Hello everyone I'm new to this forum. I'm currently 17 years old (male) Senior in High School and want to ask if anyone elses acne ruined their teenage years such as not being able to go out because of it, having no social life and enduring merciless bullying? I just hope I'm not the only one who has spent most of their teen years in complete isolation because of this. This disease has made me psychotic.
Yea acne gave me major self confidence issues and anxiety, making me fear going to school, soccer, or social events due to my appearance. I always feel like people see me for what's on my face more than my personality and judge me for it. Acne makes me feel like less of a person, and I am still suffering from it during my senior year as well. Hopefully it'll clear up before college so I can have a fresh start.
Yep. It ruined about about 90% of my "teen years." I'll never be one of those people who say that high school was the greatest time of their lives. Total BS. But I've also come to the realization that if high school is the best time of your life, that could also be kind of sad. So try not to think that way too much. I know it's difficult.
I'm admittedly a big Lord of the Rings nerd.
Yes it did, or at least i taught it did. I just graduated high school and i started breaking out since i was in 7th grade until 11th when i was just about 100% clear, of all honestly my senior year was the best. But you really wanna know the truth about having acne at that age? It makes you humble, it makes you think twice about judging other people specially because of their personal appearance. I'm not saying acne is a great thing because well it isn't it's a nightmare, but really it can make a nice person out of you, in the end is how you wish to take it you can have acne and complain about it endlessly or learn from it and make you stronger than you ever were, it's all up to you 
(you truly lean find the inner beauty in people and the definition of sympathy)
I'm happy to say it hasn't ruined being a teenager for me. I look back on my high school days and actually remember having a lot of fun with my friends. Sure I would get the odd question about my acne from kids I wasn't really close to, but I had a great group of friends who never took a second look at my acne. And mostly all of those people didn't even have acne. I was so jealous of their skin.
I guess at that time it made it obvious to me the kind of people I should surround myself with. To this very day, those people are still my best friends.
I was and still am really shy when it comes to my skin even though I got clear, but it just goes to show that you yourself is what is holding you back if you let it.
Had NO life as a teenager. Did nothing, hung out with no one and watched opportunities pass me by. Luckily that's a super short chunk of your life and there's a whole ton of awesome waiting for you if you go out and get it. You'll get through. Being in your 20's is way more fun anyway
My whole teen years, acne has been here. It has never gone, it has only gotten worse. My teen years have been dramatically ruined by it and now my early adult-hood is going to be ruined by it too, i'm tired of it and don't know what to do anymore, it's so sad and i just don't get why it won't go, i have had my fair share i think but that isn't enough, it's just getting worse.
My whole teen years, acne has been here. It has never gone, it has only gotten worse. My teen years have been dramatically ruined by it and now my early adult-hood is going to be ruined by it too, i'm tired of it and don't know what to do anymore, it's so sad and i just don't get why it won't go, i have had my fair share i think but that isn't enough, it's just getting worse.
I know this feeling exactly. I feel like I've dealt with so much sh*t, it's like what else can we possibly add into the heaping pile that I already have to deal with?? You just have to hold onto hope. As long as there is hope, there is a reason to exist. Without that, life would look like one giant black hole. I've been in that position (and still struggle with those thoughts), but when I grasp onto any inkling of a thought that tomorrow will be better, it makes things a little bit easier. Each day is a new day, and even if tomorrow sucks just as bad as today does, there's always another tomorrow. As long as I tell myself "Tomorrow will be better". I have something to hold onto. Right now, I'm really at rock bottom. But, the good news is I can only go up from here if I choose to. Don't let your life slip away because of a problem that we really don't have control over. That's just a waste of time and energy that can be spent on making wonderful memories and living life to the fullest!
I will not give acne alone credit for ruining my teen years. It wasn't the cause but it WAS a major contributing factor to the overall misery that was my youth. I was always painfully self-conscious, even as a kid, so when I developed acne at 14 (along with chronic depression and anxiety disorder) I didn't cope very well. It wasn't so much about what others thought. I just had very very high expectations for myself (I still do) and I found the breakouts completely unacceptable. I was disgusted by them and horrified at my inability to control them. Of course, others' comments certainly didn't help anything. My family was constantly recommending new "cures" which I had already tried and I had a "friend" back then who used to point out that even the shadow I cast on the ground had a bumpy forehead (which wasn't even true). Looking back, I realize that the acne I had then was firmly within the mild category, nothing at all when compared to the acne I get now. It's still only moderate but I've fought hard to keep it from reaching the level of severe/cystic.
My whole teen years, acne has been here. It has never gone, it has only gotten worse. My teen years have been dramatically ruined by it and now my early adult-hood is going to be ruined by it too, i'm tired of it and don't know what to do anymore, it's so sad and i just don't get why it won't go, i have had my fair share i think but that isn't enough, it's just getting worse.
I know this feeling exactly. I feel like I've dealt with so much sh*t, it's like what else can we possibly add into the heaping pile that I already have to deal with?? You just have to hold onto hope. As long as there is hope, there is a reason to exist. Without that, life would look like one giant black hole. I've been in that position (and still struggle with those thoughts), but when I grasp onto any inkling of a thought that tomorrow will be better, it makes things a little bit easier. Each day is a new day, and even if tomorrow sucks just as bad as today does, there's always another tomorrow. As long as I tell myself "Tomorrow will be better". I have something to hold onto. Right now, I'm really at rock bottom. But, the good news is I can only go up from here if I choose to. Don't let your life slip away because of a problem that we really don't have control over. That's just a waste of time and energy that can be spent on making wonderful memories and living life to the fullest!
After acne ruined my teen years I too am definitely nervous about it doing the same to my early 20's. I agree with Rosalie though, as if you don't have any hope you will only feel worse and worse. Although I am nervous about acne continuing to hold me back, I am really trying to change my whole attitude, as if you don't at least try to change your life it probably won't ever get better. Even if you just make small changes to your outlook it can really help over time.
I have got to say that acne has made more humble. Acne didn't destroy my teen years as I've only really had a PROBLEM with it for two years but in these 2 years, I'm certainly not the same person as I was before. I missed so many opportunities because my face wasn't 'ok' on that particular day. However acne has taught me a lot about not judging people for their appearance, and see beyond e the 'unattractive' things. I was so self conscious that I started wearing makeup to cover it up so I could look my 'normal self' again, and being a male and straight it's weird that I have to do that because I couldn't bare going out with my face in red marks.
I'm finally on accutane, and my face is clear, only hyper pigmentation left, I just can't wait tofinish my course and just be me again.. The one I've been 'faking' to be these past two years,