost all my confidence and although I'm a lot more confident than I used to be, I don't ever think I'll be as confident as other people who are just permanently blessed with amazing skin and body. Even at 19, I still suffer with low self image and am shy and reserved around new people as I feel like they are judging me. I also always look for constant approval that I look okay, whether it be from my boyfriend, my friends, my family or even me looking at my face in the mirror.

The thing to remember is around 80% of young people (boys later than girls) suffer with acne. So even if you're the first to get it, that also means it will probable be the first to clear up. At the time I didn't realise this, but it's true. By the time I finished my GCSE's and started my A levels I had clearer skin and all my friends had spots.

By age 15 I had established a proper skin care routine so gradually my acne began to improve (and I still use the same skin care routine now, let me know if you want a separate post on it).

My main tips:

• Remain positive. I know it's hard to realise at the time but acne does go away eventually.
• Stick with your friends. Don't lock yourself away. If you have a group of friends who are still there for you even if you are getting stick from others, then stick with them, they're obviously good people :)
• Ignore the bullies. They're just looking for something to do, they'll say anything to get a reaction. I know that what they say may hurt at the time but if you just turn around and walk away there's nothing more they can do.
• Find a skincare routine. Once I found my skincare routine that worked for me and stuck to it, my skin began to become clearer. If you need help finding a skincare routine I suggest seeing a beautician and maybe going for a facial so they can get to know your skin and recommend products.
• Don't wear make up all the time. Especially cheap make up! This will clog pores and make your skin even worse. If you're having a lazy day around the house, you don't need make up so just let your skin breathe. Don't wear cheap, crap quality make up either as the ingredients won't be good for your skin. I'm not saying go and buy a mega expensive high end foundation, I'm saying be wary of what you're putting onto your skin.
• If you need help, ask for it. If you think your acne is so bad that nothing else will work, go and see a dermatologist as they have some friggin' powerful things that can really help - if you have the confidence to ask to begin with :)

I really really hope this post is fairly helpful and not like all other acne posts out there. If anyone has any questions about my acne or skin or just anything in general comment below, tweet me, or email me if you want a more private reply :)

Thanks for reading!

xoxo