I've been a member of these forums since 2011 but have been an acne suffer on and off for over 19 years. As an adult who is 35, I have to say that dealing with acne has been ten times more difficult than it was dealing with it as a teen. I am not one to compare myself to others or envy what others have but ever since entering the adult realm still dealing with this, I have found that my self esteem has taken a big hit. I feel as if I am less than with acne and that I am still stuck in a perpetual state of teenage hood while everyone around me has grown out of it. I have grown so much since the beginning of this journey but I have so much further to go. I think that my acne at this point is permanent as i've tried many things and i'm at the point of just giving up and letting my face take over.
i feel the same way.
im in my 30s and have missed out on quite a lot compared to others.
3 things i would say about acne.
the longer you have acne, the worse your skin becomes - due to post acne marks /damage.
you get zero sympathy from others as acne is almost seen as a self inflicted illness.
and people with acne suffer mental health and low self esteem problems, not because of a few red spots but because of how people treat us and years of bullying (mainly at school)
I have had ok skin through my teen years but it has been ok. I am now 44 and am dealing with such extreme acne it is debilitating. I have lost all self confidence in the matter of 6 months. I may lose my husband because he doesn't understand what I am going through mentally. I have 3 beautiful children and they are the only reason I keep trying.
Hi leelowe1,
My heart goes out to you. I, too, struggled with acne for years, and know the emotional scars it can leave. I started using Unblemish by Rodan+Fields, and it has completely changed my life. It worked a miracle on my skin. Is this something you would be interested in trying? Just wanted to share what worked for me.
All the best.