Hello, 
Let me start of by saying my name is Josh and I™ve been dealing with severe acne since I was around 14 years old, I am now 19. I™m not really sure if anyone is going to notice or pay attention to this post but I kind of just want to tell my story

Growing up throughout high school with acne was pretty bad but it never really bothered my self confidence, my acne wasn™t horrible but it was still noticeable. I also had a girlfriend who was super supportive and always tried to help me out. Throughout highschool I was always just trying new things in my facial routine and I™m not sure if my age or anything had to do with it but my acne would usually go on and off. Growing up i was always outspoken and expressive, I loved the company of others and I loved to explore new things. While growing up my dream has always been to one day inspire a lot of people and tell my story, not just  about my Acne but with all the things I™ve gone through. My dream was that after high school I would find a platform to talk and learn other people stories where I could possibly help them out and show the light at the end of the tunnel(ex. Youtube, Music, Social Media, Blogs, Acting) and ever since a kid I™ve wanted to do this.
This was what my skin looked like before acne plagued me.
 

But right as I was graduating high school my skin just went really bad, and it was pretty sad cause I had acne in all my grad pictures and it™s something you don™t really want to look at. I went to a dermatologist and he recommend I go on Accutane, but at the time I didn™t want to risk the health concerns. I was already going through a huge back surgery I was healing from and I didn™t think it would benefit me at the time to have to go through dryness and joint pain when I™m already hurting half the time. Then I finally got to college it felt a lot different, I never really felt self conscious about myself because I always had a huge group of friends, a wonderful girlfriend and a supportive family who all saw through my acne.

But when I got into college a lot of things went badly, I lost my girlfriend, my father kicked me out of the house and I felt so lost that I had to leave college because everything was coming at me all at once. Leaving college was a huge regret of mine and all these things happening around me caused a lot of insecurity. I started to feel lost in my own body, like I™d look in the mirror and I wouldn™t feel myself. My dreams of inspiring we™re all covered up by my own insecurity, and I really felt like I would amount to nothing. Right around when I turned 19 my acne was horrible, it was the worst I™ve ever seen it and it looked like my skin was falling off because I was picking it and touching it because I was so self conscious. (NUMBER ONE MISTAKE)

Yeah pretty nasty.

This is when all the stress and anxiety really hit me hard, and I became almost obsessive with the fact that I didn™t want acne. I thought in my head that once I get rid of my acne I can love myself again and I can flourish, and all those dreams I tucked away I can reopen, I just have to get rid of these pimples. When I turned 19 I made the decision that I would take the time I have while I™m not in college to really change the way I lived, my attitude towards things, my feeling about myself, and also other things like really taking care of my body and not eating things I shouldn™t have. It™s been around 7 months now and I haven™t had a piece of candy, I don™t eat fast food, I can™t even drink milk because my acne and I loved milk. All I try to eat is meat and vegetables, and probably the biggest lesson that acne taught me is that you can™t give up on things. That one glass of milk would shoot up 4 more pimples and then you™re back at square one. You have to learn to be consistent and strong and not cave into stress. You have to learn to understand that acne is only a battle with yourself, and once you get through that hump you really understand what it™s like to feel proud of yourself. For everyone struggling with acne especially at a young age you just have to use all your will to get through it because acne is the one thing I™ve been through in life that with all the hard work and care you put into it, it still doesn™t matter at times because it always comes back. You have to test things out and see what™s right for you, and you can™t let acne win the battle because then you feel like giving up and you don™t learn anything from it. You have to understand that a lot of people really don™t understand what you™re going through and can™t help you, and that the only person who can help you is yourself.

Currently my skin is still covered in acne and I™m not perfect but it™s a lot better then it was, and in the next two weeks I will be starting Accutane and I hope for good results, and I made a promise to myself that once I get through this hump in my life I™ll learn a very important lesson in life, and I™ll follow my dreams. 

 

This is what skin currently looks like, but I™m not where I want to be yet. 

If anyone decides to look at this message I will update you with photos on what my skin looks like and I will show my journey through Accutane. But I want everyone to know not to give up and that acne can teach you a very important lesson, you just have to accept it and use it. 

Thank you for reading this, if you read it all give me some feedback and tell me your story. I would love to see what others are going through and if possibly I could help.