Fake compliments . . .

[Addie 0]

I saw my roomie from a few years ago today. She told me my acne looked "WAY better" than when she last saw me. The last time she saw me I had quite mild acne thanks to Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Acne Therapy System and Ortho Evra. Just some blackheads, red marks from before I was on Ortho Evra, and maybe twice a week, a random papule or pustule. Today I'm relatively clear compared to the past year-and-a-half's standards, but I still have some cystic acne making strange patterns on my jaw and neck and 2 cysts right by my eye making it swell up. The other acne (pustules) might not be so obvious, but those definitely ARE because of the odd placement, especially since she actually made fun of my (barely existent) acne when we were roommates.

It was sweet of her to try to be nice to me, but why is acne the first thing she had to pick to compliment me on? Maybe she feels bad for teasing me before? I've had major plastic surgery since then, too, and she didn't pick that. And that was a feature she teased me about and commented on, too.

[thEneXtChaPter 1]

I know what you mean. Happened to me before. In highschool at the end i was a total mess. I had bad acne, long sloppy hair, and long facial hair because i just let myself go. The following yr, first yr of college, i cleaned it up alot. Had better skin, kept my hair fresh and got it cut often, and was alwas neat shaved, so i was the opposite. So my college friends who didn't know me from before, didn't know how i was the yr before. So one day i was walking with them on campus and i saw an old familiar face from highschool, and the first thing he said in front of my friends was "wow no more pimples... you look good now, i didn't even recognize you at first" so i gave a quick thank you and tried to change the convo but he kept saying "you look so different i thought i saw you the other day but wasn't sure". It was alil embarrasing, but whatever got over it quick.

[everyskyisblue__ 1]

I think it's a lot like when someone who isn't too terribly fat loses a lot of weight and people go, "Wow, you look SO much better!"

It's meant to be a compliment, but it comes across a little backhanded.

Did your roommate have any acne herself? If not, she probably doesn't understand how insecure something like that can make you feel. People who don't have acne don't think it's a big deal.

[wanabeacnefree 0]

I can understand how you would've felt, but now that I'm clear all I want is for someone to say how good my skin looks

[Black-rain 0]

I'm sure she really was being nice since acne was a big deal for you. I wouldn't think too much about it.

[Scar_Tissue 6]

yah i've gotten that "wow you've cleared up soo much" sorta thing too i was kinda like err thanks...

[Addie 0]

Oh no, I do think she was being nice. She's kind of socially awkward, so I was surprised even at the attempt.

If she didn't shower or wash her face for over a week, she got clogged pores and whiteheads, which she was very self-conscious about, but no major acne. (This was when we were roommates, she may shower more often now. Her hair was absolutely gorgeous, so I think she may.) Although, the other day--but not when we were roommates--she had eczema on her face, which she was very self-conscious about. I could see that being as bad as acne, if she's dealing with it on a regular basis.