Okay, so recently I started using an organic face wash and it has been doing wonders for my skin. I have been dealing with acne since I was about 12 years old and it has affected my self-esteem to the point where I never wanted to leave the house. I quit public high school and started going to a charter school. This meant I only had to leave the house once a week and I barely even did that. At times when I felt so insecure I did not leave the house for a month, I mean not even going outside to get some sunshine. I was so ashamed of the way that I looked that I would wear one of those face masks, that help clear up your skin, all day long. It was horrible for my skin because you are only supposed to wear them for like 5 maybe 15 minutes. My face would get so dry at times it hurt to move my face. That was my life for about 2 to 3 years. I was never able to plan ahead because I did not know if my skin would be clear that day. Now that my skin is clearing up I still have that mind set and I am not sure how to change it. I am too afraid to even let my family see my face without anything on it, like makeup or a face mask, because I am so used to people judging me that I dont want to risk being judged by them too. I really want to change and I am not sure of how to start. I want to be able to plan ahead, go out with my family and friends, travel the world, and have normal experiences and a life that teenagers are supposed to have.
If anyone can help me or give me advice it would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you!
omg.. i know exactly what you're going through. you have it worse than i did though. first let me say that your family will love you no matter what, and they definitely will not judge you. i am sure from watching you hide inside all the time, they have to know that you're insecure about this. what helps is to talk to them about it. let them know what it's doing to you emotionally if they don't already know. and don't start out by just going bare faced all of a sudden. take it slow and maybe instead of putting the mask all over your face, just dot it on your pimples. you're not doing your skin any good by leaving that on that long. i used to walk around with dots of a mask on my face too. queen helene's so it was green, or proactiv's so it was white. i looked ridiculous and now i realize i would have looked more normal if i had just walked around without it. to this day i still refuse to walk around completely bare faced. so i use neutrogena's skin clearing makeup. i don't smear it all over though. i just dot it on the pimples/red marks like i would the mask. this is safe because it doesn't clog your pores, and it gives you a little more confidence walking around the house in front of people.
i definitely think you need to talk to a therapist. you sound like you have body dysmorphic disorder. i'm only telling you this because i have this and i know the signs of it. i'm not a doctor and i'm not diagnosing you. i went to a family doctor and he sent me to a psychiatrist. he sees me regularly now and also advised me to get a therapist. i tried the therapist for a few sessions but didn't like her, so i still have to find another one. you might be depressed too. ever since i was put on an antidepressant, i've been able to leave my house and not give a shit what people think. i mean i will always feel self conscious about my skin but i don't let it completely ruin my life anymore.
if you ever need to talk, message me. there are a ton of us on here who are in the same boat and we can all help you =)