Do any of you feel like you will be never satisfied with how your skin looks or your looks in general? From January until July, my acne was the worst that it has ever been. My combo of Differin and Dan's BP that had worked for over 3 years just stopped working. It has finally calmed down after I found a regimen that is working pretty good. People are even starting to comment that my skin is looking great. I even got approached at the bar this past weekend and have a date setup for Friday. The girl kept calling me pretty (she was buzzed) which is always so weird to me as I am a straight guy but she wants to see me again and has been texting me non stop in spite of my pimples, red marks, and scars. That was just a little confidence boost for me since I have basically become a hermit and not approached any girls this year.
The problem is, I can not stop obsessing over my skin. I have one of those hard, painful pimples on the bottom corner of my jaw right now near my ear, a pimple dying down on my forehead, some red marks on my forehead, and a rolling scar on my temple and above my eyebrow. Whenever I go out, I always have my mind on the scars, the red marks, and any actives that I have at the moment. In my head, I realize that it is probably NOT THAT BAD. The problem is I am always waiting for the next breakout and thinking about it. I will touch a small pimple and start freaking out that it will get inflamed (it always does) even after icing it early, applying AHA, and taking a ton of aleve.
Have any of you guys came to terms yet that you do have scars, you have red marks, and you will probably continue to have pimples? It just seems impossible to me as by the time I accept one red mark or scar, I have another.
It seems like just when you think your clear and finally able to start doing shit acne gives you a slap in the face for even considering being able to live your life normally. I'm constantly clueless of how my face actually looks everyday cause one muinute im clear an hour later my redness comes back, then I get a fuckin cyst,it starts to die leaving a scar along with my 50 other scars that refuse to fade as 2 other decide to show the fuck up and each mirror I look at I see
myself differently and it's like who the fuck am I? Am I clear or am I traumatized by the severe acne I had so every tiny shit on my face makes me depressed. I know the feeling of never being satisfied acne fucks with peoples minds literally.
Do any of you feel like you will be never satisfied with how your skin looks or your looks in general? From January until July, my acne was the worst that it has ever been. My combo of Differin and Dan's BP that had worked for over 3 years just stopped working. It has finally calmed down after I found a regimen that is working pretty good. People are even starting to comment that my skin is looking great. I even got approached at the bar this past weekend and have a date setup for Friday. The girl kept calling me pretty (she was buzzed) which is always so weird to me as I am a straight guy but she wants to see me again and has been texting me non stop in spite of my pimples, red marks, and scars. That was just a little confidence boost for me since I have basically become a hermit and not approached any girls this year.
I have the exact same problem. I'm NEVER satisfied. It's like I strive for perfection even though I know skin perfection is impossible for me. I've had that happen to me too where girls have approached me to tell me I'm cute or good looking (even during my worst breakouts) and girls have been the ones to take action and ask me out, and I never understand this...I always think to myself..."Are these girls blind?? What do they see when they look at me?" because when I look at myself in the mirror all I usually see is a scarred up monster...and this fucks with my head because why would girls ask me out and and pursue me if I have really bad skin? Sometimes I think the damage from older breakouts has left me with internal scars where I always see my skin as so much worse than it actually is.
So yeah, I haven't come to terms with my scars either. If anything, my scars haunt me on a consistent basis. Sometimes I seek out mirrors when I'm out shopping or at school or something and I stare into them for way too long and lose track of time just thinking about every tiny little mark or scar.
Do any of you feel like you will be never satisfied with how your skin looks or your looks in general? From January until July, my acne was the worst that it has ever been. My combo of Differin and Dan's BP that had worked for over 3 years just stopped working. It has finally calmed down after I found a regimen that is working pretty good. People are even starting to comment that my skin is looking great. I even got approached at the bar this past weekend and have a date setup for Friday. The girl kept calling me pretty (she was buzzed) which is always so weird to me as I am a straight guy but she wants to see me again and has been texting me non stop in spite of my pimples, red marks, and scars. That was just a little confidence boost for me since I have basically become a hermit and not approached any girls this year.
I have the exact same problem. I'm NEVER satisfied. It's like I strive for perfection even though I know skin perfection is impossible for me. I've had that happen to me too where girls have approached me to tell me I'm cute or good looking (even during my worst breakouts) and girls have been the ones to take action and ask me out, and I never understand this...I always think to myself..."Are these girls blind?? What do they see when they look at me?" because when I look at myself in the mirror all I usually see is a scarred up monster...and this fucks with my head because why would girls ask me out and and pursue me if I have really bad skin? Sometimes I think the damage from older breakouts has left me with internal scars where I always see my skin as so much worse than it actually is.
So yeah, I haven't come to terms with my scars either. If anything, my scars haunt me on a consistent basis. Sometimes I seek out mirrors when I'm out shopping or at school or something and I stare into them for way too long and lose track of time just thinking about every tiny little mark or scar.
I hear ya man. Sounds like we have the same problem. Our scars and acne are 1,000 times worse in our eyes than anyone elses. When girls talk to me, they look me in the eye and I am wondering when they are going to start scanning my face (never happens). I recently told a few buddies of mine that I was considering Accutane and they thought I was joking. They claimed they never saw a pimple on me before but they clearly just never looked. Honestly, I used to do the same thing that you do with getting lost in the mirror. I now basically avoid mirrors entirely. While this probably is not healthy (staring into the mirror for hours isn't either), my days usually go by a lot easier. I am able to shave by feel and when I apply my Tazorac and BP, I just do it without my contact lenses in and stand a few feet away. I can see my face but I can not see any detail so it works out great. It sounds nuts to even me typing that I do that, but it avoids me a lot of unnecessary obsessing.
This is what I'm dealing with now. My acne breakout last year (along with an abusive relationship) caused me to essentially develop OCD regarding my skin/face. My skin was pretty bad last January; covered in red marks, some active pimples, dryness, etc. It continued to improve and now my skin is MUCH better. I have some more recent marks from pimples, but for the most part my skin looks clear even without makeup. With makeup, it looks very clear. I don't get pimples as often anymore or if I do they're very tiny. Not big pustules or nodules.
But still, I find ways to critique my skin and feel bad about it. I scrutinize in the mirror...but I'm learning to stop. I'm trying to stay a decent distance away from my mirror now when I look at myself. I, too, feel consistently anxious about getting another bad breakout. Even one pimple will set me off into my anxieties. I'm just overly worried now about my skin and I'm sure it's not beneficial for me at all, because I'd like to just fully live while my skin is doing well.
This is what I'm dealing with now. My acne breakout last year (along with an abusive relationship) caused me to essentially develop OCD regarding my skin/face. My skin was pretty bad last January; covered in red marks, some active pimples, dryness, etc. It continued to improve and now my skin is MUCH better. I have some more recent marks from pimples, but for the most part my skin looks clear even without makeup. With makeup, it looks very clear. I don't get pimples as often anymore or if I do they're very tiny. Not big pustules or nodules.
But still, I find ways to critique my skin and feel bad about it. I scrutinize in the mirror...but I'm learning to stop. I'm trying to stay a decent distance away from my mirror now when I look at myself. I, too, feel consistently anxious about getting another bad breakout. Even one pimple will set me off into my anxieties. I'm just overly worried now about my skin and I'm sure it's not beneficial for me at all, because I'd like to just fully live while my skin is doing well.
Did you have OCD symptoms before this? I have had them since I was a kid and it always manifests itself in some form. Unfortunately this is the worst as it is about my appearance and something I do not have full control over.
I keep deciding to take Accutane but than I always talk myself out of it. My dermatologist has said she will give it to me since I am 25 but I still can't decide if poisoning myself for piece of mind is worth it. I am thinking more and more that it may be and any side effects I get can't be worse than the mental issues acne gives me daily. This sounds sick but I would trade acne for crohn's or any of those other stomach issues that could happen. I am just scared of the sexual side effects that people report on here.
Keep in mind (and I'm a girl) that it's not as important for guys to have clear skin as for girls. A little acne or (rough, imperfect skin) actually makes a guy seem more masculine and less like a boy. Girls with acne are just a different story. As Andy Warhol once said, "People should fall in love with their eyes closed. Just close your eyes. Don't look. And it's magic." I think women are more likely to do that. I have fallen for guys who I initially found unattractive. It really just depends on your personality--that matters more to us. I'd pick personality over hot anyday. In fact, a guy's personality is what makes him attractive. And different women are attracted to different sorts of personalities.
The only time this issue came to light for me was when my skin started improving. I guess for a while there I'd given in and resigned myself to having acne and hating my skin. But I got the better of it and when things improved I just wanted that to keep going and going. Once I cleared my acne, it seemed like the pigmentation and marks left over became more and more noticeable. I think the biggest reason I felt that way was because I didn't really know how to function without worrying or feeling down and insecure about my skin, so I went looking for anything and everything I could feel down and insecure about. It was as if I'd become attached to it somehow. side from the odd minor breakout, I'd say I've generally been clear for about ten months now and it's taken that time to actually get used to it and just begin to accept the odd mark or imperfection, the uneven skin tone and the redness, and of course the odd pimple now and then. Reached that point where, having changed the things I could, I'm learning to accept the things I perhaps can't, and that's the key to letting it go and becoming satisfied. 
Keep in mind (and I'm a girl) that it's not as important for guys to have clear skin as for girls. A little acne or (rough, imperfect skin) actually makes a guy seem more masculine and less like a boy. Girls with acne are just a different story. As Andy Warhol once said, "People should fall in love with their eyes closed. Just close your eyes. Don't look. And it's magic." I think women are more likely to do that. I have fallen for guys who I initially found unattractive. It really just depends on your personality--that matters more to us. I'd pick personality over hot anyday. In fact, a guy's personality is what makes him attractive. And different women are attracted to different sorts of personalities.
You are really 100 percent right. Whenever I am in a relationship, looks in the girl are important at first, but I really stop noticing them quickly after I start falling for her personality. I imagine it is the same for girls as you have said. It's just that initial meeting that is killing my confidence. Ever since I was a kid, I have been called good looking so I guess acne has just threatened that for me as that was always my "advantage" that gave me 1 foot in the door. But in reality, that is just a b.s excuse on my part as I think people only care about your skin as much as you personally do.
The only time this issue came to light for me was when my skin started improving. I guess for a while there I'd given in and resigned myself to having acne and hating my skin. But I got the better of it and when things improved I just wanted that to keep going and going. Once I cleared my acne, it seemed like the pigmentation and marks left over became more and more noticeable. I think the biggest reason I felt that way was because I didn't really know how to function without worrying or feeling down and insecure about my skin, so I went looking for anything and everything I could feel down and insecure about. It was as if I'd become attached to it somehow. side from the odd minor breakout, I'd say I've generally been clear for about ten months now and it's taken that time to actually get used to it and just begin to accept the odd mark or imperfection, the uneven skin tone and the redness, and of course the odd pimple now and then. Reached that point where, having changed the things I could, I'm learning to accept the things I perhaps can't, and that's the key to letting it go and becoming satisfied.
Congrats on getting clear. It's a great thing isn't it? haha. But yea, ever since I have cleared most of my skin, I am now focused on light red marks and a few scars which I did not pay much attention to when I actually had a lot of active acne. Honestly, I think it is going to take me time as it has taken you as it is definitely a big difference and I am not used to being clear. I can't even enjoy it yet but when my friends ask me to go out, I generally do not say no anymore as I know my skin looks good to other people, even if it doesn't look good to me yet.
Our society itself worships perfection, through advertising and media it has been beaten into everybody just look at billboards and ads you see on TV. That you have to have clear skin. You must in order to be viewed as sexy. I really think acne is seen as a huge turnoff and that is a cause of a lot of emotional upset in the people that suffer from it. I really wish things were different. It confounds me that science has not led to a cure for this. Being confident can only take you so far when you know that people in some way or another are going to notice it. And most people don't have it.
Do any of you feel like you will be never satisfied with how your skin looks or your looks in general? From January until July, my acne was the worst that it has ever been. My combo of Differin and Dan's BP that had worked for over 3 years just stopped working. It has finally calmed down after I found a regimen that is working pretty good. People are even starting to comment that my skin is looking great. I even got approached at the bar this past weekend and have a date setup for Friday. The girl kept calling me pretty (she was buzzed) which is always so weird to me as I am a straight guy but she wants to see me again and has been texting me non stop in spite of my pimples, red marks, and scars. That was just a little confidence boost for me since I have basically become a hermit and not approached any girls this year.
The problem is, I can not stop obsessing over my skin. I have one of those hard, painful pimples on the bottom corner of my jaw right now near my ear, a pimple dying down on my forehead, some red marks on my forehead, and a rolling scar on my temple and above my eyebrow. Whenever I go out, I always have my mind on the scars, the red marks, and any actives that I have at the moment. In my head, I realize that it is probably NOT THAT BAD. The problem is I am always waiting for the next breakout and thinking about it. I will touch a small pimple and start freaking out that it will get inflamed (it always does) even after icing it early, applying AHA, and taking a ton of aleve.
Have any of you guys came to terms yet that you do have scars, you have red marks, and you will probably continue to have pimples? It just seems impossible to me as by the time I accept one red mark or scar, I have another.
Your problem is born out of the fact that society demands perfection from an imperfect species.
Everywhere we look we see models on mags, perfect skin celebs but it is all fake. They are made to look perfect by make up, clothes, good lighting and photoshop.
You have a date despite your scars and few spots. This person obviously doesn't care about them. Just go and enjoy the date and forget about the spots and enjoy the company.
Don't allow perfection to rule your life. We are not perfect so why try to be?
My attitude with this kind of thing. This is me, take it or leave it, don't like it threes the door bye bye then lol. Serves me well.