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Severe acne scars, help??

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(@connor220)

Posted : 12/08/2016 10:00 am

This is my first post so sorry if it's in the wrong place but I think it's right. So basically I had severe acne as a child/teenager and now 20 it's got a lot better if not totally gone. However it's left some severe scarring, like huge indents in my cheeks that look like I was attacked or something from the cystic acne I used to suffer from. Now I'm not a good looking guy anyway but it is absolutely soul destroying. I can hardly go outside, always wear a hat to keep the light off my face from casting shadows on my cheeks that show up the scars, I do my best not to sit under direct light wherever I am. I don't have a job and seeing myself in the mirror or pictures make me want to be sick. I constantly feel like everyone must think I'm the grossest thing that's ever been born and have thought about suicide on multiple occasions. I've never seen anyone with it similar to me, and I can't go on like this. What makes the uneven indents in my cheeks disappear is when I stretch my skin or smile really wide so my cheeks fatten up. I also have loads of tiny holes like pores, but really scarred and enlarged across my face. From online research the best I could find is that its some form of atrophic rolling scar where the collagen has been destroyed from the cysts I had.

Now I really don't have much money which obviously makes this much harder but if I carry on like this I really think I'm gonna end not being able to cope anymore. I'm a shadow of who I once was. So what do you recommend I do? If you want pictures to see more I will try and take some in harsh lighting later. I don't have the money for expensive treatment and have social anxiety so seeing my GP is hard already, The only way I can go out is to convince myself it all looks magically better, I have to live in denial to deal with it. Make up does nothing as it doesn't fill huge dents. I'm a guy and from the UK if that makes a difference

Thank you for your help :)

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(@clareabella)

Posted : 12/08/2016 2:58 pm

Hi firstly whos to say your not a good looking person? Everyones non perfect is somebody elses perfect so please dont think that your ugly! Secondly i like you suffer from social situations so i understand that getting the courage to go to your GP will be hard. I had to ball my eyes out a few weeks ago and it was hard im not going to lie but if you have a close relative or friend you can take with you and perhaps get them to start ypur conversation. Thats what my sister in law did and it helped a lot. If your scarring is severe and causing you such mental distress tehn although it is a long battle you maybe able to fight to get treatment on the NHS but i think it may take several visits to really push your case. However if you can get past the first barrier of seeing your GP for the first time then going again and again will get easier for you. Where in the UK are you? We do seem very limited to dermatologists over here which sucks. I get how you feel though. Im not clued up on scar treatments so i wont be any good giving you advice but all i can say is that if you ever want to talk then you can always PM me. You could also ask your doctor to refer you to a dermotologist just to give you advice on what treatment they think will benefit you at least then if you do have to go private you will know what you think you should be being advised rather than run the risk of going to someone whos only got money intentions.

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(@quanhenry)

Posted : 12/08/2016 6:27 pm

Pictures would be helpful. You dont have to show your whole face or can edit out the eyes.

Most treatments are expensive but some are relatively affordable.

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(@qerf123)

Posted : 12/08/2016 6:58 pm

Have you consider makeup? If you are a guy, makeup on male is slowly becoming more and more accepted nowadays. Male actors and even male Youtubers apply some sort of makeup.

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(@beautifulambition)

Posted : 12/09/2016 11:09 am

Quan andqerf123 have good advice. Please read the below official FAQ, there is a section on makeup for males in the Skin: section. Also Quan is right, be proactive. You can do many things at home if you cannot afford expensive DRs. We all have scars my friend and cannot hide in the house all the time. That is not healthy for your mental state. I suggest you possibly see a therapist as this could have much deeper consequences then how the scars look. IT is a blow at ones sense of self. Life is not about scars, its about the lessons learned through those scars, and how you choose to deal with them.

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