My acne started 4 years ago during summer, my second year of graduation, i was 18. Before that i had very clear skin, never had a zit ever, even though i was the most unhygienic, lazy and undisciplined one, never ever used any sunscreen,etc. I was also quite privileged and took everything for granted, even my friends, family and other people who cared about me..but i just didn't bother to value anything in life and thought everything would just happen to me, without making any efforts...i was an introvert but more correctly just anti-social, but didn't exactly cause any trouble.

After going to college, i saw some of my flaws and decided to change, was making the efforts but then came the acne...took me into depression and made me from anti-social to socially awkward....

But after all this struggle(and still struggling), i have come to some level of peace with myself...things seems to be going in positive direction, and i am definitely a better person.

I'm 18 at the moment and my acne started when I was 12 beginning puberty. From the age 0-11 people have always told me I was cute and handsome young man so I was extremely confident in my looks. When I have reached the age of 12 I started developing the worst case of severe acne. My self esteem completely dropped, I was bullied and fell into depression. I isolated myself from everyone and I actually cried about how bad my acne was. I thought of life as unfair and just tried to run away from reality. When I turned 14 my acne became moderate to severe and I had my first girlfriend. I realized acne doesn't completely hold you back from the dating scene. Acne is just a negative and can be compensated in other ways. From 14 to 17 my acne got slightly better and I had my first hookup and second girlfriend . During that time I was on tetracycline and the regimen, they both help control acne but they cannot get rid of persistent hormonal acne. Now that I turned 18 a few months ago I'm on accutane and it will clear up my acne within a few months.

Acne has changed me in many ways. I used to be a shallow person, judging people for mainly their looks and not getting to know "ugly" people. Normally girls that meet me say if I didn't have acne I would be a very cute or handsome young man. If I didn't have acne my confidence would be over the roof, I'm quite confident when my acne goes down to mild from time to time. I would also still be shallow if it wasn't for acne. I learned a lesson from it and I developed a good personality plus talent while I was under severe acne.

I used to be the uninterested, "do-whatever-you-want-just-leave-me-alone"-kid in high school. I started having acne at 16, and it gradually got worse. This year (I'll be 19 next month) I started going to college and I became a lot more social and interested in people. I never really felt confident because of my skin, but I didn't let it define me.

January this year I finally started accutane, I finished at the start of May. My skin is better, but still not great.

Before the end of the accutane course I never felt depressed about my skin for two reasons:

- There was always 'the next step' : a different medicine.

- My friends accept me the way I am, I had no girlfriend and wasn't interested in anyone. I had all the time in the world to cure my acne.

After the accutane both of these changed, there was no more 'next step' (it doesn't get more extreme than accutane I think), and I made the foolish mistake to fall in love with someone. We met at a party in a dark room (so she didn't really see my skin) and after that we started chatting a lot on facebook. I realized that I liked this girl more than anyone I've ever met (and she also seems to like me), but I also realized that she deserves someone with a better skin. It made me feel really depressed, for the first time I felt the full impact of my skin. To this day I do everything to improve my skin, hoping that one day I could feel confident enough to ask her out, without having to worry about things like "she's going to be grossed out, she will feel uncomfortable, I don't deserve this,...."

People say things like 'If she doesn't like you because of some pimples then she's not worth you', I understand that. My problem is the feeling that she deserves someone better... It's a sad thing, liking someone that much, but not feeling like you deserve it. I wouldn't wish this to my worst enemy.

The acne made me a different person, I don't judge people anymore because of their looks (it's probably the reason why I fell in love for the first time, I really like her for who she is), and I became a lot more understanding towards people with problems in general. However there are also a lot of downsides: I became weaker, lost my confidence. I feel like I'm running around wearing a mask all the time, keeping a smile on my face and my chin held up high, while I just really want to do is lay down and forget about the world for a while. The acne made me a great actor, I can fake any emotion at any give time, it may eventually help me to become a lawyer/politician like i always wanted, if I haven't given up by then...

I used to be very acne.yo cried every day and wished that one day was over, but it was not, and had never seen me deseperaba all there pimples on my face, did not know what to do or how to do it, no treatment helped me a day could no longer more and told my mom to take me to another dermatologist and take me, I prescribe antibiotics and some cream, -;, not served, then she prescribe accutane me to prinicpio I was a little sad because more grains began dating two months later and I have nothing! have only scars but when I'm done with accutane, I'll try the cicatrices.cuando the acne used to have was the only kid in school with acne as much as I had no I hated going out to public places and so on, I say friends I have no shame! divietanse out and lost a year of my life because of this, that's my story

I've had acne since I was 11. Had it all throughout my teenage years. I never once heard anyone say "you're pretty" After I started getting it. Think the worst was one day my stepmom was saying to me, "you have the sweetest features, it's just... Your skin is so..." Then the look of disgust. I live in a culture where people feel compelled to point out the obvious, and it's very hurtful when there are very large very obvious pimples and marks on your face. When I was about 15 there was a guy I considered a friend at the time, who told a male friend of his that I'd be really sexy if I didn't look like a leopard. Not to mention my mom telling me occasionally that I was cursed. So yeah... I don't know what my life would've been like without it. I've always wanted clear skin more than anything else, mostly because I always thought people would be nicer to me. I think I'd have some more self esteem. It hurts walking into a supermarket and have someone point to me and tell her kid that this is what happens when you eat too much sweets I'm sure I'd have been more outgoing. There were lots of times I stayed home because I was more broken out than usual.

I've had acne since I was fifteen and at first i bought into the myth that I would grow out of it. Well at 30 , it's still as persistent as ever and in some ways, harder to deal with as most of my peers have grown out of it. The severity fluctuates but now a days, my acne is mostly a combination of inflammatory and clogged pores. Acne has damaged my self confidence and my self esteem. I am not as spontaneous as i used to be and I suffer from anxiety related to my skin. I used to plan around my acne but this summer I am determined to go out and live my life in spite of acne. Acne has changed me in some good ways too. I am more compassionate and friendlier towards those i do engage. I am more patient with others and I value people for who they are on the inside. I saw a guy today in Trader Joes with moderate acne and I found him quite attractive. We had a great conversation and not once did I think any less of him.

That's my story

congrats on meeting the man of your dreams. If ya can find me the women of mine i would really be grateful.

I think it started when i was 17 after i moved. I was stressed, i picked, and did everything your not supposed to. I ignored it and thought nothing of it. School came and i didnt make many friends (if i could call them friends now that i think of it). i spent more time alone by myself. i got into competitive gaming to pass the time and made up for my lack of physical friends with those online which i am friends with to this day. I worked a quite job and kept to myself while my acne got worse, my living situation as a kid got worse.I searched in vain for treatments and traveled to diff docs. I tried diff things and they worked sort of but never really helped. I became inconsistent with treatments. Not to mention expensive. I developed scarring and kinda went into a cycle of trying to help myself, then not having any luck, stopping, then later carrying because of how i was received socially.

Some how i found the strength to go to nursing school for 2 years and not fixate as much on my skin. But now then again i don't remember. I would rather forget those times as well. Nursing school is tough...

I suppose i could write a book of the above in greater detail. Of my stupid attempts, failures, successes, hours spend researching etc.

Thats the past. Moving forward...

I started having severe acne when I came to the US and started eating junk food and cola from the dining halls. Picked and scarred my face. Had no clue about derms, accutane etc. Now I don't have acne but time has gone past me.

Acne ruined my life.

I used to be able to talk to people and have long meaningful conversations and all that but now I'm a caveman at home waiting for this shit storm to blow over.

There's this really close friend I have and even she noticed that I've changed.

She told me one day "how come we don't have anymore real conversations "

And that day I went home and stared at my ceiling absolutely crushed .

Acne has taken my social life , LITERALLY robbed me of confidence .

I'm scared of thinking about the future. Because honestly my acne never stops. I'm afraid I'm gonna die alone homeless because I can't even talk to people because of how embarressed , Ashamed , and discusted I am of my own face .

definitely lost my confidence.
I have tried several medications (except accutane) and none of them worked.
As of now, I am trying out Cod Liver Oil and it has given me THE WORST BREAKOUT ever. It's so severe that I literally stayed home for about 2 weeks now. Ive had acne since I was 13. Im 18 now and it sucks.

Also ive been in social confinement so I havent seen anyone face to face bc im scared. Def changed my social life throughout the years.

Hi.

I started to break out with moderately severe acne 6 months ago.

The bad- my acne does not respond well to BP or Proactive or most face washes, only natural salisylic acid stuff and some prescriptions. I break out tremendously on my jawline and on my cheeks. Has to be hormonal.

The good- No acne on nose! I recently went to a dermatologist and got topical antibiotics and... Retin a I hope it works.

Anyways, when I got acne I was literally 2 weeks away from moving to Texas. It started with zits on my chin, then som forehead ones. I'm a 17 year old male, so I left my old high school and community with everyone's having an image of me acne-free, not a pimple in my life, to a new school in Texas where I was an acne freak.

I don't know if its the school or just me but A LOT of people bullied me about me. At first it was terrible, then it was hard, now I can get on with it half the time. In the summer I cleared up, not because of the sun I think, but because of a perfect regimen and cleanser I was using that worked perfectly- it helped before I went outside a lot. I came back to school acnefree, and made tons of friends, even a few of my bullies. Then, I slowly started breaking out in my chins again over the month. As it got more and more severe, more and more friends ditched me. I still have some friends now that I think are great to stay with me, but acne is a major factor in social status. I can't blame them for not seeing me as I want to be seen; that's just how acne works. So what if you have it forever? Just try to be the person you want to be seen as- don't be shy.

I'm 15 years old, going on 16 in about a month.

I've had chronic hormonal acne since I was about 7 years old. My first pimple popped up right on the middle of my nose during the third grade. You think being made fun of for having acne is a middle/high school thing? Nope. I definitely wasn't spared during my elementary years with acne. An elementary school kid with pimples all over her face wasn't the norm, so you could imagine the repercussions I got from children my age and even adults. Whether it was their aim to or not, so many people, children and adults alike made me super conscious and super uncomfortable about my face. Random and I mean RANDOM people would stop my mom and I when we would be walking to any place to ask my mom what was wrong with my facial skin. People would bombard me with thousands of random suggestions about how I could fix my face, just reminding me of the kind of predicament I was in. It made me feel horrible. Being the only one my age at my school with acne, I was continually discriminated against, excluded and left out by my peers because of it. And don't tell me that they weren't excluding me because of my acne, because I got verbal confirmation from alot of them that my acne was the reason. I didn't deserve any of it. I was a kid with a lot to offer my community, but no one gave me a chance because they didn't like the way I looked.

And of course, this continued throughout my middle and high school life. In middle school people would bodly make remarks and ask me questions about my cysts and pustles. Two children even had a conversation about a cyst on my nose right in front of me. People would make Clean and Clear and Proactiv jokes about me and in front of me. I wanted to cry every day because of it and I still do. During my 5th and 6th grade years, nearly every day of those years during lunch time, my grade had their own designated section of the lunch cafeteria which consisted of four large cafeteria tables, I'd sit at one of those ridiculously large tables, and everyone would make sure to sit at the other tables, leaving me to eat lunch by myself. And sometimes, I'd get to the cafeteria before everyone else and made sure to sit at the table that everyone else was fond of sitting at, but nevertheless, the kids would desert me and move to the table that I usually sat at by myself. I'd try shoving my way into sitting at the table with everyone else, and they'd still get up and leave me to eat by myself. I one day asked the girl who seemed to be the leader of the lunch tables why none of the kids would eat with me, and she frankly said that it was because I looked disgusting. In my 7th and 8th grade years at another school, boys would usually tease me and ask me how it felt to always be the ugliest one in my friend group. And of course along with that came the proactive and clean and clear jokes. People used my acne as a way to justify treating like I was nonhuman, and they still do.

Now, in high school when I get into arguments with my peers, the argument usually draws out and the person I'm arguing with usually resorts to insulting me about my acne. Sometimes I resort to staying home from school when I have new, huge break out because I just dont know or think that I can handle anymore comments being made. Ive attempted suicide because of the bullying and exclusion I endured at least 3 times. I'm not sure that I can take much more of this.. And the worst part about all of this is that so many of the adults and authorities who are supposed tp be there tp help me and empathize with me usually end up telling me that what i'm feeling "can't possibly be that bad" and the experiences that I describe to them must be exagerated to an extent and that "everyone experiences this type of harsh bullying at some point." But none of that is true. I see all of my pretty and clear skinned friends and yes, they do have their own battles, but they're joyfull and happy for the most part and none of them have expressed feelings or thoughts of suicide because of their battles like I have to them. There is a visible difference in the way I look and act because of all the storms I've weathered because of my acne and all the storms they've weathered because of their own problems. In reality Im just tired of all of this, I feel like Im too tired of living like this. And my biggest fear at this point is that Ill end up being a 45 year old with a whole bunch of hyper pigmentation scars all over my face still battling acne. Ive already gotten keloids (raise darkened bumps of old acne that never fully went away) and icepick scars that will forever be on my face and Im only 15. You will forever be able to tell that I had acne. Even if my acne some how miraculously goes away when I get older, those keloids and ice picks will always be a reminder that I had acne. My dream of flawless skin is totally unreachable without thousands, maybe tens of thousands of dollars worth of long, painful and possibly ineffective skin procedures. My skin can never be restored t its full glory, and since I had this curse put upon me at the age of 7, I still dont know what I did to deserve the curse. I was innocent at 7 as far as I can remember so I dont remember doing anything that merited my skin being ruined forever. Iwas cursed unjustly and I don't see why I was. Maybe I'm being punished because of something I'll do in the future? I dont know.

My life went down hill after 13, with acne getting worst at 22 23 now at 25 with lots of scaring, and feel like i have not lived life at all.

Have pushed many women away because, i have suffered with major depresstion and want to be left alone in this world.

Tho this doesn't mean i'm going to give up like a punk Btch, now days i just care about making the mula, and living a flashy life as possible. Trying to get out of a job and be self employed and just wish i could go in the sun without having to worry about what my scaring looks like or how much worst it can get from the suns uv rays

All in all, the life i could have been living would be a lot of women and not a care in the world, having to worry about which angle the light is going to hit my skin, i just hope there's something radical in the next 5 years to improve this scaring a lot moree, and live whatever i got left

I am also very emotionally desentised, after some commets that were made by a girl years ago, i no longer care to make any connection with people.

It used to be worst when i couldn't go out without make up as a straight guy that is humiliating, however after having spend over 6k in treatments and doing some home treatments, the improvement that was needed is there to keep me sain.

Wow, great topic. Couldn't help but read all of the posts...and it broke my heart. Do WHATEVER it takes to beat acne while you're still young, bc dealing with its aftermath will be a little easier when ur in your late 20s/30's.

I know the pain all too real, since I was once a 16yo kid whose life was suddenly turned upside down by acne. The fact that I was always a sick kid didn't help, but acne blew all other issues out of the water. It happened all within a short period of time, so I didn't have a clue what to do. My face, neck, head, chest, and back. Painful kind...visually arresting of the worst kind. I went crazy. I panicked, cried, yelled, and cursed God like it was cool. Day after day, week after week, year after year, I lived in agony.

Throughout all the years of torture and horror, the BEST advice I can give you is to love yourself. If you let go of this it will be a more traumatizing life. That love you had will be harder to coalesce back into your existence...trust me. Through the hell, love yourself. I may come off like another douche, but that is the one real thing you have to remember and unconditionally keep.

And for those who are emotionally paralyzed by the ordeal, read what clive17 posted under 'Stop looking for a cure (advice from a veteran)'. It's obviously not gonna give you the cure, but it's a sobering wake up call if you let acne corrode your very being.

I am 26 now, i ve had acne since i was 12. Didnt know what to do with it at that time, or how to cover it up. I was bullied all the time because of my face. Its not as bad today but its still there, only on my face, i hate it. I never had a boyfriend because i was disgusted and ashamed of myself and never left the house. I was 25 when i met my now boyfriend, my skin still breaks out but he said he doesnt care about the acne, he always tells me i am beautiful. But i dont feel like it, i dont believe it, how could someone see me beautiful when my face is covered with acne and scars? It definately changed my life and how i see everything. But ill let you know a little secret...we are all special on the inside.

Hi!
This is my first post here, and I would like to tell about my acne experience. I've had acne for quite some years now, I'm 17 and the 'acne' ( just a few zits but it was starting ) started when I was around 12. I was in my first year of high school when I noticed my skin was changing. But it didn't seem like this happened to the people around me. The people around me came up to me to ask what I had on my chin. It was embarassing. I have to say, my acne was far from bad. It kept getting worse over the years.

When I started working at a fastfood-restaurant last year, that's when the acne started to become really bad. My skin wasn't perfect, I had a few imperfections, but it was pretty smooth. After a while ( I'd say 2/3 months ) I remember looking in the mirror and seeing whiteheads form on my forehead. I didn't pay much attention to it because I thought they would go away. The opposite happened. The whiteheads and blackheads were getting worse. And I, just wanted them to go away, so I tried to get rid of them by popping them and plucking them. Not the brightest idea I've head. The whiteheads became pimples. At first I didn't thought this came from work, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. When you work in a fastfood environment, there's a lot of oil & heat. And I used to wear make up to work, just a little concealer, but the concealer gets in my skin because of all the heat, and that's when the whiteheads formed. I don't work there anymore, and I just hope and pray that my skin will get better. I have a scar on my cheek because of work, and my self esteem and confidence have never been so low. But I keep reminding myself that I'm not the only one going through this, and that the acne will hopefully go away.

For products I use benzoyl perioxide. My skin does get really dry, but that's kind of a good thing. I just hope it works out.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Much love.

I am 17 years old and my acne just started a few months ago, I never thought I had great skin, but when I compare it to what I have now, it was almost flawless. My acne covers my entire forehead filling it completely with those little red bumps that I can never seem to get rid of. I can't even cover them up, the makeup looks cakey and bumpy. My self confidence used to be pretty good but now I don't even want to see  family. Every time I look in the mirror I cry, and I'm not even an emotion person to begin with. I have tried proactive at it only drys out my skin. If that isn't bad enough, I have my grad pictures this week and my acne is getting worse day by day. I feel trapped, I can't talk about this with anyone because they don't understand  hopefully it gets better before prom. Unfortunately I can relate to you all too well ~

Hi guys, so this is my attempt at a blog. I was looking for an outlet for all the built up emotions I had because of acne and found writing about it and sharing to be extremely helpful! Please do have a look at it once, I hope it helps you. It was really tough for me to open up but I am glad I did.

[Edited link out]

My acne started when I was around 9/10 years old, I developed early and began to get hormonal acne across my forehead. I didn't like it, but, J didn't understand it being that young and didn't really care. I used harsh products and my skin got worse into my teenager years. I developed an anxiety disorder and my skin was severely affected by the stress. I developed hyperpigmentation when i was about sixteen and I was constantly aware and depressed about it. When i went to college, my attitude changed dramatically and my skin calmed down. I had one magical 'clear' (ish) spell earlier this year and started seeing a dermatologist who has helped but not anywhere near cured (I want it off my face, that is literally all i am asking. I have been dealing with tis too long). I had a horrific hormonal breakout last month and am still not recovering, it was the worst it has ever been. My face is covered in marks and scars and recurring spots in the same places (does anyone else get these? Sick of it). Now I am at the point where i have tried everything and I'm over it. I have been left with a complex about being seen without makeup and depression because of it.. If im stressed, my skin breaks out, if Im hormonal, my skin breaks out, if i eat junk, my skin breaks out, if I go on extremely restricted healthy diets, my skin breaks out, if i use natural tooical treatment, my skin breaks out, if i use clinical treatment - my skin breaks out!
Tried everything, can't win. Over it.

Had flawless skin. Took Finasteride to keep my hair, and ended up destroying my skin in the process. https://imgur.com/gallery/qJlxb

I'm only 19 but have had moderate-bad acne since the age 13-14. I am certainly assure that acne has made me into a less judgemental and extremely kind person compared to myself before I had acne. I probably would be way different if acne didn't give me an emotional toll throughout
highshool (I was a happyflowers, gave one of my closest friends a black eye, disrespected everyone including my parents and even to the lord himself.)

Guess karma bit my a**. My acne is much better nowadays, and I try to be the most helpful and nice person ever lol, I enjoy making others happy for some reason and absolutely hate talking about anyone behind their back. I'm always in a philosophical mood, I stare at the night sky and give life advice to my younger friends who look up to me. Yes I hate acne, but it has developed me into the person I am today. I'm 19 but feel like I've lived much longer. I guess what I'm trying to say is, acne has benefitted me (sounds funny really)

https://imgur.com/gallery/qJlxb

I have an acne prone skin since i was 12, then when im 19 i decided to go to the doctor. They give me treatments, day cream and night cream. I had used it and go to the doctor routine for 6 months. And after 6 months my skin look perfect. Everyone told me that i have a beautiful and clearer skin. Then after a long thoughts, i decided to stop going to doctor cause i felt my skin was better already. My skin looks just fine and im not dependent on the cream.

LastLastcouple months i decided to go to doctors again just to have a facial treatments, but i end up buying the cream products again. Usually after i got a facial treatment my skin become clearer, but not last month. After i go to treatments last month, my skin turns out bad, acne on my cheek and forehead. I was so stressed that i finally bought tea tree oil for my acne treatment. At first the TTO did their job. But now idk i feel like its no longer affect my skin anymore and i feel like i get more acne now even when im using the tea tree oil. Im so stress. Now i have acnes all over my face. It's kinda hurt on my cheek, i can feel it even when im not touching it. Im very sad. This acne make me upset. Even my boyfriend and my mother told me that my skin is worst and full of acne. I feel like they both look at me with disgust. I cry at night because i keep thinking about it. Im embarrassed. I just want them to disappear from my face. Now im afraid to see people, im afraid to go out, i just want to stay at home until all these acnes gone. I really hate my skin! I can not even see someone i really want to see for so long cause im embarrassed of myself. Idk what to do.