I have struggled with painful, cystic acne for several years now. It is something I notice every time I look into a mirror and it is has been really hard for me to deal with throughout the past few years. In the media, having an imperfection on your skin is seen as bad and unwanted. This pressure to constantly make my skin look as “perfect” as possible is extremely difficult and I find myself being very upset when it does not look the way society says it should be.
While I was on Snapchat one day, I stumbled upon an article from The Daily Mail. The headline read, “Kendall’s Big Breakout,” with the description, “High life taking its toll? Jenner Touches down in NYC with rocky complexion (but sweet velvet co-ords).” When I saw this headline I wanted to scream. The picture with the article showed Kendall with three small bumps on her face, nothing that needed to be described as a rocky complexion. It is was so difficult to read someone being shamed for the acne on their face, especially because I did not want to see something that once again proved to me how some people in the world view acne.
When people see this type of shame on the internet it can really affect their self-esteem. For me, when I feel like my acne is flaring up, I sometimes don’t want to leave my room. I know that I am not the only person that feels this way and it seems easy for people to tell me to forget about it or try to not worry about my acne. When these types of articles are put out for the world to see, I can only imagine the types of things people think about my skin.
If you struggle with acne, please remember you are not alone! Do not let the media dictate what is considered an imperfection and remember it will get better. You may feel uncomfortable with your acne and although it is hard to fight that feeling, try to use it as a way to be more body positive and more respectful to others who are dealing with the same thing. We all need to think about the effects of these types of shaming articles and how we may shame people for their imperfections. It is not something anyone wants to be put through, and it is important that we try to embrace our beautiful imperfections and support each other in the process.