106 replies to this topic

[Natashagirl]

I know, it might sound stupid question for you, but try to think deeper, and answer. Why do you want to have clear skin? What is your purpose? What could give you clear skin, how would it change your life? Do you really need it?

[amy91]

I want to get clear, 'cuz I'm sick of feeling ugly and insecure, 'cuz I'm tired of all those diets, regimens, facials and other procedures, I'm fed up with mean pple who stare at my face every day and make stupid comments, I want to get clear,'cuz I want my life back. Acne doesn't let me be ME! Becoz I wanna feel pretty again.

Edited by amy91, 26 October 2011 - 10:10 PM.

[AcneSux7]

Don't look at me

Every day is so wonderful
And suddenly it's hard to breathe
Now and then I get insecure
From all the pain, feel so ashamed

I am beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring me down
I am beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring me down, oh no
So don't you bring me down today

[starness]

I want to have clear skin because

-I want to get a job!
-I want to have a high self-esteem
-I want to go to sleep with out crying
-I want to like at people in the eye when I talk to them.
-I want to have a boyfriend.
-I want to go out in the day time.
-I want to wear a bikini!
-I want to wear my hair up in a pony tail!
-I want to wear dresses!

There's more but yea acne has taken over my life !

[DukeBlueDevils]

So I can have my life back. 3 years of my life, ruined, thanks to acne and my acne has no end in sight so the years of my life that are lost are probably going to keep adding up. My life is dictated directly around my acne.

[PaulH85]

My experiences in life - or lack of, as the case may be - and how I feel about myself are down to how I responded to having acne, not due to the acne itself.

The only thing not having acne and not having to worry at all about my skin would give me is that sense of being like so many I know of who don't pay attention to what they eat or to maintaining a regimen and so on. It just takes that stress away I suppose, not having to give it any time or thought at all.

Otherwise, everything else - lack of confidence, lack of self esteem, lack of experiences, lack of social life, feelings of loneliness and depression - is down to me. The acne may have been the reason to start with, but it just formed a series of habits and behaviours. Rather than facing up to that and tackling it, I placed all the blame on the acne and used it as a crutch. I let the acne dictate what I did and how I felt for so long that I genuinely have forgotten how to be in charge of and accountable for my own feelings and happiness.

In that respect, you could give me the most perfect skin but it wouldn't actually change anything about me or the way I feel. It would probably give me a bit of confidence, taking away that main insecurity, but the rest of it is about my perception of myself and how I've been too scared to face up to my fears and make changes in life. The fear of failing or getting it wrong or being laughed at is what has stopped me for such a long time, and only by reaching a point where my skin has finally started to improve after thirteen years have I realised that they are in fact two separate issues and the acne is actually the smaller of the two. In fact, that one actually seems like the easiest to fix for me. With the self esteem and confidence issues, it feels like that's going to be quite a tough journey.

[amy91]

pfft isnt that obvious, you need to be pretty.

This

[tritonxiv]

I know, it might sound stupid question for you, but try to think deeper, and answer. Why do you want to have clear skin? What is your purpose? What could give you clear skin, how would it change your life? Do you really need it?

Great question.

Regardless of how we personally feel about our skin, the fact remains that the world we live in is based off of, and judged by appearances. That is simply the reality of our society at this point in history and I don't see it changing anytime soon. In order to maximize our success in life, we have to try and maximize ourselves in every way, always striving to improve upon who we are mentally, spiritually, and physically.

I don't see it as vanity or obsession. I see it as a desire to achieve everything we know we are capable of.

[LiveLaughFart]

So I can feel beautiful everyday

[mm97]

I think that the replies to this post prove just how good of a question it is. A lot of the answers people are giving are things that wouldn't necessarily be given to them by having clear skin. I think that to some people, 'clear skin' represents them being the best version of themselves, and they assume that once their skin is clear everything else will fall into place.

I have had issues with my confidence and my appearance and socializing and all that long before I had issues with my skin, so I know that clear skin won't give me those things. I suppose the question to ask yourself is what did acne really, honestly, with no deflection or exaggeration, take away from you? Because that is what having clear skin would give back to you.

What acne has taken away from me is just the ability to not worry about my face. Acne is very unpredictable, you never know when or where or to what extent it's going to happen, and for someone who always needs to be in control, that is hugely distressing. It would take away the distress of always worrying about what my skin will do next, and all the time I spend looking at it and reading about it and thinking about how to fix it. ...And that's about it.

Yes, acne hurt my confidence, but I didn't have much to begin with, and my real problem was that my confidence was too easily taken away. It could have been so many things other than acne - a bad relationship, a bad semester in school, some other thing I wanted to change about my appearance, etc. - those would have made me less and less confident as well. It just happened to be acne that I got stuck with, but when the acne is gone, I won't magically be more confident. Maybe I'll feel a little better about showing my face in public, but my confidence overall, how I talk to people, how I present myself - those things won't change when my skin is clear. The change needs to come from emotional, not physical, transformation.

[amy91]

My experiences in life - or lack of, as the case may be - and how I feel about myself are down to how I responded to having acne, not due to the acne itself.

The only thing not having acne and not having to worry at all about my skin would give me is that sense of being like so many I know of who don't pay attention to what they eat or to maintaining a regimen and so on. It just takes that stress away I suppose, not having to give it any time or thought at all.

Otherwise, everything else - lack of confidence, lack of self esteem, lack of experiences, lack of social life, feelings of loneliness and depression - is down to me. The acne may have been the reason to start with, but it just formed a series of habits and behaviours. Rather than facing up to that and tackling it, I placed all the blame on the acne and used it as a crutch. I let the acne dictate what I did and how I felt for so long that I genuinely have forgotten how to be in charge of and accountable for my own feelings and happiness.

In that respect, you could give me the most perfect skin but it wouldn't actually change anything about me or the way I feel. It would probably give me a bit of confidence, taking away that main insecurity, but the rest of it is about my perception of myself and how I've been too scared to face up to my fears and make changes in life. The fear of failing or getting it wrong or being laughed at is what has stopped me for such a long time, and only by reaching a point where my skin has finally started to improve after thirteen years have I realised that they are in fact two separate issues and the acne is actually the smaller of the two. In fact, that one actually seems like the easiest to fix for me. With the self esteem and confidence issues, it feels like that's going to be quite a tough journey.

I can relate my thoughts to these sentences. The clearer I get, the worse I feel about my whole life. It's ridiculous. I should smile and enjoy "clear times", but no, I think about how has acne dictated my life, how much damage I've got, I realize that I have no self-esteem and very poor social life. So either I'm worried about new breakouts,either depressed about emotional consequences of acne. Seems like a vicious cycle. And yeah, if I get the most perfect skin, I guess my life wouldn't change significantly. There are millions of pple who have some reasons to feel insecure and unfulfilled in life(nose,weight, social status,sexual orientation), our reason is damn acne. But I'm not sure if having clear skin would change my low self-esteem, insecurity and other super-personal issues. My mom always says that I am my own worst critic, that if I hadn't acne, I'd probably find something to be insecure about,lol. I agree with her.
In other words, if I finally get clear skin somtime, I'd probably get rid of one of my insecurities, but not from all.

I think that the replies to this post prove just how good of a question it is. A lot of the answers people are giving are things that wouldn't necessarily be given to them by having clear skin. I think that to some people, 'clear skin' represents them being the best version of themselves, and they assume that once their skin is clear everything else will fall into place.

I have had issues with my confidence and my appearance and socializing and all that long before I had issues with my skin, so I know that clear skin won't give me those things. I suppose the question to ask yourself is what did acne really, honestly, with no deflection or exaggeration, take away from you? Because that is what having clear skin would give back to you.

What acne has taken away from me is just the ability to not worry about my face. Acne is very unpredictable, you never know when or where or to what extent it's going to happen, and for someone who always needs to be in control, that is hugely distressing. It would take away the distress of always worrying about what my skin will do next, and all the time I spend looking at it and reading about it and thinking about how to fix it. ...And that's about it.

Yes, acne hurt my confidence, but I didn't have much to begin with, and my real problem was that my confidence was too easily taken away. It could have been so many things other than acne - a bad relationship, a bad semester in school, some other thing I wanted to change about my appearance, etc. - those would have made me less and less confident as well. It just happened to be acne that I got stuck with, but when the acne is gone, I won't magically be more confident. Maybe I'll feel a little better about showing my face in public, but my confidence overall, how I talk to people, how I present myself - those things won't change when my skin is clear. The change needs to come from emotional, not physical, transformation.

....then is it worth all of our depressive thoughts and stress?

Edited by amy91, 27 October 2011 - 04:21 PM.

[hotburrito]

^I don't think it's a question of it being worth all the emotional crap. People really just can't help it most of the time

On top of all the great answers already given: because acne doesn't belong on a human face the way eyes, a nose, and a mouth do . It's framed as a skin disorder/disease and almost automatically signifies everything from ugliness to uncleanliness to unluckiness.

Edited by hotburrito, 27 October 2011 - 11:49 PM.

[HiImMatt]

-Old life back
-Confidence back
-Have a girlfriend
-Walk out in public with no fear of people staring or making fun of me
-Feel good looking
-Make friends
-Get a job

The list goes on.

Edited by HiImMatt, 28 October 2011 - 09:06 PM.

[notanoutsider]

To me it's not about feeling pretty but feeling normal. Who doesn't hate washing his face every hour because it gets oily and disgusting? Who doesn't hate not being able to look people in the eyes? To get sunlight without feeling intimidated?

What I want is just to be able to enjoy life like a normal person, without having to worry about my skin so much, when other people don't care about it at all.

[beentheredonethat1]

My experiences in life - or lack of, as the case may be - and how I feel about myself are down to how I responded to having acne, not due to the acne itself. The only thing not having acne and not having to worry at all about my skin would give me is that sense of being like so many I know of who don't pay attention to what they eat or to maintaining a regimen and so on. It just takes that stress away I suppose, not having to give it any time or thought at all. Otherwise, everything else - lack of confidence, lack of self esteem, lack of experiences, lack of social life, feelings of loneliness and depression - is down to me. The acne may have been the reason to start with, but it just formed a series of habits and behaviours. Rather than facing up to that and tackling it, I placed all the blame on the acne and used it as a crutch. I let the acne dictate what I did and how I felt for so long that I genuinely have forgotten how to be in charge of and accountable for my own feelings and happiness. In that respect, you could give me the most perfect skin but it wouldn't actually change anything about me or the way I feel. It would probably give me a bit of confidence, taking away that main insecurity, but the rest of it is about my perception of myself and how I've been too scared to face up to my fears and make changes in life. The fear of failing or getting it wrong or being laughed at is what has stopped me for such a long time, and only by reaching a point where my skin has finally started to improve after thirteen years have I realised that they are in fact two separate issues and the acne is actually the smaller of the two. In fact, that one actually seems like the easiest to fix for me. With the self esteem and confidence issues, it feels like that's going to be quite a tough journey.

lol dude, gtfo. I don't even get why you are here. Your pic shows no sign of acne, the aftermath or whatsoever, and you are here posting everyday. It's starting to annoy the shit outta me. What the hell is wrong with you? Maybe the thing you need is a haircut?

Op, it is all about the confidence it gives, which is, in this case, feeling normal.

[PaulH85]

Thank you for that, I really appreciate you taking the time to insult me for no reason at all.
Show me where it states in the rules of the board that all users must suffer with constant acne and I'll gladly go away. Otherwise, shut up.

It's funny, since I posted a new picture in my gallery, quite clearly stating that I was doing so to show the progress my skin has made on the medication I'm taking, a few people have seen fit to call me out about it and now I'm being insulted. Why is that? This place is all about support, right? But once things actually start to work out, it looks as though some people seem not to like it. What's that all about?

Maybe I do get stuck in my own troubles sometimes and yes, I post here often, but I like being here. This place has helped me figure a lot of stuff out this year and I've also gained the knowledge I needed to start to clear my skin. That's what the picture is all about. Because this place has helped me, I like to help people in return. I believe I have done that and will continue to do so.

If you don't like me being here, that's your problem I'm afraid. I guess you'll just have to ignore my posts or something because I'm not going anywhere. Sorry to disappoint you.

Look around the Org, check out photos. You will see a lot of people with almost clear or near perfect skin. That's because they have found what works for them. Does that mean they are in the wrong by being here? No, of course not.

The ironic thing is, you have a go at me and then start talking about confidence. Read my post again. My 13 year struggle with acne has destroyed my confidence. That's the whole point! Just because you can't see pictures of my skin at its worst, doesn't mean it didn't happen. By the same token, I could question why you're here, on the basis that I don't know what your skin looks like, but I wouldn't do that because that would be stupid and ignorant.

Edited by PaulH85, 30 October 2011 - 08:00 AM.

[colostomus]

i want clear skin because i have enough to worry about in my life without my looks, dont get me wrong i love my life but it takes a LOT of work to keep it smooth-ish, and every now and then a breakout or a comment from someone just shatters my confidence completely.....

[FaceValues]

I used to want clear skin for different reasons than I do now, reasons that are more or less the same as what has been previously mentioned.

Now I want clear skin because it's something I haven't had for 7 years. And when I had it, of course I never expected it to be altered. It's like enjoying your favorite flavor of ice cream and then one day, poof! there's no more of that flavor left in the entire world(if your flavor of choice is polar bear, this may be you in 50 years).

So what if some people off the internet told you there was more ice cream? And it was a way you'd never thought of attempting?

I want what I used to have but ignored. Like a lover I neglected but whose absence I now dearly miss. And I'm going to keep believing it's possible to get them back through diet change, because, well, what's the other option? Wallow in threads like these? Keep using medication that causes imbalances and even harm to my body? Or maybe religiously using some new topical I haven't tried yet. Nah.

I mean no disrespect to this thread or forum, I whole-heartedly believe people have a lot of feelings that ought to go expressed rather than keeping it inside and experiencing what certain ones can do to us (acne, anyone?). I'm just saying, even if your favorite flavor disappeared forever, there are tons of others to choose from besides the double-churned "hopeless", the chunky "I don't have any options", or a personal favorite, "I have no control".

TL;DR ice cream=feelings

[woah44]

I want to have clear skin because I hate disappointing my friends and family. I'd hate to have to take my senior picture looking like this. I want to be able to make it up to a girl that I lied about not wanting to be in a relationship because I didn't feel secure about my looks whenever I was with her. I want to be able to make eye contact with a person without them glancing over at my acne. But really, the biggest thing I want back in my life is being able to think clearly...not having acne in my head 24/7 and constantly trying to avoid any type of socialization.