How ever did Dan get such shiny and clear skin? Didn't he say that he suffered from bad acne when he was young? So how come his face appears so perfect with no scars? Wish I could have that..

Well,

I had my acne beat to about 3-4 major cyst blemishes and inflammation all congregated in the nose area, but one night of complacent and unfaithful food partaking sparked a heart-wrenching, gut ripping breakout. I mean, this was the worst breakout I've had since being on doxycycline (3-5 months ago)and it's hitting me hard honestly. I'm trying to remain strong and push on through this, hoping it'll clear. It's so hard when you've been treating your acne for so long, experiencing so much success and just over one night, you have a breakout that pushes you back 3-4 weeks on your recovery schedule. mean, my face never looked this bad in a long time. Sure, I've had some ugly look cysts, pustules, zits etc.. but never where it's all over my face. I mean, it's almost like Hs all over again, when my face was incredibly inflamed and oily.

I just want it to be all over. I've learned and taken so much from this experience but it gets to a point when enough is enough!! My face is severely scarred now but I have come to grips with that cruel fact but I just want the "moodyness" of acne to end. i really hate typing a self-pity rant but this is a good and constructive place to do it in.

this is a long story. but in summary, I went on a date with a really nice guy tonight and it was AMAZING and I came back to hear that one of my best friend's was a mess once she found out about it because he was her first kiss, her first areihnainha, etc. however, I thought it was a hookup type thing, and I clearly remembered her saying a year ago when they kind of had a thing that she didn't like him and she thought he was clingy and annoying but she didn't know how to tell him. and I talked to my other friend about it, and she didn't make it seem like it was a big deal. and me and this guy have been talking for about 3 months now... and live about 30 minutes away from each other, so we decided to go out to the movies tonight and we had a really nice time. he likes me (alottt) and I like him (alottt) so then I get home, I'm in this great mood, and then I get a text from one of my friends saying how my other friend is all hurt because she had memories with the guy and she doesn't want me to have that too, because then she'd feel like she didn't mean anything and wasn't special. and then my friend was like you broke girl code! and I'm like I had no idea!

it just seems like everything I have that's good, or could be good, always fails, or is taken away from me. I've never been in a relationship before, I've never had feelings like that for anyone before, and this feels legit. and I know that it's only a matter of weeks before he asks me to become his girlfriend.

but I don't want to hurt my friend, but I know if I say okay, I'll stop dating him, then I'll be extremely hurt, and I already have a fear of getting involved with guys because I've been hurt EVERY time, and things never work out, and this was the one thing I felt sure of. and I can't just unlike him! it doesn't happen.

but I don't get it! the thing they had wasn't real, and she even said she doesn't have feelings for him! she's just upset because she has memories with him.

and I don't know what to do! I'll be mega depressed if I don't see where this thing with him goes, I know we could be good together! I have like this major connection with him, and it feels so right.

I'm the one crying my eyes out, not her!

and we were supposed to hang out this weekend, but now IDK!
why does this stuff happen to me?! I had NO IDEA she would be upset like this about it.
hianhianhiranhiahrninhaornhoarn so. freaking. upset.
:'(

Everyday i take great effort, time and pains to take care of my face following a routine. Well my family understand. Till one day some relatives came over to my house and stay for a short period.

I will like to ask all of u here, how long do u all take to bathe including brushing of teeth and applying medications on your face? Why do i ask such a question? I take 30-40 mins which includes flossing of teeth as i am on braces. Is it really too long, too much? And its only at night.

Because when my relatives were at my house, they of course seen my routine everyday. And i overheard them saying, why did he take such a long time to bathe. He is looking at his face, popping his pimples, looking at his scar etc etc ..... Worse was, he thought that people want to look at his face, his face is so disgusting.

How will u guys feel upon hearing all these? I really felt like giving up coz like what they said, it's already bad no point taking effort to wash up. Demoralised. Now even after they had left, their words are constantly in my mind.

You could say that something worked for you, that you had a severe bout of acne once and a certain treatment cured it from coming again. Well, I feel happy for you but there are three types of people in relation to acne.

One, a certain but rare kind of people who never ever have acne, just maybe the ocassional pimples. Two, the majority of people who have on off acne, but after sometime managed to get rid of the acne. And lastly, the group that I belong, another group of people where acne will persist no matter what you do.

Ive been to 10 over laser treatments. I wash my face EVERDAY. Ive tried going vegan. I drink TONS of water everyday. I went for facials, I tried taking isotretinoin for a few months. I tried taking vitamin C.

I tried pratically everything. Sometimes, it works and for a few weeks or even months I would have better skin, but then the acne returns. My whole face now are left with pit holes and scars.

I give up!

i've been talking to this amazing guy for a few weeks now and he told me that he likes me...

we mostly hang out in places where the lighting doesnt show off my awful skin...the few times we have been in bright lights, my acne wasn't too terrible to where i was super insecure

we're supposed to hang out this weekend (in 3 days) outside during the day ata park and now there's no hiding from him i was OK with this but now my face started breaking out like crazy!!

i cant imagine being out there with him all day and looking him in the eye and actually enjoying myself

i feel absolutely sick to my stomach just thinking about this

i wanna cancel our plans but then he will think i don't like him and that i dont care!!! gahh what to do?

Hey everyone, I just need to talk to you guys on here who understand how hard it is having to deal with acne. I got into a huge fight with my mom yesterday about my acne.

This is probably way to long for people to read so i'll post some questions at the end for those who want to help but don't want to read!

It all started off when I went to visit her work today after school. She felt the need to yell out to everyone "LOOK AT HIS FACE! SEE HOW BAD IT IS??!" Which was completely embarrassing. Everyone just stared at my face and had no comment. I was furious after and had to leave for my dermatologist appointment. I had to get a cyst injected with cortizone because it was getting really big and my derm said I should probably get it injected before it gets worse. So I got it injected, and they bumped me up to 60 mg of accutane.

Later that night she asked me how the dermatologist went and I explained to her that I had to get a shot for one of my cysts. Then she started rambling off about how my acne was never that bad, and she doesn't know why i'm getting it since no one in the family has it. She keeps telling me she feels sorry for my face and that it looks worse. Mind you, she tells me this EVERYDAY. It's so frustrating and embarassing that she keeps reminding me about it. I finally snapped on her after this morning's incident and all her comments for the past 10 years. I started telling her that I felt sorry she was fat. She was pissed and started yelling at me. I then told her, "Now you know how it feels, except imagine if I say that every day of your life."

Well our argument didn't turn out so well. She proceeded to tell me that her being fat and me having acne were completely different things. Which I didn't agree with. And she told me to never talk to her again. I know it was wrong to say that, but I was and still am very upset that my mother is the only one reminding my of how bad my acne is. No one has EVER commented on my face in public. None of my friends, workers, or random strangers. At least they have the respect to keep their mouth shut. My mom could think whatever she wants of my face, its the fact that everyday I come home from school, she puts me down reminding me of how horrible my face is and that she feels sorry for me. I don't know what to do.. I try not to let my acne run my life. I'm usually a happy and energetic person out of my home since people are not judging me OUTLOUD. I feel more confident that way. Then its a whole different story at home. I AM judged by my MOM, and it hurts, is embarrassing, and makes me feel like shit.

I've told my mom several times to stop saying anything pertaining to my face because it hurts my feelings and is embrassing, but she still does.

"What's wrong with your face today? It looks really bad"
"WOW your face is really really bad"
"I can't stand looking at your face, it breaks my heart"
"When is it going to get better?"
"It was never this bad, what did you do?"
"Remember when you were 10, your face was perfectly clear"
"You have tons of scars, I wish you never had acne"
"[insert acne comment here"

My mom tells me all of this and more EVERYDAY! I am not even kidding you. I will record her for evidence..

How do you deal with these remarks everyday? How do you not get frustrated?

Am I wrong to get mad at my mom for saying these things to me everyday?

When someone says, "I feel sorry for your face," How would you take that? I personally see that as a blatant insult. My mother, however, says that it's not. How else would you take that comment?! Its definitely NOT a compliment...

So I've been thinking about this topic for a while. What if we psychologically create acne? If you look through acne.org's product reviews virtually all of them are rated 4 stars or plus, but everyone still seems to have acne. I know for me, speaking out of experience, Whenever i use a new product i get better for a while while my hopes are up and then as i see a new break out or i don't see a clear face (anxiety) i lose hope and the product seems to go downhill from there. I've tried BP, Proactive and tons of other things. The big thing for me was smoking weed, when i stoppedmy face got a lot better, but it soon ot almost back to normal, and now on the odd times i do smoke i break out far worse than efore when i used to smoke. It seems I only really breakout over something when i think that it is effecting me. I'm just curious to other people's thoughts or and way's of fixing this mind game.

AirKyle

She's always making comments about my face, and everything about me, she doesn't miss a chance. She's been like this for almost 10 years.

One time i just couldn't take anymore and sat at night thinking of a solution to shut her up (for sure this time). I was really REALLY pissed.

I thought the only possible way was to wait until she made one more comment then grab her neck and slam her against the wall and tell her to stop once she was paralyzed with fear, and if she didn't then I WOULD hit her. Not hard of course, I just wanted to scare her.

My mom saw me and she asked me what was up. I told her my plan and she called my sister to talk. I started telling her with a really weak voice about to cry "xxxx if you would please stop making comment about my face and..." When my sister saw me about to break down with tears she looked at me with her eyebrow up and smirked like she always does and and said "huh?"

I put my hands in front of my face and my head down trying to get myself to get out some words. I was about to explode, I felt like my body gave two choices on how to let it all out. I could break down with tears, or I could go completely psycho (i'm not exaggerating) I never want to be violent, but The fact that she kept being like this even when she saw me about cry pissed me off like never before, seriously I felt like a devil.
I was so pissed I chose to go psycho.

Then right after, I snapped and put my head up again facing her directly. My eyes were wide open and my mouth was showing my teeth like a dog. and I said "BECAUSE I WANT TO HIT YOU!!! HAHAHAHA NEXT TIME YOU PISS ME OFF..." then my mom stopped me. and I looked at my mom, and i remember that my lower eyelid was raised (yeah like a psycho's) she got really scared.

I continued yelling, sometimes I didn't say any words it was just "GRRAAAARR!!!"and my mom trying to stop me. All the while facing my sister with my fists closed and continuously half-standing from the chair and sitting back down like I almost couldn't stop myself from standing up and attacking her right then. At that time, she wasn't my sister, or a girl, or whatever. She was just a monster that was hurting me and would continue to hurt me forever unless I put a stop to it.

My mom said my eyes were bloodshot and that I looked like a very mad dog. I think she's right, I do remember "smiling" while I was yelling. Oh man

My sister started crying, but I didn't buy it at all. Anyway my mom stopped me and my sister said she wouldn't say stuff like that anymore. I know ultimately stopped because I told my mom, I kind of used her as a way to stop myself. Of course my sister hasn't stopped completely...then I try to be friends with her, help her with homework, take her running because she's too lazy and needs someone to push her, and let her borrow my things, and then she is a bitch again (I don't like saying that word, but how else can I describe her?) Seriously.

Anyway, thanks MarkP9114 for posting your story, it helped me decide to post mine

So i was coming out of the shop after buying my drink n shit, had a really bad day - not acne wise just generally. some chavs were out there, probably like three guys, two girls and a dog, can't remember.
The biggest guy said to me "nice face", I didn't really think about what to do next, it was kind of uncontrollable.

I spat my drink in his face and hit him in the head, then his friend tried to grab me, I leaned into a punch right under his rib cage and came up with a left to his head. The last guy was grabbing me from behind so I shoved my head back then turned around, he hit me but I didn't feel anything I was in a rage next few moments is a blur.

Yup, I'm not proud of it but these chavs should know they're place. They think because they have a $20 cap they can disrespect everyone, six years of rage came out and it felt good hell I could of probably taken out more.

Don't feel sorry for them, I heard them saying shit like "you gonna ask her for a blowjob" to they're girly friends - which is fucking disrespectful, it sickens me to think that girls of around 15 like these kinda idiots.

So yeah I'm not proud of it but it happened and it felt good.

Peace

You apply a cream, gel, or something similar to your face and accidentally put on waaaaaay too much?

I can remember playing Football in eight grade, free from any problems. I sometimes didn't take showers after practice, and would just go home and hang out with friends for the rest of the day. I used to get some pretty large Whiteheads here and there, they were embarressing. I remember one kid commenting that a rather large Whitehead on my nose made me look like "Rudolph." Well, I started using Oxy a bit, and showering more often and my skin was perfect. I hadn't had skin problems at all growing up, and I was happy to have clear skin.

The second week of school, my Freshman year, I come home from class and our power is off, as well as our Water. My mom tells me we quite literally have to abandon our home, and go to live with my grandfather in Idaho. Fucking Idaho? I remember thinking that nobody lives there. I had to leave my Football team, my friends, and my house of 13 years. We drove up to Idaho, it took a week to get situated, but I started school. My acne was still perfectly fine. I remember I was still using Oxy in the mornings before school, and was showering daily before school now.

The second week of classes in Idaho, I get called down to go to the front office. Lo and behold my father is standing there. I hug him, and he tells me, "I want you and Maddie (my sister) to come back to Texas with me. I've got the house back, and I want you to graduate from your high school and enjoy McKinney." I didn't really know what to think. I've lived with my mom my entire life.

Long story short, we pick up my little sister from HER school. The sheriff was with us. My mom drives up to her school as well, crying. I'm pretty sure her world was ruined. We move back to Texas. My dad wouldn't come home at night. There would be a span of 48 hours where we just wouldn't see him. I can clearly remember him CALLING one night to say, "I'm on my way home, stopping by Albertsons to get dinner. What do you want?" we told him...he never showed up that night.

My mom moved back down to Texas, to fight for custody. I've been living with her for about 3 years.

Now that the introduction is set, I wanted to talk about my Acne. My Acne FLARED up the first week I came back to Texas. I was extremely reclusive, I'm pretty sure I became depressed. I continued Football, and I would talk to friends here and there...but I never invited them over. I never went out after I got home from school. I was embarressed about my father not being home. I never had a ride anywhere.

This continued for most of high school. Broken promises by my dad. I quit Football my Sophomore year. I just couldn't take the embarressment of being unable to get a ride to practice anymore. I skipped two weeks straight my Sophomore year. Just sat at home playing on the Computer. Heh...

Most people probably see their High School graduation day as one of the best of their lives. I was finally done with mandatory schooling. To be blunt, I didn't even want to go. I hated my skin. I hated that I had so many beautiful friends growing up, and they were all dating now, or had cars, or had lives. I had nothing.

I sat on my ass for about 18 months after graduating. I've never cried about my life, but I think it was really starting to hit me: my life was no longer "planned out". It was completely up to me, now, to get myself a job and go to college. I had no will. No desire. No drive to live a healthy life. I just sat at home, playing World of Warcraft. I've always thought that true happiness started within, not from pharmeceuticals. But I finally said fuck it. I went to my doctor, and got Lexapro. It helped a bit, I suppose.

Fast forward to about...oh...7 months ago. One night I was laying on the couch falling asleep. A voice inside myself said "fuck this" and I literally jumped up, and walked myself down to the apartment workout complex. I started working out just like I had in Football. I used to be so big back then, so healthy. I had great skin, I was successful at it, I was respected for it. Well, needless to say, I continued working out. I signed up for Summer semester classes. I got myself a drivers license (yes, that's right, I got it at the age of 20.) I never asked my dad to help me get my license in high school. I really didn't like him at all, and I was embarressed about going out in public.

Well, here I am now. I exercise 5 times a week. I have 90's in a full load of college courses. My Texas History professor wants me to major in a History-related field, and said he'd write a recommendation for any job I want. I have a car, I have a license, I have a life. I'm still single, unfortunately, but over the past six or so months I've made strides to quit fucking around and take control. I was fucking tired of letting Acne dictate my life.

Three weeks ago, I got it in my mind to ask a very cute girl out at my college. We had talked maybe once or twice, and I thought she seemed very interesting. I knew she enjoyed football, and she has a sarcastic sense of humor like me. After pacing around after class for about 5 minutes like a moron, I finally went up and asked her out. She smiled and say "Maybe." Needless to say nothing came out of it, rofl.

I can honestly say, for once in my life, I didn't blame my Acne. I didn't even care. I finally grew a pair and did something I wanted to. That has been my goal for the past six months: to do what *I* want. And I did. And that felt good. If it wasn't obvious yet, I still have Acne. Despite 3 months of Dan's regimen, of changing to a VERY good diet, of very healthy exercise, and of drinking ONLY Water (I used to chug Soda's and such). Nothing has worked for my Acne.

I think I've just come to accept, as of late, that it's just who I am. I look back and figure that the extreme stress of moving to Idaho, and then back again; losing my mother, and being raised with an alcoholic father throughout the four most important years of my teenage life just ruined me. I've figured that it's not a diet problem, it's not a bacterial problem; it's just...me. Maybe it's hormonal, I don't know. I wish I did.

Anyways, I just wanted to write this all down. I'm extremely quiet about my Acne. I truly hate it, and have for years. It's sapped away my ability to...be. But I'm trying my best nowadays. I love school, I'm interested in my life again. Perhaps this is all just a lesson I have to learn. If so, I think I''m starting to learn it. I think people underrate just how truly detrimental Acne can be to a young adult's life. You don't want to go out, you don't want to date, you just want to sit your ass down and be alone. And this lifestyle in and of itself causes depression, stress, and even more confidence issues. It's a vicious cycle.

I will continue to live my life, and continue the regimen. My only hope is it goes away one day.

Note: I Photoshopped my avatar. My face hasn't been that clear in at least seven years.

I would do unspeakable things

So yesterday I was sitting in my public relations class pretty bored and began to look around the room. It was at that point that I noticed that over half of my class, if not most of the class, had some sort of acne on their face.

Considering that we are aspiring publicists and are going to have to put ourselves out their a lot with our future jobs, I found this fact to be pretty funny but at the same time, it made me feel a whole lot better about myself.

I felt as if my confidence grew a ton after this. I know that I'm going to have to show off my face and make a ton of eye contact with my future clients. I'm now okay with that fact now that I know that I won't be the only publicist out there with some acne on their face. lol

The point here is: acne shouldn't matter career wise. I saw a post about hiring someone with acne on here and it sorta bothered me

The kids in my class are confident young future publicists that know their going to show off their face on a day to day basis. In no way do any of my classmates let their skin issues get them down. They all make eye contact with eachother and aren't in the slighest bit shy.

When it comes to finding a good job, skin really doesn't matter. It's all about your confidence and the way you present yourself to people.

No matter if your in marketing/public relations or work as a telemarkter, let your true self be seen. Be your own publicist and highlight yourself from the inside out.

Did any of you guys judge others by their acne before yours erupted? I'm embarassed to say I kinda did at one time or another.

How cool would this be if there was a such thing as an Acne Camp (Like fat Camp or something lol) where you could stay there for a few months, do outdoor activities in the sunshine and Fresh Air and meet people with the same condition as you so you don't have to feel embarressed?! Girls wouldn't wear make-up and stuff and you can just let your hair down and have fun! Would have to be somewhere nice like America or something. Would be nice also just to eat healthy foods and get some exercise! Only wish it were true cos I would def go stay there!

I woke up with a bunch of pimples on my right and left cheeks and I cleaned my face well last night and I'm eating right. I don't know what to do; I can't sleep now because it hurts too much when I rest my head against a pillow.

I just want a friend
Somebody I identify with
Somebody I admire
Somebody who cares.

It's a painful experience for me to live each day without a friend, feeling lost and helpless. This is the way I feel.

okay so this is my last year in highschool i like this 1 girl she is jus amazing how she looks i like her alot i kno she has had braces before and the reason why i think i have a chance is because i think i look attractive from my features such as nose and jaw and all that and i have a nice natural smile i have super straight teeth from the day i was born so im thinking but im scared shitless what should i do should i wait more into the year till my skin gets a litte bit better ...feedback please

Have anyone else ever skipped school because of acne? I did today. People who have never really had to deal with acne wouldn't know just how difficult acne is to deal with, physically and emotionally. It's not like my acne is gonna be any better tmoro but this morning was so stressful. I even tried make up! And I'm a straight guy so we're talking zero experience with that stuff. I feel so weak and shallow. Has anyone else ever skipped school or work because of acne? What about trying make up or some other desperate way to hide your face?

trying to do somethin a lil different. songs that best define you??

me would be -

The Used- A Poetic Tragedy
B4MV- Tears dont fall

You just feel extremely depressed and don't want to do anything but lie down on the floor miserable? Like you don't even know why you're feeling so awful, you just are.

I just felt like telling some of you guys this stuff...

Okay, so I met this girl that I really, really like back in January. My face was about 90% clear at the time. I talked to her a lot and everything. Back in May my face started breaking out a lot more, I lost a bit of confidence. I did most of my talking to her over AIM. After school ended in June I talked to her on AIM all summer long. My face was breaking out worse and worse over the summer. Once school started again in August, my face was really bad and I had lost all my confidence. So I sort of stopped talking to her altogether, and tried avoiding her from seeing me. She sort of noticed I was avoiding her so I stopped. I still didn't talk to her. Now my face has gotten a bit better. So, I'm thinking of starting to talk to her again. It's just been so long and it'll be weird since I haven't said anything since August.

Anyone ever had any similar problems to this?

I been at home 6 days! because of acne new record for me.
What makes it worse is I picked at my acne and made the whole situation 100x worse.
I feel so bad and stupid!

So..what is the most you stayed indoors because of acne, and was anyone stupid like me and picked your acne and made everything worse?

okie... please take this the fun way.

Finally I got a pimple on a spot I cannot care less : next to my belly button. I honestly think it's kinda cute......(I know this sounds crazy haha..) So I'm thinking, everyone must have a spot they wish their acne would grow on, instead of their face. (I know you'd much prefer the acne grow on someone else's body)

So... suppose your face is clear, and you have to have one giant evil cysts come up, where is the dream spot you wish for the cysts to show up? (between your toes, behind your eyes, in between your hair, under your foot.........)

I say: my arm
at least I can put a bandaid on and pretend I just got a flu shot.

sometimes I think to myself maybe if I travel there things might not be so bad, people might actually react differently to less than perfect skin when the reality could be they react the same or worse.

If we have people from Spain, US, Canada, Italy..whereever it would be nice for them to talk about how people react to acne where they are, so I can immigrate there

But seriously....how are the reactions where you are?

If I went to Miami LA without makeup for example, would people crucify me?