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Okay I don't know if it's just me but lately I've been noticing that if I look at my acne in one mirror, it'll look severe. If I look at it in another mirror, it'll look moderate. And another mirror will make it look mild. What's up with this? I know lighting plays a huge role but then think about it... we may NEVER know how we really look like! Our acne could actually be mild but we may be looking at it in a different lighting which shows it to be severe. Wow this is trippin' me out lol. I don't even know what to think of mine anymore!
Anyone else felt like this or am I just crazy?
You're not crazy 
I know exactly what you mean!
It's really annoying how different mirrors and lighting make your acne look so different. That's one of the reasons I try and make sure looking in the mirror is not the last thing I do before I leave the house. If it is the last thing I do then I can end up being worried about or preoccupied with how my skin actually looks during the day instead of forgetting about it and just going about my day. I also make sure to avoid the mirror in my bathroom in the afternoon because the afternoon/evening setting sun light that comes through the window makes my acne look a thousand times worse than any other point in the day - it seems to show up any pigmentation I have. So I think it is more to do with the lighting than the mirrors (though I guess if you had more of a magnifying mirror that would change things too..)
But try not to think about it (how lighting/mirrors might change things) too much - it'll just make you worry over your skin which won't help anything. Try and just go through your day enjoying it 
You are not alone my friend! My acne scarring looks very minimal on my mirror with regular sunlight coming through my windows, but when I'm on my mom's vanity with a light bulb, it definitely looks worse. That is why I never use her vanity because my mirror gives me a little bit more confidence. haha.
Hahaha! I can definitely relate to this subject.
I like to look in my own bathroom mirror which has an open ceiling with natural day light shining through.
It doesn't make my skin looks better or worse, but rather it's just the reality.
However, I HATE those packet size mirror like those in compact make up.
For one, it's such a small size so it only focus on one section on the face instead of the whole image.
I HATE it whenever I go get a haircut and then those people would hand me a small mirror at the end so I could look around, I mean, there's a mirror right IN FRONT of me already, why the hell would you have to hand another one to me.
It haunts me. :'(
Though beside my own bathroom mirror, I kinda also like the mirrors in clothing stores, something about their light setting would always blurs out everything.
Totally know what you mean! Sometimes I'll see myself in the mirrors in my house with all this soft lighting, and I think "hey, I'm lookin' pretty good today!" then if I'm out and about somewhere like at a store and I see myself in a mirror directly under fluorescent lighting...I think "AHHH! KILL IT WITH FIRE!" so it's super confusing and disheartening, I think it just all depends on those lighting conditions. Truth be told though, I don't think fluorescent lighting really favors ANYONE...even people who don't have acne/scar issues. It's just really harsh lighting and it makes everyone look sickly
The lighting in my bathroom and bedroom are very dimmed down , so my face appears more clear than it really is! But,I get really paranoid and check myself in a brighter lightning and take pictures of myself to see how others see my
face. Self-torture, really.
I do the same thing, I wanna die.
The lighting in my bathroom and bedroom are very dimmed down , so my face appears more clear than it really is! But,I get really paranoid and check myself in a brighter lightning and take pictures of myself to see how others see my face. Self-torture, really.
Sounds like you have BDD. Which is a shame because there is nothing wrong with you physically from what I can tell in your pics. I do the same thing with looking at myself in different lighting to check my scars, take pictures of myself etc. Its a vicious cycle that I wish would stop. I wish I could just stop giving a shit but I can't.
From wikipedia: Skin conditions such as acne vulgaris are among the most common sources of distress of patients with BDD,[14][25] especially in cases where the condition is severe such as cystic acne on a persons back, chest or face etc. BDD does not necessarily go away even once the acne clears as scarring caused by the acne often becomes the new "defect" in which the person focuses on, as can other skin conditions such as pigmentation or moles. The prevalence of acne in those with BDD has led to a subset of the condition called "Acne Dysmorphia".
I read this which is interesting: There is evidence that individuals with BDD have abnormal visual processing when viewing their own face, others' faces, and inanimate objects. However, it is still unclear if these phenomena are the cause or effect of having BDD.
From what I've read about "abnormal visual processing" and BDD is that basically we see shit that really isn't there or our brain perceives things to be much worse than it actually is. So like I'm telling you your scars aren't that bad when I look at your pictures, through your eyes when you look at the mirror or take pictures of yourself you see it worse than it actually is. Your brain is messing with you. I wonder how true it is tho...
To OP, however you look in any lighting in the mirror is basically what you really look like in that particular situation. So if it looks mild in some mirrors thats what it probably looks like in that particular spot in that particular lighting but if it looks severe in others thats how it looks like. Yea life with acne sucks.
You are right tho we will never know how we really look to others. Mirrors reflect our image backwards which isn't reality. Cameras give you a better idea but its not pefect at all. The coloring is off, texture is wrong and its a 2D image. Also depending on the lens of the camera you probably really look totally different. I read an article about cameras and they showed a model whos photo was taken with a variety of different camera lenses and she looked different in every picture.
In conclusion acne sucks and so does life. Well mine at least.
The lighting in my bathroom and bedroom are very dimmed down , so my face appears more clear than it really is! But,I get really paranoid and check myself in a brighter lightning and take pictures of myself to see how others see my face. Self-torture, really.
LOL hun I'm TOTALLY with you on doing that! That's exactly me right there, haha. Thought I was the only one wow.
Hey, just to say I completely agree with you on this one...which is why I tend to have a mirror for 'assessing' a particular spot, a mirror for picking, a mirror for applying concealer and yet another one that is really flattering if I'm feeling bad!
It's bizarre as well because when I'm looking at my face I stand so close and feel horrified by all the pickable areas and think everyone must be able to see them as well, but I've started to realise I never stand that closely to anyone else's face so how could they possibly see what I'm seeing! So I've basically started standing at least a metre away from every mirror and even holding my compact at an arm's length...also my eyesight is terrible so I take my contact lenses out before I take my make up off and THEN look in the mirror, always makes me feel better!
I agree with the BDD thing too in a way, trying to analyze my skin from all angles in different lighting is definitely exacerbating the problem!
Hey, just to say I completely agree with you on this one...which is why I tend to have a mirror for 'assessing' a particular spot, a mirror for picking, a mirror for applying concealer and yet another one that is really flattering if I'm feeling bad!
It's bizarre as well because when I'm looking at my face I stand so close and feel horrified by all the pickable areas and think everyone must be able to see them as well, but I've started to realise I never stand that closely to anyone else's face so how could they possibly see what I'm seeing! So I've basically started standing at least a metre away from every mirror and even holding my compact at an arm's length...also my eyesight is terrible so I take my contact lenses out before I take my make up off and THEN look in the mirror, always makes me feel better!
I agree with the BDD thing too in a way, trying to analyze my skin from all angles in different lighting is definitely exacerbating the problem!
That's a good point there about the fact that we see our face much closer in the mirror than how others see it ! That made me feel better! They can't see all my imperfections unless our noses are touching!
The lighting in my bathroom and bedroom are very dimmed down , so my face appears more clear than it really is! But,I get really paranoid and check myself in a brighter lightning and take pictures of myself to see how others see my face. Self-torture, really.
Sounds like you have BDD. Which is a shame because there is nothing wrong with you physically from what I can tell in your pics. I do the same thing with looking at myself in different lighting to check my scars, take pictures of myself etc. Its a vicious cycle that I wish would stop. I wish I could just stop giving a shit but I can't.
From wikipedia: Skin conditions such as acne vulgaris are among the most common sources of distress of patients with BDD,[14][25] especially in cases where the condition is severe such as cystic acne on a persons back, chest or face etc. BDD does not necessarily go away even once the acne clears as scarring caused by the acne often becomes the new "defect" in which the person focuses on, as can other skin conditions such as pigmentation or moles. The prevalence of acne in those with BDD has led to a subset of the condition called "Acne Dysmorphia".
I read this which is interesting: There is evidence that individuals with BDD have abnormal visual processing when viewing their own face, others' faces, and inanimate objects. However, it is still unclear if these phenomena are the cause or effect of having BDD.
From what I've read about "abnormal visual processing" and BDD is that basically we see shit that really isn't there or our brain perceives things to be much worse than it actually is. So like I'm telling you your scars aren't that bad when I look at your pictures, through your eyes when you look at the mirror or take pictures of yourself you see it worse than it actually is. Your brain is messing with you. I wonder how true it is tho...
To OP, however you look in any lighting in the mirror is basically what you really look like in that particular situation. So if it looks mild in some mirrors thats what it probably looks like in that particular spot in that particular lighting but if it looks severe in others thats how it looks like. Yea life with acne sucks.
You are right tho we will never know how we really look to others. Mirrors reflect our image backwards which isn't reality. Cameras give you a better idea but its not pefect at all. The coloring is off, texture is wrong and its a 2D image. Also depending on the lens of the camera you probably really look totally different. I read an article about cameras and they showed a model whos photo was taken with a variety of different camera lenses and she looked different in every picture.
In conclusion acne sucks and so does life. Well mine at least.
Looking back at the last couple of months, I think I probably do suffer from it. I've been constantly looking in the mirror for hours, trying to cover myself with makeup, stare again in the mirror and when I'm still not satisfied with the result, I remove it and feel so sad and terrible about myself.
Although most of it is acne scarring, the obsession about my skin got worse probably because the scars are a reminder of my hospitalisation 4 years ago, which was a very traumatic experience. I had to take a lot of medication that broke me out a lot, on top of that, my hair thinned out and I lost a lot of it. They also made me gain a lot of weight, I had a "moon-face" (really chubby cheeks like a chipmunk) and a some kind of hump of fat behind my neck. So, there I was, a sick and disproportionate looking person with bad-baldy hair and acne. It took a huge toll on my self-esteem and even more so even after I recovered from all of that and got healthy again. I remember that a lot of people would ask me about my acne and offer their advice or even have the nerve to wonder why I had acne when I used to have clear skin...
There was this one time I had to go the hair salon to cut my hair and the hairdresser noticed my bald spot on my head and she was shocked and my mom explained why and the lady had this look of pity for me. She also wondered about my acne. I remember crying all the way back home in the car. I just hated that others felt sorry for me, for the way I looked, for being sick. I think feeling sorry for my acne is just as worse as an insult...I dunno, I just don't want to be like the girl I was 4 years ago.
The lighting in my bathroom and bedroom are very dimmed down , so my face appears more clear than it really is! But,I get really paranoid and check myself in a brighter lightning and take pictures of myself to see how others see my face. Self-torture, really.
Sounds like you have BDD. Which is a shame because there is nothing wrong with you physically from what I can tell in your pics. I do the same thing with looking at myself in different lighting to check my scars, take pictures of myself etc. Its a vicious cycle that I wish would stop. I wish I could just stop giving a shit but I can't.
From wikipedia: Skin conditions such as acne vulgaris are among the most common sources of distress of patients with BDD,[14][25] especially in cases where the condition is severe such as cystic acne on a persons back, chest or face etc. BDD does not necessarily go away even once the acne clears as scarring caused by the acne often becomes the new "defect" in which the person focuses on, as can other skin conditions such as pigmentation or moles. The prevalence of acne in those with BDD has led to a subset of the condition called "Acne Dysmorphia".
I read this which is interesting: There is evidence that individuals with BDD have abnormal visual processing when viewing their own face, others' faces, and inanimate objects. However, it is still unclear if these phenomena are the cause or effect of having BDD.
From what I've read about "abnormal visual processing" and BDD is that basically we see shit that really isn't there or our brain perceives things to be much worse than it actually is. So like I'm telling you your scars aren't that bad when I look at your pictures, through your eyes when you look at the mirror or take pictures of yourself you see it worse than it actually is. Your brain is messing with you. I wonder how true it is tho...
To OP, however you look in any lighting in the mirror is basically what you really look like in that particular situation. So if it looks mild in some mirrors thats what it probably looks like in that particular spot in that particular lighting but if it looks severe in others thats how it looks like. Yea life with acne sucks.
You are right tho we will never know how we really look to others. Mirrors reflect our image backwards which isn't reality. Cameras give you a better idea but its not pefect at all. The coloring is off, texture is wrong and its a 2D image. Also depending on the lens of the camera you probably really look totally different. I read an article about cameras and they showed a model whos photo was taken with a variety of different camera lenses and she looked different in every picture.
In conclusion acne sucks and so does life. Well mine at least.
Looking back at the last couple of months, I think I probably do suffer from it. I've been constantly looking in the mirror for hours, trying to cover myself with makeup, stare again in the mirror and when I'm still not satisfied with the result, I remove it and feel so sad and terrible about myself.
Although most of it is acne scarring, the obsession about my skin got worse probably because the scars are a reminder of my hospitalisation 4 years ago, which was a very traumatic experience. I had to take a lot of medication that broke me out a lot, on top of that, my hair thinned out and I lost a lot of it. They also made me gain a lot of weight, I had a "moon-face" (really chubby cheeks like a chipmunk) and a some kind of hump of fat behind my neck. So, there I was, a sick and disproportionate looking person with bad-baldy hair and acne. It took a huge toll on my self-esteem and even more so even after I recovered from all of that and got healthy again. I remember that a lot of people would ask me about my acne and offer their advice or even have the nerve to wonder why I had acne when I used to have clear skin...
There was this one time I had to go the hair salon to cut my hair and the hairdresser noticed my bald spot on my head and she was shocked and my mom explained why and the lady had this look of pity for me. She also wondered about my acne. I remember crying all the way back home in the car. I just hated that others felt sorry for me, for the way I looked, for being sick. I think feeling sorry for my acne is just as worse as an insult...I dunno, I just don't want to be like the girl I was 4 years ago.
Oh honey I'm so sorry to hear you went through such an awful experience 
I know that doesn't help the fact of others feeling sorry for you, but I mostly feel sorry that you just don't see how pretty you really are! I remember seeing your posts somewhere on here before and thinking "wow, she's really pretty :o" . Nobody's perfect. Absolutely nobody. You went through such an experience and came out a much stronger person. And think of your scars as just a reminder of what you went through AND the strength you have now because of it.
You should really be happy for having great features. Acne does not change that 
I'm with you on feeling soo self-conscious. I think about my acne 90% of the time during the day. I also need to snap out of it and just enjoy my life. So don't worry. You're not alone, ever . 
The lighting in my bathroom and bedroom are very dimmed down , so my face appears more clear than it really is! But,I get really paranoid and check myself in a brighter lightning and take pictures of myself to see how others see my face. Self-torture, really.
Sounds like you have BDD. Which is a shame because there is nothing wrong with you physically from what I can tell in your pics. I do the same thing with looking at myself in different lighting to check my scars, take pictures of myself etc. Its a vicious cycle that I wish would stop. I wish I could just stop giving a shit but I can't.
From wikipedia: Skin conditions such as acne vulgaris are among the most common sources of distress of patients with BDD,[14][25] especially in cases where the condition is severe such as cystic acne on a persons back, chest or face etc. BDD does not necessarily go away even once the acne clears as scarring caused by the acne often becomes the new "defect" in which the person focuses on, as can other skin conditions such as pigmentation or moles. The prevalence of acne in those with BDD has led to a subset of the condition called "Acne Dysmorphia".
I read this which is interesting: There is evidence that individuals with BDD have abnormal visual processing when viewing their own face, others' faces, and inanimate objects. However, it is still unclear if these phenomena are the cause or effect of having BDD.
From what I've read about "abnormal visual processing" and BDD is that basically we see shit that really isn't there or our brain perceives things to be much worse than it actually is. So like I'm telling you your scars aren't that bad when I look at your pictures, through your eyes when you look at the mirror or take pictures of yourself you see it worse than it actually is. Your brain is messing with you. I wonder how true it is tho...
To OP, however you look in any lighting in the mirror is basically what you really look like in that particular situation. So if it looks mild in some mirrors thats what it probably looks like in that particular spot in that particular lighting but if it looks severe in others thats how it looks like. Yea life with acne sucks.
You are right tho we will never know how we really look to others. Mirrors reflect our image backwards which isn't reality. Cameras give you a better idea but its not pefect at all. The coloring is off, texture is wrong and its a 2D image. Also depending on the lens of the camera you probably really look totally different. I read an article about cameras and they showed a model whos photo was taken with a variety of different camera lenses and she looked different in every picture.
In conclusion acne sucks and so does life. Well mine at least.
Looking back at the last couple of months, I think I probably do suffer from it. I've been constantly looking in the mirror for hours, trying to cover myself with makeup, stare again in the mirror and when I'm still not satisfied with the result, I remove it and feel so sad and terrible about myself.
Although most of it is acne scarring, the obsession about my skin got worse probably because the scars are a reminder of my hospitalisation 4 years ago, which was a very traumatic experience. I had to take a lot of medication that broke me out a lot, on top of that, my hair thinned out and I lost a lot of it. They also made me gain a lot of weight, I had a "moon-face" (really chubby cheeks like a chipmunk) and a some kind of hump of fat behind my neck. So, there I was, a sick and disproportionate looking person with bad-baldy hair and acne. It took a huge toll on my self-esteem and even more so even after I recovered from all of that and got healthy again. I remember that a lot of people would ask me about my acne and offer their advice or even have the nerve to wonder why I had acne when I used to have clear skin...
There was this one time I had to go the hair salon to cut my hair and the hairdresser noticed my bald spot on my head and she was shocked and my mom explained why and the lady had this look of pity for me. She also wondered about my acne. I remember crying all the way back home in the car. I just hated that others felt sorry for me, for the way I looked, for being sick. I think feeling sorry for my acne is just as worse as an insult...I dunno, I just don't want to be like the girl I was 4 years ago.
Oh honey I'm so sorry to hear you went through such an awful experience
I know that doesn't help the fact of others feeling sorry for you, but I mostly feel sorry that you just don't see how pretty you really are! I remember seeing your posts somewhere on here before and thinking "wow, she's really pretty :o" . Nobody's perfect. Absolutely nobody. You went through such an experience and came out a much stronger person. And think of your scars as just a reminder of what you went through AND the strength you have now because of it.
You should really be happy for having great features. Acne does not change that
I'm with you on feeling soo self-conscious. I think about my acne 90% of the time during the day. I also need to snap out of it and just enjoy my life. So don't worry. You're not alone, ever .
You're so sweet . I know it's only natural to feel sorry, I know I would be if I was in that hairdresser's position.
I guess what gets me through is that acne is not the worst thing I've experienced. If I fell ill again, I would miss out on way much more in life compared to when dealing with acne/scars now.
Looking back at the last couple of months, I think I probably do suffer from it. I've been constantly looking in the mirror for hours, trying to cover myself with makeup, stare again in the mirror and when I'm still not satisfied with the result, I remove it and feel so sad and terrible about myself.
Although most of it is acne scarring, the obsession about my skin got worse probably because the scars are a reminder of my hospitalisation 4 years ago, which was a very traumatic experience. I had to take a lot of medication that broke me out a lot, on top of that, my hair thinned out and I lost a lot of it. They also made me gain a lot of weight, I had a "moon-face" (really chubby cheeks like a chipmunk) and a some kind of hump of fat behind my neck. So, there I was, a sick and disproportionate looking person with bad-baldy hair and acne. It took a huge toll on my self-esteem and even more so even after I recovered from all of that and got healthy again. I remember that a lot of people would ask me about my acne and offer their advice or even have the nerve to wonder why I had acne when I used to have clear skin...
There was this one time I had to go the hair salon to cut my hair and the hairdresser noticed my bald spot on my head and she was shocked and my mom explained why and the lady had this look of pity for me. She also wondered about my acne. I remember crying all the way back home in the car. I just hated that others felt sorry for me, for the way I looked, for being sick. I think feeling sorry for my acne is just as worse as an insult...I dunno, I just don't want to be like the girl I was 4 years ago.
Yea traumatic experiences trigger BDD. Sounds like you've been through a lot so that is probably the culprit. I've read you're other posts and it seems like you've been bullied in the past which can make it even worse. You have developed a complex. There are a lot of assholes out there that even if you had clear skin they would talk trash about your hairstyle, clothing choice, make- up, weight or whatever. You can never be everything to everyone so f*ck em.
Reality is you are not the same person you were 4 years ago thats pretty obvious, and you're scars aint shit. I'd trade scars with you anytime lol. Dreamergirl hit it on the head you have great features. Even in those photos you obviously took the worst pics possible so you can show the scaring that bothers you and it still isn't even that bad. It's whatever. Chill out!
The reality is there is no TRUE way your acne looks because all color is dependant on it's wavelength. Or something like that. If the world was always overcast all colors would seem darker to the eye, and on a sunny day everything would look lighter and not it's usual color. But it's really just the externa; wavelengths reaching your eyes differently. Or sum shit like that.
Brb no idea what I'm talking about anymore.
The reality is there is no TRUE way your acne looks because all color is dependant on it's wavelength. Or something like that. If the world was always overcast all colors would seem darker to the eye, and on a sunny day everything would look lighter and not it's usual color. But it's really just the externa; wavelengths reaching your eyes differently. Or sum shit like that.
Brb no idea what I'm talking about anymore.
wow I'm going to google that shit out
I can totally relate! It's weird how we can obsess about our acne when most of us will never actually see it (in the case of facial acne). I find it frustrating relying on a mirror to tell me how my face looks....sometimes I'll just go by the reactions of people around me instead. Today I was feeling good about my face with makeup on, and then I caught a glimpse of my face at a store mirror and freaked out because there were scars and bumps I had never noticed before. arghhhh. I wish I could tell how my face looks like to others....it might be better or worse than I think.
The lighting in my bathroom and bedroom are very dimmed down , so my face appears more clear than it really is! But,I get really paranoid and check myself in a brighter lightning and take pictures of myself to see how others see my face. Self-torture, really.
I checked your pics and must say that u're very beautiful girl..like others said your scars arent even that bad.
I honestly wouldnt notice them if I saw you somewhere