I don't remember any dates. But I remember things.

- Inicial breakout of epiduo. My face was a disaster, my face wasn't white anymore, it was just red everywhere because of the pimples... they where all over my face. And washing my face, oh dear, awful, feeling that many pimples and cysts, oh dear oh dear oh dear.

- Change of skin regimen, using a new soap, finally clear, feeling amazing and powerful, broke my diet. 3 cysts, not that many but I was on top of the world and I fell, I remember I cried.

- Fight with my family because they think I'm wasting money, time and life. They're right but I can't stop.

- Every time I look in the mirror for several minutes and I notice how bad I am. I just feel defeated and... weak, because I can't control it and it's awful.

There's too many to mention as I am sure is the same for everyone but I'll pick two like the OP:

16 years old: There was one kid at school that used to always pick on me for my skin. This was at a stage where I just assumed it was normal and didn't think it was a big deal. The one comment I remember him making was one which he said in front of 4 or 5 other mates that I should "use Clearisil or go see a dermatologist". On reflection, that throwaway comment completely changed my life because I started becoming obsessed about my skin and comparing it to others and being depressed. I remember that I had to use all my power not to punch him. It still haunts me because looking back I wish I'd either said something or done something as I did neither. Luckily one of my (not even close) mates defended me which I'll never forget.

19 years old: This second one was from a few months ago. I went back to university (50 miles from home) for my exams after a study break. On the day I left to head back, my skin was absolutely awful. I remember thinking that I'd need to shut myself away from my flat mates for the 2 weeks I was there. Anyway, I got there and decided that I wanted to get something to take down the swelling/redness so went to the doctor and got a 1 week course of Flucloxacillin (helped a tiny amount). I remember one evening a couple of days in which was particularly stressful (awful skin and the day before an exam) and I just remember thinking what if I just overdosed and all this stress would be gone. I've never been that close to doing anything like that before and it still scares me how something like that came over me and how close I came. I'm not sure what stopped me, hope I guess. I don't think I'll ever be in a darker situation than that (at least I hope not), stressful life, awful skin and alone with no one to talk to about it.

Basically I spent the whole two weeks locked away in my bedroom, getting stressed over my exams and my skin, and pretending everything was okay whenever I saw a flat mate/had a phone call from my mum. I spent longer worrying about my skin than the exams, even on the day of the exams.

Even typing those two out has taken something out of me.

I hope for all our sakes we'll get a better life some day.

Watching a video of myself being interviewed, and seeing how bad my skin was, objectively.

First time seeing a derm, them immediately saying - "Yep, that's really bad. Probably the worst of anyone you know. Not normal." (Forever grateful to him for putting me on Accutane, but I burst into tears.)

Running into an old friend and knowing they could see how much worse it had gotten.

I 2nd what the above poster stated: running into people that don't remember you with bad skin (friends/family). My peeps are good about not saying anything but it's the ways their eyes move around that gives them away

Being on accutane the 3rd time after clearing up beautifully the 1st two times and realizing in my 5th month that it would never get better

Finally finding something that works and then having your skin turn against you

This list could go on and on

My lowest lows were very close to each other:

14 December 2013: My parents didn't let me go on accutane, for months I had tried reasonable arguing but it didn't work. I just told them this "Or I get accutane, or there will soon come a day where I jump in front of the train instead of on the train." This is the one thing I regret the most in my life. That sudden fear in their eyes when they realized that they had no choice anymore. I blackmailed them with my own life and I still feel terrible about it.

My personal all time low was definitely the start of 2014. My new year's resolution for 2012 was to get rid of acne, and it failed. Same for 2013. Starting 2014 I would also start accutane, I gave myself 6 months to get better, if not I was planning on committing suicide, I've never had a good reason to live but now I had a good one to die. I wrote my goodbye note, in which I told my parents that life seems nothing more than lots of hard work and that I wasn't willing to go through it all with this skin. I got 2 boxes of painkillers, marked the deadline on my calendar and I started the accutane. 3 months later I found a reason to live, 4 months later my acne was a lot better and I threw the note and painkillers in the garbage. Now (7 months later) I still struggle with closed comedones but I'm happy to be alive and breathing. However if severe acne decides to pay me another visit I'll struggle again, I'm not over it, the problem just became smaller.

Yes, looking back at old pictures or video of me makes me cringe.

My acne was it's worse during middle/high school years . Obviously , going through puberty at the moment made it 10x worse.

I remember back in my sophomore year of high school every day was a hassle. I never wanted to go school or make eye contact with anybody because they would just look at my acne and not me . These types of situations actually made me a stronger emotional person. Now at 22, I still have acne and scars , but it wasn't as bad as my teenage years . I used to get huge blemishes and cysts , but now I just get small whiteheads and I honestly I'm so happy that there small. I'm still battling acne and my journey is still not over, but I know every day that passes by there is going to be a day where I am going to be acne free.

1. Attending a paramedical chemical peel training seminar, age 23, the training esthetician singled me out to examine my face under the ultra mag light lens. I had one juicy pimple about to burst that I was okay with, but she disgustedly drew the classes attention to how dehydrated and congested my pores were. All our experimentation in class- constant facials and treatments- as well as Depo Provera switch for BC had made me break out badly, after years of clarity, and this insult exacerbated it with a stress breakout. Later that week, the school's owner said "WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOUR FACE, HAVE YOU NOT LEARNED ANYTHING?" (she had great faith in her products, with were awful on my skin. she was also a bitch.) I gave up that line of work and got my Associate's degree in an unrelated field.

2. Three years later, age 26, a horrible stress breakout (I suspected my boyfriend of cheating, and a few years later, I learned I was right and then some- he blamed my obsession with my skin) made me unable to go into work. I caught a glimpse of my face in the rearview mirror in the parking lot, and I burst into tears. I called in sick, called my boyfriend and drove home, he was irritated and disappointed with me. "NOT EVERYONE HAS THE LUXURY OF RISKING THE LOSS OF THEIR JOB OVER SOMETHING AS STUPID AS A LITTLE ACNE." (I think I interrupted one of his dates.) I quit on the third day of this breakout, and once I was clear again, I enrolled in college to complete my BA.

3. Five years later, 31, the same thing happened at a different, and desirable job. (There was other relationship things with another guy going on, getting my moods swinging from elated to miserable.) I just wanted to stay home, pick, and cry. I was later and later to work, more and more depressed and unable to face customers. On my third warning that would have me fired, I wept and begged my fellow employees to tell our boss that I had quit. The dermatologist wouldn't give me Accutane because of past suicide attempts.

4. Two years later, I was excited about a career-changing gig I had landed through a guy that I was really, really into. I was ten minutes from the job, saw my face in the rearview again, and had to call in and apologize that "for reasons beyond my control," I couldn't come in. I came in the following day, still looking bad, and found I had lost the original job because of the last minute bailout. I had to appear on HD video, anyway. The shame... The guy didn't want to see me til four months later and never offered me another job.

I've been unpredictable to date and employ since. I'd just mysteriously not show up to work and cancel dates. No one can get close and I'm unhireable with no solid references and long periods of unemployment. I've learned to hang my head out of habit, even when I'm clear, and the confidence necessary to get through a job interview is beyond me. I don't like to have face-to-face sex and I pick apart my competition ruthlessly. It's a huge distraction from what's really important in life, clouding all goals and dreams.

Definitely some sad stories in there. We've all been there in some way shape or form.

Feeling for all of you guys and gals.

Age 11: Getting my first big spot right at the side of my nose and a girl in my class at primary school pointing at it and laughing. Then I ended up sat in the playground crying on my own about it. Pretty upsetting and not something I will ever forget.

This one sticks out so bad because at the time it was only one spot, I had no idea how bad it was going to get.

Depressing moment: people who have good skin moaning about a tiny zit.

It's natural to be jealous of anybody, but this takes the cake cause it's such a slap in the face. To be there crying over your own skin and someone starts whining about a tiny zit where you can barely even see it.

It makes me angry but also sad. I would love to be worrying over one tiny zit.

Another depressing moment: looking in the mirror and thinking "it's getting better, it doesn't look so bad"

next day, wake up with a fresh pimple

always happens to me!

Being 9/10 weeks into a course of antibiotics and them stop working after working so well the previous couple of months