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Something New...how Has Acne Changed You For The Better?

 
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(@rockmeamadeus)

Posted : 09/05/2012 12:20 pm

There's alot of negative feelings that come with dealing with acne.

 

It's making me start to look at something a little more positive- how acne has been a good thing for me.

 

Acne has made me a more understanding and kind person. Because of my firsthand experiences with cruel words, I understand 100% the damage it can do, and has made me aware and cautious with what I say to people. It also makes me search for the good in everyone, and recognize when someone needs to hear something nice about themselves and make them feel better, even for a moment.

 

It has made me less superficial and more humble. I care less for physical beauty and material things in other people, because I want them to care about deeper things than my physical appearance. I seek similar minded people and therefore eliminate a lot of the people who are complete garbage.

 

It has made me more healthy and knowledgeable about how my body and skin works. Acne-prone people are forced to become almost obsessive researchers, researching all kinds of products to try, honing in on what ingredients do what, what's bad to put on skin, what is useless to put on skin, etc. etc. I am always giving friends who have less severe skin problems then me advice, and it always helps them. I also drink 1.5-3 liters of water a day and am aware of what I put in my body, knowing it works all together to make me look and feel as best as I can.

 

It has made me understand the difference between petty love and unconditional, deeper love. People who care for you despite the fact you have something that you yourself can't get past, it shows how real true connections can be and the power of having a good personality and a good mind over anything else.

 

It has made me feel like I am part of a collective of people who are tremendously supportive and understanding. Like I have thousands of shoulders to cry on. Even if they are 'only on a internet board'.

 

 

So, sometimes I think I wouldn't be the person I am now if I didn't ever have skin issues. Sure, I suffer from depression, social anxiety, all the of the things that stem from feeling insecure. But its not impossible to conquer, you just have to really try to pull yourself out of that mentality and start to see what else this brings that isn't necessarily bad at all.

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(@xesro)

Posted : 09/05/2012 12:24 pm

I learned to understand people, to know what hurts them and avoiding doing that !

Not to say that I learned how to treat my body, doing exercises, eating healthy, drinking lots of water and taking good care of my hygiene.

Somehow its good, but only around 20%. Because I got severe case of social anxiety. School starts soon and I'm quite ashamed to go in front of my mates with my face looking like this.

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(@rockmeamadeus)

Posted : 09/05/2012 12:27 pm

I know, I always always have that anxiety feeling, and you have to go into it knowing and accepting that fact that people are going to pause and scan your face and possibly even make a comment on it, but if you make them feel stupid with a sarcastic comment about something that's not so cute about them, it cuts them down to size and I gurantee they won't be so quick to make comments. Also, if you just act confident, like you have NOTHING whatsoever on your face, and just have a big personality, everyone will forget your skin issue in 2 seconds.

 

 

Everyone is always busy worrying about themselves, they hardly pay as much attention to your flaws as you think. Because they are concentrating on their own.

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1
(@xesro)

Posted : 09/05/2012 12:33 pm

I think I pay so much attention to this because its my only problem ! At the moment I've grown myself a huge black beard, covering most of my cheek problems but for the girls I feel really really bad, the only have makeup to cover it up and what I noticed that all of the girls that have acne problems are beautiful ! I still have a little hope, I'm still young maybe it will heal up somehow. I think the only thing to do right now is to ignore it and live my life.

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(@rockmeamadeus)

Posted : 09/05/2012 12:37 pm

It will absolutely heal up, even just with age. My skin has cleared up A LOT, I just have the scarring. So if I have one thing to tell you, it's stop obsessing over your active acne, and be very gentle and simple with your skincare. Your acne WILL clear up if you stop attacking it, and you will not be left with scarring like me to deal with after.

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(@xesro)

Posted : 09/05/2012 12:45 pm

I am glad someone can think like this ! I made a huge mistake locking myself all these years.

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(@need-solutions)

Posted : 09/05/2012 3:11 pm

I would love to say it has made me a better person but I would be lying. All its done to me is totally destroy me in every way possible and ive only really started having these problems the last few months. I have so much respect for people who have suffered for years and would never be able to see the damage it causes emotionally untill it happened to me. The person I was a few months ago is gone and all that is left for me is constant depression, sadness and obsession with my skin. Mabye one day I will be able to say it has changed me for the better but I dont see that happening. I just want to be the person I was.

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31
(@tuffluck)

Posted : 09/05/2012 3:52 pm

mmmm.. few good things that acne has changed about me is that it has shown me that if there is a God he has an odd sense of humor... that all things do NOT happen for a reason... and that if I am ever to have my old life and more, I will live life to the effin fullest. that life can truly suck monkey balls sometimes.... that life is def not fair... and thats about it..

 

Oh one more thing... for those that do strive to see the good in everything, keep doing your thing.. i'm still working on it.

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(@jr0615)

Posted : 09/05/2012 4:35 pm

just respect women more, i used to use women.

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58
(@snsdgirl14)

Posted : 09/05/2012 7:33 pm

Acne has changed me for the better in a few ways. It's made me realize there's so much more to a person than their looks. It's made me realize that even in the midst of what seems like a calamity, there is beauty in the world. It's also made me see some of the best in humanity: my parents' comfort, my friends' comfort, even strangers' comfort. And yes, I know people can be incredibly cruel too, but what's more important to me is the love and care people have shown me. It's reminded me I have a place in this world whether or not I have perfect skin.

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9
(@mjri94)

Posted : 09/06/2012 5:27 pm

Its made me empathize a lot more with people and their problems, the other main thing would be mental toughness I think, I am a more mentally resilient than before acne.

It has put me through a few tough times in the past which do have some positives since it has shown myself that I can get through them when sometimes I felt like giving up.

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108
(@randall-flagg)

Posted : 09/06/2012 5:38 pm

I think that it's made me a stronger person and a more understanding person. It's taught me how to control my anger too, because in the past I would blow up on people when they commented on my skin because it made my so upset and insecure. I remember once I went to Ihop with an old girlfriend, and during dinner she told me I should try some of her pore strips because they might help my skin. I got so mad that I broke up with her right there in the restaurant and never talked to her again after that, even though she was just trying to help me and she meant no harm at all. So over the years my temper has improved drastically because I've learned to recognize the difference between when someone is just trying to be kind and help me out, and when someone is being needlessly rude.

 

Also, as strange as this sounds, it's really improved my confidence. Because when I leave the house to go to work or school or something, I just turn on what I call "fake confidence" despite how my skin is looking, and I'm able to easily talk to people, I love to crack jokes with people, and having "faked it" for so long I've realized now that I'm not even faking it anymore, I'm just confident in general because I've taught myself how to be confident. Plus when you act as though your skin doesn't bother you, people just don't care. They don't notice. It's only when you act socially inept and distant when people notice, so when I'm out and about I make sure to hold my head up high and just enjoy life.

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(@murph89)

Posted : 09/06/2012 10:20 pm

I think that it's made me a stronger person and a more understanding person. It's taught me how to control my anger too, because in the past I would blow up on people when they commented on my skin because it made my so upset and insecure. I remember once I went to Ihop with an old girlfriend, and during dinner she told me I should try some of her pore strips because they might help my skin. I got so mad that I broke up with her right there in the restaurant and never talked to her again after that, even though she was just trying to help me and she meant no harm at all. So over the years my temper has improved drastically because I've learned to recognize the difference between when someone is just trying to be kind and help me out, and when someone is being needlessly rude.

Also, as strange as this sounds, it's really improved my confidence. Because when I leave the house to go to work or school or something, I just turn on what I call "fake confidence" despite how my skin is looking, and I'm able to easily talk to people, I love to crack jokes with people, and having "faked it" for so long I've realized now that I'm not even faking it anymore, I'm just confident in general because I've taught myself how to be confident. Plus when you act as though your skin doesn't bother you, people just don't care. They don't notice. It's only when you act socially inept and distant when people notice, so when I'm out and about I make sure to hold my head up high and just enjoy life.

 

I love the second paragraph.

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106
(@sum1killme)

Posted : 09/07/2012 12:33 am

Hmmmm positive somthing positive, nope can't think of nothing. Acne ruins lives and shatters souls.

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1
(@arqa22)

Posted : 09/07/2012 10:34 am

nothing

destroyed my life

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8
(@meli55a)

Posted : 09/07/2012 12:32 pm

As others have said, I have had to become a stronger person to deal with day to day life. I used to take so much for granted...not any more! I haven't suffered acne long at all...but the shock of my skin changing from clear and healthy to a bubonic plague like mess over a matter of weeks (from coming off birth control for the first time in my life) has taught me a lot of life lessons: Never take things for granted. Respect your body and what you put in it. Never judge a book by its cover. When it comes to cosmetics, less is definitely more. Don't let acne grind you down (easier said than done!).

I can now tell the superficial, fickle and fake people from those who genuinely want to know me and talk to me for who I am, not what I look like.

Only a few reasons it's changed me for the better and even though I've only had acne around 5 months it's still hard to deal with it when you're almost 30 and single!!

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173
(@green-gables)

Posted : 09/07/2012 2:37 pm

Any trial can push you to "grow" because it forces you to overcome something.

 

But largely I would say having severe acne for ten years...the negatives certainly outweigh the positives.

 

The biggest positive is that if my kids have acne, I'll know what to do. Pass it on, right?

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5
(@rentedname)

Posted : 09/28/2012 2:50 am

I'm so unbelievably health conscious now that my self one year ago probably thinks I'm one of those batshit crazy pilates-obsessed health nuts. i.e. I read nutrition facts for fun.

 

Other than that, I'm much more grateful and count the many blessings that I'm lucky enough to be left with. At least I'm tall and had some great life experiences pre-acne. Once this acne clears up I'll just be a scarred bamf that no one will want to f with. Come at me ladies ;) I'm also much stronger emotionally. I'm rarely fazed by life anymore because none of it is as painful and damaging as a deformed face and body. When you've botched your job interview and failed your midterm, you know exactly what you did wrong and that you'll have many more chances in the future. But when you get cysts and nodules on your face, you have no idea why it's happening and you're left with irreversible damage in the form of scars.

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24
(@cherrysoda08)

Posted : 09/30/2012 1:07 am

There's alot of negative feelings that come with dealing with acne.

It's making me start to look at something a little more positive- how acne has been a good thing for me.

Acne has made me a more understanding and kind person. Because of my firsthand experiences with cruel words, I understand 100% the damage it can do, and has made me aware and cautious with what I say to people. It also makes me search for the good in everyone, and recognize when someone needs to hear something nice about themselves and make them feel better, even for a moment.

It has made me less superficial and more humble. I care less for physical beauty and material things in other people, because I want them to care about deeper things than my physical appearance. I seek similar minded people and therefore eliminate a lot of the people who are complete garbage.

It has made me more healthy and knowledgeable about how my body and skin works. Acne-prone people are forced to become almost obsessive researchers, researching all kinds of products to try, honing in on what ingredients do what, what's bad to put on skin, what is useless to put on skin, etc. etc. I am always giving friends who have less severe skin problems then me advice, and it always helps them. I also drink 1.5-3 liters of water a day and am aware of what I put in my body, knowing it works all together to make me look and feel as best as I can.

It has made me understand the difference between petty love and unconditional, deeper love. People who care for you despite the fact you have something that you yourself can't get past, it shows how real true connections can be and the power of having a good personality and a good mind over anything else.

It has made me feel like I am part of a collective of people who are tremendously supportive and understanding. Like I have thousands of shoulders to cry on. Even if they are 'only on a internet board'.

So, sometimes I think I wouldn't be the person I am now if I didn't ever have skin issues. Sure, I suffer from depression, social anxiety, all the of the things that stem from feeling insecure. But its not impossible to conquer, you just have to really try to pull yourself out of that mentality and start to see what else this brings that isn't necessarily bad at all.

 

Love this post. I wish I had stumbled upon it earlier. You are so right, rockmeamadeus.

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21
(@mgx)

Posted : 09/30/2012 10:45 am

I would love to say it has made me a better person but I would be lying. All its done to me is totally destroy me in every way possible and ive only really started having these problems the last few months. I have so much respect for people who have suffered for years and would never be able to see the damage it causes emotionally untill it happened to me. The person I was a few months ago is gone and all that is left for me is constant depression, sadness and obsession with my skin. Mabye one day I will be able to say it has changed me for the better but I dont see that happening. I just want to be the person I was.

 

me toooo..... although i can say that now, i am way more humble than i was before, understanding, patient.....i always think of what i say so as not to hurt others.... i am more aware of others feelings because i know how much damage and hurt , words can do to a person (coz i have felt those kinds of feelings and it feels like hell)

still think that i am still not myself, the person who i was before has left and that i am a stranger in my own body.............

good and bad always ride side by side...together....i guess..........

constant battle with my skin and my mind.........

hoping and praying hard that we may all find the light at the end of this never ending dark tunnel

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0
(@scov93)

Posted : 09/30/2012 11:30 am

i don't think i have insulted anyone's appearance for about 3 years. at the start it was because i was scared it would backfire and people would turn on me but now i really dont want people to feel the way i have felt about myself in the past

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32
(@poi6)

Posted : 09/30/2012 1:31 pm

i don't think i have insulted anyone's appearance for about 3 years. at the start it was because i was scared it would backfire and people would turn on me but now i really dont want people to feel the way i have felt about myself in the past

 

Same.

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8
(@clambak3)

Posted : 09/30/2012 4:15 pm

I think of myself as a pretty optimistic, "glass always half full" kind of person and take what I can from every experience but I seriously picked through every memory associated with my face problems and I wish I never had any of them. I live by the motto no regrets, but I guess it doesn't really apply here because I can't regret something I have no control over.

 

If anything, having acne has just turned me into a bitter, depressed woman who sees modern society for what it really is.. judgmental (well that's a given, just the extent is what I'm trying to get at) and unimportant in my life. So I guess for that I'm thankful but I think I could have lived without those thoughts. And been 348,762,345,082 times happier too.

 

Maybe one day I will be beautiful, but by then I will be such an angry old woman and still have the scars and memories of it all and shun the outside world to play with my 43 cats. Not to be a Debbie Downer but I guess I've just been in a really bad place these past few months. People are just so cruel.

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2
(@mammasay)

Posted : 09/30/2012 4:36 pm

I certainly think it has done more harm than good by wreaking havoc on my self-esteem. But I do feel like acne forced me to be funny, and smart, and have a personality, since I couldn't rely on my looks like many other girls are sort of conditioned to. My friend actually called me an "ugly duckling" because of this--back when my skin was clear, and he meant it as a compliment, as in I was good looking but not a cocky jerk because I wasn't always good looking. I also feel like it has made me less judgmental of others, particularly when it comes to physical differences. It's given me a way to relate to lots of friends who struggle with things like weight issues. Unfortunately, I think having bad skin also conditioned me to feel like being attractive is SO IMPORTANT (for me), to an extent that I don't think I would value it that greatly if I never had bad skin. So it's certainly a give and take.

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(@clambak3)

Posted : 09/30/2012 4:47 pm

i don't think i have insulted anyone's appearance for about 3 years. at the start it was because i was scared it would backfire and people would turn on me but now i really dont want people to feel the way i have felt about myself in the past

 

Same.

 

It's so wrong how messed up humans are, most of us are so horribly hypocritical and socially inept. I don't understand why people aren't just born feeling this way as I have always cared about others much more than I have myself. Which is a blessing and a curse of course. I have always been able to sympathize with anyone. I always get along with the people I meet and am overall just trying to be the best person I can be. But I can't really empathize with people anymore because I know I'm different. Mentally and physically. So acne has really only screwed up my life.

We learn the golden rule at what age? Look around us, it makes me sick.

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