Late to the game, but just saw this awesome thread today and decided to join the community

 

Adding to the list:

- Always lowering your head and avoiding all eye contacts in cosmetic/skin care stores because you're afraid that people will make comments on your skin and start selling you stuffs.

Yes! When my face is bad I can hardly step into or walk past the Sephora/Ulta/makeup stores. It's torture!

And I say keep this thread going forever. I think it's one of the best threads on acne.org lol.

Pure genius! This topic has made my lunchtime at work so much more enjoyable!! Everyone of them I can relate to. Nice to know I'm not alone in wanting to punch people for complaining about their ONE NON EXISTENT spot on thier face and not wanting to go anywhere near a makeup counter so much so that I send my mom to purchase my makeup products as the shame is too much!!! Also when I see a new product advertised that will "totally clear my acne up" I rush out to the shop and have to buy it, hence being virtually bankrupt from trying every product going! I would say it's all good fun but it so isn't!

I can relate to all that.

On 1/7/2014 at 8:46 AM, AlishaRenee said:

Okay, so this is something that I actually talked about on my personal blog, but when I came across this site I knew I had to share it with all of you. I struggled with acne for eight years and during that time I got advice from EVERYONE....even people who had never had a pimple in their life! I mean, what would they know about acne? NOTHING! That's what. Out of my frustration I came up with a list of things that only people with acne can understand and relate to...feel free to add to this list, we're all in this together after all! Oh, and if you're interested in checking out my blog feel free to do so, it's [Edited link out]

• Waking up every morning scared to look in the mirror because you know that new pimples have appeared overnight
• Spending an hour (or more) in front of the mirror popping pimples just so you can face the world
• Being paranoid about everything that touches your face
• Avoiding having your picture taken like it's the plague...I swear the camera adds 20 zits!
• Avoiding social interaction when you're having a bad breakout
• Wanting to punch people in the face when they give you advice on how to get rid of your pimples...especially people who have never had a pimple in their life!
• Spending your entire paycheck on acne products (that NEVER actually work!)
• Going to the dermatologist and STILL having acne after months of treatment
• Being on antibiotics for an unnatural amount of time (that can't be good for your body...seriously!)
• Being told that you'll grow out of it someday (because in the meantime you are just going to have to be completely miserable!)
• Trying to change your diet to get clear skin (vegetarian, fruitarian, gluten free, dairy free...I've tried them all!)
• Getting angry when your family members act like your acne is YOUR fault and that you're doing something wrong to cause it
• Trying what worked for other people only to find that it doesn't work for you
• Acne commercials. LIARS!
• Scrubbing your face in the hopes that you'll scrub off all the pimples
• ALWAYS being paranoid that people are looking at your zits when you're talking to them
• Avoiding eye contact
• Spending hours researching acne, treatments, remedies, and products
• Feeling like you're the only person in the world with acne...I swear I was constantly surrounded by people with clear skin and I always found myself wondering....WHY ME?
• Extremely low self-esteem
• Constant embarrassment
• Spending hours applying cover up and makeup...which doesn't do much help at all!

So there you have it. My list of things that only someone with acne can relate to. I know that all of you have more to add, so by all means share your thoughts! It's nice to feel like you're not in it alone, despite feeling that way all the time.

Freaking EPIC thank you made me LOL it's so true

So much rings true

Whenever I have a big event in the future, the first thing that comes into my mind is that I will have a load of spots

Another one for me being a 31 year old male, no one I know at my age seems to have spots.

I'm a manager of 3 people and when I have bad spots it makes work a nightmare. I just want to sit in a corner and not speak to anyone. I feel that no one takes me seriously at work and in everyday life when spots are bad.

Sometimes in the morning I feel physically sick about going into work

Checking first with your acne BEFORE making plans

Looking at your skin from multiple angles/multiple lightning to see if it's as bad as it seems

Showing only your 'less severe' side

Reminiscing about your life before acne and not being able to remember/ remembering with crystal clarity

my life would feel so different if i didn't have acne. my sister doesnt have acne at all and shes always traveling and out alll day and stuff and i always think that if i didnt have skin issues i would just feel free. acne is such a burden it's so cruel that acne exists

don't know if anyone's said this yet but another thing I do is I examine every food I eat and google the ingredients to see if they'll cause breakouts

- waking up, looking in the mirror and seeing that your skin is less red. Feeling exited that maybe acne/rosacea is fading, but then half an hour later it is bright red and there are new spots

- not wanting to go out of the house, seeing everyone around you without a spot in sight and feeling the weight of your bumpy, oily face

- want to make the most of your life and go travelling, but scared of staying in youth hostels and everyone seeing your horrific skin

- avoiding going to get your eyebrows waxed due to the extremely bright light they shine on your face, and the fact that they always ask what i do to my skin

- little kids commenting on your skin in front of adults....so embarrassing

- realising having acne has made you hate the sun, and feeling sad because you used to love it

- dreading hot holidays: having to wear foundation to the beach, not being able to go underwater in fear of makeup coming off, fear of sweating and making more spots appear

- people commenting on how you've caught the sun.... nope its just spots 🙂

-getting stressed and physically feeling more spots appear

-when your name is Rosie and your cheeks/ whole face is bright red the whole time ( I just have to laugh about it haha)

Taking off your glasses/contacts to actually be able to look in the mirror because it will all just be a big blur.

Wearing sunglasses or a huge scarf because it makes you feel bette that your face is partially being covered.

Guys, that's all so true!!... Let me add some more:

- asking your partner to go shopping (or to do whatever) just so that you can have a private crying session
- trying hard not to bother your loved ones with negativity, yet not being able to hold it in all the time
- now this one is really "good" - distant relatives gifting you a bar of black sea mud soap randomly, knowing someone close to you had been discussing your skin with them "behind your back" .... I mean, seriously?...

omg these posts really bring me back to the times when i used to hate my skin. so many feels.
right now, i'm on accutane and my skin is finally cured (and by cured i mean no serious breakouts in months). but the experience of having acne has change my life forever, i guess.
here is the list of things that only people who used to have acne will understand:
- never forgetting to wash your face.
- waking up in the morning with an irrational fear that suddenly your skin will go back to the way it was 4 months ago/a year ago/ whenever it was the worst.
- still feeling kind of axious while eating diary, sweets or anything unhealthy. checking your skin constantly afterwards, to see if any pimples are forming.
- freaking out when you get a couple of small pimples. being afraid that accutane/your topical treatment/diet/whatever has stopped working and acne is coming back. everyone is laughing at you because your skin looks great and nobody even notices this breakout. the next day the pimples are totally gone and you feel like an overreacting hysterical idiot.
- when people say that you have perfect skin and know nothing about acne and you are like "if only you have seen me five months ago..."
- when you had acne you used to usemake-up every day: foundation or bb cream, concealer and mattifying powder. now you are only using light powder (or nothing) and you actually became afraid of heavier make-up because it might clog pores or something and you don't want to ruin your skin.
- accutane users only: being that friend who always wants to eat, not because you are hungry but because you have to take your pill (accutane is taken with food). really, everyone is like "yaaay let's party!" and I say "first... let me have some lunch".
- asking your boyfriend does he notice how your skin has improved. he always says that he really doesn't and that he always thought that you are beautiful. and although it's the cutest thing ever, you feel slightly disappointed because for you it's such a huge change and you want it to be noticed.
- when you see a girl with severe acne trying to cover her spots in a school toilet, you want to hug her and say "i know what you're going through, you are beautiful and precious, be strong", but you know that she wouldn't believe you (as you remember, there is nothing more annoying than people with clear skin giving advice and saying that they understand how you feel) so you just smile at her cheerfully.
- people asking you why you know so much about skincare, acne and acne medications.
- looking at your scars or PIH and remembering each and every one of those horrible papules and pustules that used to make your life miserable.

The thing I hate the most: not being able to get a job where I interact with people

After reading this thread made me feel that im not abnormal. all these years I thought it is only me , that I have no self confidence and my inability to look in to someones eyes while talking to that person. I really thought something is really wrong with me. But now i get it , it is all because of my ugly pimples that breakout twice a month or more. It is like I want to cover my whole face when I go out during the day or to work. And most of all sick of hearing the same question whether I do not treat my acne !!! Hell yes ...! I have tried every possible acne treatment in the whole universe there was a time I thought that I would end up being the person who actually discover the permanent acne treatment that will cure acne forever. Sigh..!

And now when ever i go to see my in-laws they keep starring at my face and point at my face to show that there is a ugly pimple filled with pus right on my chin or cheek(that All these time I did not know about its existent) and the permanent scar it leaves behind is like a reminder saying "I m watching you, stop eating your favourite food"

not having a single acne on my face are my favorite days , then there comes this one person commenting how my face look clear now ...bam ....right next morning i wake up to greet my new pimple with an ugly whitehead. Story of my life

The most hurtful thing is your family thinking it(s your fault!

It feels sooo good knowing its not just me...thank god for this thread.

Hair cuts and dentist - I can relate to. I avoid flipping the sunblock down in the car when the sun is shining incase i catch a glimpse of myself in the little unforgiving mirror. 
Contrastingly I Check the mirror in every room for different lighting before i leave the house. 
Reapplying make up
throughout the day (hate it)
I have one kitchen cupboard that has the whole of holland and Barrett in it - all supplements supposedly meant to help acne. Also another bathroom cupboard full of every topical treatment for acne known to man. 
Bleached bedding! Damn BP! 
Also being the "awkward and unreliable" friend. Always on a different free from diet and always late or cancelling plans because of acne. 
Hum 

So true. Also you know when your acne is getting really bad and you just spend a day so depressed that you cant leave the house and spend hours crying. Or is that just me?

Perhaps one of the saddest things that you can identify yourself with is avoiding going out during the day and prefer to go out at night, because there is less light, or a yellow lightcommonly used on poleswhere you can have a redness on your face less noticeable by other people.