June is Acne Awareness Month: Here's a Glimpse of My Journey
June is Acne Awareness Month. It’s probably the most common skin condition, affecting up to 80% of individuals from ages 11-30.
The severity, triggers, causes, and places you can get acne vary depending on the person, but it doesn't change the fact that experiencing acne truly, really, plain and simple, just sucks. I know this because of my own personal battle with acne which I have been very open and vocal about.
As a teenager, I had an occasional blemish here and there, but never consistent breakouts. That is, until I turned 20 and everything changed. I remember feeling confused and stressed, genuinely wondering, “why is this happening now?”. I thought I was in the clear and pimples were a thing of the past, but I was wrong.
No one in my immediate family ever suffered from acne, and it left me struggling with trying to figure out the source of it. There weren’t as many resources readily available as there are now, and because I felt like no one around me could help, I took matters into my own hands.
When I say that, I mean I googled and googled until I couldn’t anymore. In my search, I found endless pages of product ads and holistic remedies. And the truth is, it felt like I tried it ALL. If the ad said, “clear skin in 7 days”, best believe I tried that product. The issue is while I was putting every bit of belief (and dollars) into these “fast-acting” “simple solution” and “clear skin” products… spoiler alert….nothing worked. In fact, not only were all these products not working, my skin was actually getting worse. I was determined to figure out what was causing my breakouts – I changed my makeup products, my diet, and eliminated potential triggers. And still, nada.
I felt hopeless. I finally convinced my mom to take me to a dermatologist. They prescribed me topical creams and unfortunately, this too was a dead end. However, looking back, I think there were issues with education and understanding how to properly incorporate these new products into a routine. Ultimately though, I was left exactly where I started.
The stress that comes along with acne can have serious effects on your mental health and the way you feel about yourself. For me, as time went on and the lack of results continued, I became more and more overwhelmed with not having answers or a path to a solution. I’ve always been a confident person and dealing with acne while trying to manage my college academic and social life, left my confidence shaken.
After some time, I came to a realization that the stress of trying to cover up my acne, get rid of it, buy new products, and hide from the world, was doing me more harm than good. I realized I was stuck in this endless cycle of stressing over breakouts which were probably causing more breakouts! So instead I came from a place of acceptance and embraced my acne. I had to remind myself that just because I had acne it didn’t mean I wasn’t worthy, or that I was ugly, or even that I didn’t practice proper hygiene.
Luckily for me, I turned my pain into a passion. And the rest is history.
Coming from this place of positivity and strength led me to my career. I learned that proper education, safe practices, routines, and the right products can all help. Most important though, was understanding that navigating skin conditions like acne involves playing the long game because acne can’t be cured, but controlled. Attempting to achieve results overnight and being stressed when it doesn’t happen simply contributes to the problem. Navigating skin care means being consistent and trusting in the process. But the key is to do it from a place of love, light, and acceptance.
Acne is not your identity. It doesn't take away from how smart, capable, and beautiful you are. These were reminders I needed when I embarked on my acne-healing journey, and reminders I aim to share with all my clients. So remember, acne does not define you, you define you. In the spirit of positivity, here are a few affirmations to keep in mind and repeat to yourself in the mirror:
I am beautiful regardless of the appearance of my skin.
Acne does not define me. I define me.
I trust in the process of my acne-healing journey and understand that everyone’s different.
I am grateful for my body’s ability to heal.
My confidence is my superpower.