I've never been in the military but would imagine it would be very difficult to treat your acne while there, especially getting the products to treat it and probably being on a strict diet while in training. Depending on the severity of your acne you should probably talk to a dermatologist about the situation.

I'm wanting to join the military too!

A lot of people say not to worry about BMT because everyone's going to look disgusting anyway. Also, your acne might actually clear up because of all the water you'll be drinking and all the exercise. I think I've also read that some people use hand sanitizer for their face...? That doesn't sound like a great idea to me, though. When you get out of basic, you should be able to return to your routine.

I'm wanting to join the military too!

A lot of people say not to worry about BMT because everyone's going to look disgusting anyway. Also, your acne might actually clear up because of all the water you'll be drinking and all the exercise. I think I've also read that some people use hand sanitizer for their face...? That doesn't sound like a great idea to me, though. When you get out of basic, you should be able to return to your routine.

That's true plus BMT is only temporary. And I agree the sanitizer sounds like a bad idea.

My experience:

Horrible breakouts in basic. Nothing you can do about it. Where I was, we wouldn't have been allowed hand sanitizer. Just a bar of soap.

After that, people treat you like dirt and talk down to you about it. No one holds back because they don't have to. Imagine all of the ignorance people typically show toward acne amplified many times by the fact that these people can say whatever they want to you without consequence (but it's illegal for you to so much as roll your eyes at them).

Mine cleared up while I was deployed, filthy, and not able to wash my face for months at a time.

As far as acne goes, the military was a bad experience. As far as life goes, it was a truly horrible experience that will never go away.

Just my 2 cents

I don't recommend the military, personally. Someone I know joined and tried to go AWOL after about a year because it was such a torturous, horrible experience for them. They ended up being threatened with prison and decided to just stick it out, and now they are basically counting down the days until they can be free. Only join if you KNOW for sure what you're getting into--recruiters will fill your head with bullshit to entice you to join, and it isn't all happiness and serving your country and traveling the world like they make it out to be. It's a lot of pain, a complete loss of freedom and a lot of hard work. For the right person, this might be exactly what they want/need and it might lead great places. Just make sure it's what you want.

don't soldiers get a really good health insurance benefit?

I would recommend trying to get put on accutane or go a dermatologist and have tri-care pay for it.

You have to understand though that the military medical system is entirely overwhelmed. I am talking 14+ hour emergency room waits.

I wouldn't count on getting any cosmetic medication. I was really sick once, and was literally asked by my battalion "doctor" "does your tummy hurt?". Turned out I had mono and my spleen was swollen, which could require emergency surgery. It is a horrible medical system to rely on. I only went on because my chest hurt really bad and I was puking my guts out on a run and told "run and puke". Yeah... I was considered a "fallout" and disciplined, but lucky for me my test results came back with a disease.