I think for anyone with moderate/severe/persistent acne, life is just a pack of lies, especially if they look at the people around them who do not have a single spot on their face.
I'm increasingly convinced that there are just two camps:
1) Those without acne (they will stay clear forever or have the random spot occasionally and these spots will clear up leaving no trace whatsoever)
2) Those with acne (they will be persistently plagued by acne, try out a new regimen that seems to clear things up somewhat only to have the problem come back again, totally proving that acne has a mind of its own. A new regimen or diet cycle then begins)
It's really simple if you look at the two camps. Those in camp 1 will never know what acne is and even if they get it, the thing goes away faster than those in camp 2 waking up with a new spot in the morning.
This is so infuriating and depressing (who isn't on this forum?).
For every advice that sounds logical, there's counter-evidence out there throwing everything out of the window:
1) You have to exfoliate to remove dead skin that clogs pores! ----- Oh no! You can't exfoliate, that's too harsh for the skin!
2) You need to control your diet, eat more fruits and vegetables ----- Gee, look at that guy take part in a binge-eating competition downing 20 oil-dripping burgers, and his face is crystal clear
3) You need to moisturize; your skin is dehydrated even if its oily ----- No, don't apply unnecessary layers of products on your face before you sleep
I feel the exact same. I envy those who (as a male) can put the hood of their sweater up and not having to worry about waking up the next morning to pimples from the hood rubbing on my face. Those who can actually wake up in the morning, every morning, and not have worry about the newest pimple they have on their face that popped up over night. They're so many of these even 'small' things I think about daily and envy those with great skin. My girlfriend is absolutely gorgeous (i know right..) and her complextion & skin are amazing. she doesn't judge me at all and has been with me since before I started breaking out this bad, but seeing her so carefree about her skin and it being so amazing, it's definitely something I envy every day.
my acne is not severe or what is even considered "moderate", right now I have 2 recently popped pimples on my forehead, a deep pimple forming in the crease of my nose (I get these once ina while and they're hell) and a nose full of blackhead spots. I feel for those who deal with extreme acne everyday, I look at you all as warriors to be able to get through your daily lives. This is just my opinion, I've been depression prone since I can remember, and acne is one of the biggest triggers. Acne takes away my self-confidence, and ironically, I'm someone who really takes pride in my appearance, but that impossible at least half of the time, because of this.
I didnt mean to get off topic, I just really understand your post and it hit a string. This is actually my first post.
Keep your head up.
Honestly, I feel like it's all bullshit. I also feel as though those of us with persistent acne,through and into their early twenties,have some sort of disease or irregularities that cause this - this thinking doesn't really help my situation.
Really feel like saying just fuck it and letting my fave do whatever the hell it wants to do.
I understand how acne can plague your thoughts and deeply effect your self perception. It can feel so hopeless at times. The best advice I can offer is rather than muddle over all the perplexing information on regimes and diets etc is to see a dermatologist who will be able to offer you the best advice for your skin. Everyone's skin is different. There are lots of companies happy to make a profit out of acne - offering the latest miracle regime! , lots of lunatics who think that rubbing a banana on your forehead and eating 40 carrots a day will 100% cure you in 90 days! But...., there's no substitute for professional advice from someone who will be able to evaluate your skin from a professional standpoint. All the best x
The replies in this thread are gold. They epitomize exactly what acne sufferers are going through and more importantly, the fact that acne has a mind of its own.
Don't we all miss the days before the age of 16 when our face were blemish free, and how we could nonchalantly touch our face without a care in the world, eat junk food without worrying about a breakout. By golly, we probably didn't even know how to spell the word 'acne'!
*throws hands up in the air*
I feeeeeel you. I notice how on some "good" days- which are rare btw.. But my entire self esteem and attitude are just so different and, happy. Then the next morning I wake up with a huge cyst right smack dab in the middle of my cheek (which I can see in myperipheral vision) and the circle of acne emotional life starts back over again, I'm about to be done with Month 4 of Accutane and last month I was extremely dis-couraged and my dermatologist LAUGHED at me and promised me that by my next appointment, which is next week by the way.. I will be 95% cleared and extremely satisfied with my face. Kind of sucky for her to promise me something that like because I can count 6 pimples currently on my face. So that next appointment will be interesting...
I'm so sick of this. I drank nothing but vegetable smoothies last week and I get rewarded with this??
You aren't alone, this sucks so bad.