I'm currently reading "Maximum Achievement" by Brian Tracy. It makes me happy and more excited about life.

I just have to tell you about a customer I had today. Maybe it will make somebody feel better...

So, my summerjob is at this grocery store. Today I had a young man as my customer. He stood in the queue and had his face turned away from me. When it was his turn, he finally turned his sad, sad face towards me. I immediatly found him very attractive and super cute! I could also tell he had a severe form of acne, yet that didn't bother me (hey, I've had days when my skin looked like total sh*t). He refused to make eyecontact with me, which made me just want to hug and kiss him even more. It's so heartbreaking looking at someone in pain.

My point is: One good thing about acne is, that we are better at looking beyond some minor faults and imperfections in someones appearence, since we can all relate and symphatize to them. And it really is possible to be attractive and supercute, no matter what type of acne you have...

Acne helped me find the people that really care about me and like me for me. And also helped me to see past peoples differences. It reminds me of a time while i was in a game and this guy was being a total butt and was making fun of this other guys voice saying it sounded so high pitched and girly. The guy got silent and didnt speak well the one making fun couldnt have that so he said oh so you not going to bless us with your screeching voice. The guy just replied im sorry if its annoying you i cant help the way god made me. I was just like Yay go you !!! prolly made the guy feel like a total jerk i mean how can you reply to that lol amazing. So if people are being rude i just think of that kid saying that and i can get past it

I used to say to myself that when people stare at me they are examining my face and the condition it is in. I don't have sever acne but I still have skin issues. Now instead of saying to myself "Oh they are staring at me because of my skin or that blemish on my face, I say... they are staring at my eyes, and me as a person because I am very kind hearted. And they are shocked, people always tell me [because im a cashier at a grocery store] You are so nice there are not to many people like that left... you know stuff like that. And I always get compliments on my eyes... lol but It's made me realise that people are looking at me for me, not because of my skin.

Hey!

I'd just like to say that I find this board to be very inspiring, with loads of strong, beautiful people who deserve to be happy, no matter what their skin looks like!!

My theory is that people are more understanding than you think.... if you take time to make yourself look nice with things you can control, like maybe doing your hair or picking a cute outfit, and obviously being nice and friendly and having a positive attitude, no one's going to judge you for your skin condition! If they do, are they really worth your time...?
Even if you want to go out in sweatpants and a t-shirt with your hair in a ponytail, confidence and a smile are the best make-up, accessories, outfit, ... you name it!

Just by being here and making an effort, we're all on our way to gorgeous skin... we just have to see where the path takes us and how long it will be. Those naturally clear-skinned people will never know what it is to overcome such a personal challenge.... but when we do it, won't we feel so amazing?

Be happy. You're all awesome, helping each other out, spreading the positive energy...
Sorry if I sound like a yoga instructor/cheerleader/Red Bull addict, but I'm being who I am.
We all should be who we are and dazzle the world, because acne does not define us as people.

I was doing fairly well with my acne, well, as well as I could be until this morning when I broke out again. I have no idea what to do anymore. I don't drink anything except for water anymore and I stopped eating snacks and junkfood altogether and I still have problems. I have no idea about the kind of acne I have and I probably won't for a long time. I mean, for all I know it's an allergic reaction to something. My parents won't take me to the dermatologist or the doctor because they said it would cost too much and say it's my fault that I have it anyway.

Sometimes I don't think they understand how much having acne can affect me, especially living in a house full of flawless skin people. I must have been born cursed or something. Eighty percent of my life nowadays I can be found hiding in my room. I usually decline all requests to hang out with my friends and they're almost always upset with me now because I'm avoiding them and they don't know why. When I had a boyfriend I couldn't look at him. He had nearly flawless skin and was breathtakingly handsome while lucky me got both moderate acne and then also had to deal with hyperpigmentation/scars because I have darker skin. I always felt so inadequate standing next to him and I never told him that. I never told anyone how much I was disgusted and repulsed by myself. He broke up with me last November and we both go to the same church and I still couldn't face him so I just stopped going to church. Between him and being around all of the people with beautiful skin...I couldn't do it.

I don't know what happened, but for a while I was pretty content with life. Yeah, I had acne and scars/hyperpigmentation but who cared? I felt pretty and everyone always called me pretty. I'm a pretty darn intelligent girl, too. I made excellent grades and I took college-level courses. My teachers loved me and my friends were amazing. We were all pretty enthusiastic about school. Yeah, call me nerd. Lol, I really don't care anymore. So yeah, life was peachykeen and then I went on a field trip to the courts for Government and I looked into the bus mirror on the way home and saw the scars all over my face and couldn't believe it. Disgust filled every part of me immediately and I was silent the rest of the trip and ever since then I've been feeling like crap about myself. It's a cycle, I guess.

This is a very good topic!!

I never thought i would of been here talkin about a problem that we all have and are embarrased of.

Im just like u man just trying to isolate myself from the rest of the world due to this shitty problem. My acne is on and off but mostly ON. For example today my girlfriends(Ima guy) invited me to their parties and I dont want to go cuz my acne got a little worse than usual. I just hate having to not go out because of what I think people would think about me. Sometimes I also just go out and dont give a crap what other people think but then I just give up thinking like that and i right back in my house. But inspite of all that im thankfull im still here on this complicated world, healthy and young. I guess its just up to the person who suffers with acne on how they react to thier problem.

Quoted from above:

"But in spite of all that I'm thankful I'm still here on this complicated world, healthy and young. I guess its just up to the person who suffers with acne on how they react to their problem."

So here's it is people. Something really important is listed above and I want anyone who reads this to take note!!!!!!!!!!!! READY??????? WHAT IS IT IN THOSE 2 SENTENCES ABOVE?????? ANYONE HAVE A GUESS??????????????????

HERE IT IS. GRATITIDE AND ATTITUDE. BOTH WILL GET YOU REALLY FAR IN LIFE. BE GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT FLOWS INTO YOUR LIFE, BUT HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE/OUTLOOK AS WELL FOR YOUR FUTURE.

WHY?????????????????????

Because whatever energy you put out there is the energy you get back. The world and the envrionment around it loves grateful, positive people. And if you change to this, you change the people around you, could be your family, friends, work place and on and on.

In fact, really it's the whole world you can change by changing and healing yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You affect everyone around you positively or negatively. The choice is yours!

Acne does make u stronger. I think it makes u develop balls (courage and guts) to go out there and say, "hey i have acne but ima great person but if you only look at my acne u will never see the real me"

Something i did a few days ago was i actually asked a girl out and we are together. i just got moderate acne. I would have never asked anybody with a touch of acne when i was younger. This is a great topic

I think the only positive thing about acne is it makes you a stonger kinder person in a way...

Other than that it just plain sucks... ha ha

maybe acne comes from candida. some symptoms are :

acne, abdominal gas, headaches, excessive fatigue, cravings for alcohol, anxiety, cravings for sweets,
inability to think clearly or concentrate, mood swings, itching, depression, dizziness, poor memory,
muscle weakness, earaches, etc.

HI
THE GOOD NEWS WAS THAT IAM FREE OF ACNE BECAUSE OF ROACCUTANE .

BUT WE NEED TO CHALLENGE THE SCARRING

the only REALLY positive thing about acne is that when you are clear and free of marks, your confidence level will jump THROUGH THE ROOF. more than it ever was BEFORE you had acne.

man, ive been alternating between states of clear and mild acne, and when i am clear, i feel like a whole different person. i can easily approach strangers because i know that theyre not looking at my acne. i can easily approach girls with no problem because i know that that im handsome. relationships with all my friends improve. i become much more talkative in general.

guys, just have hope. eventually your day will come, and you will explode with confidence!

I think you are soo right about that, I feel like a whole differnt person when my skin is clear... how ever I still have red marks... which are very hard to cover... But I totally know what you mean.

Well, to be honest, I just really wanted to come in this thread and make an angry comment, 'cause simply acne sucks, I don't want to bring out the 'positive' sides of it nor I want to appreciate anything anyhow anywhere whatever....

But, yeah, I'm enjoying more the regular stuff that I do, 'cause every time a person is talking about a relative or a friend with a severe disease, maybe cancer, or even they've had a car accident and they couldn't walk anymore, or blind and deaf people...I really just really want to slap me in the face for worrying about a minor thing such as acne....If I was deaf I wouldn't listen to the music I love, I wouldn't be able to hear my mom's voice for example, or just birds in the morning...and it sounds so funny right now, but you can't imagine how hard it would be to be deaf or blind...

And hey, we still have our arms and legs...go take a vacation, explore something, go do something fun...watch a great movie....whatever inspires you and whatever you love!

And keep fightin'!

I ran for class president both freshman and sophomore year, and won both times! Those two years were the worst years acne wise for me too.

When people used to look at me I would make sure to look them right back in their eyes, made them less likely to make a comment.

But I'm not sure if that was the right way to approach it thinking back, I'd much rather just be able to not worry about what other people think. But thinking about that just makes me worry more and start walking funny.

Now when I walk I just try to zone out, and it doesnt even have to do with acne, I just cant take the silence.

I look at my other features and make myself give me complimants. I know that sounds stupid but if i am having a hard time with my skin I will say to myself "wow, you have really nice eyes" or "your hair looks fantastic today" I say this over and over again until I feel good about myself. wow I sound kinda lame.

Yes, having acne does make you stronger.
I have noticed that over the years comments hurt less.
I have also gained the abillity to avoid looking into mirrors like the plague. I remember that I would go shopping and then look at myself in the mirror and be grossed out and just leave. So now when shopping I look from the neck down mostly. It works.
I don't hide out at home though. I still go out. Yes the looks and comments aren't nice but I have a life to live. We have only one so live it to the fullest.

This thread really made me cry! (In a good way though!)
All you guys are sooo strong..! Im not!

overall, i think acne has done quite a few good things for me, but the most important is definately that whatever vanity i had before acne is long gone, and i think i can judge a persons character better now, as i no longer consider their appearance as important