Growing up, my acne was…not cute, to say the absolute least. What started as a minor pimple here or there in fifth grade turned into full fledged acne attacks all over my face when I was in high school. It could’ve been worse; it was hormonal acne, not cystic, but it would leave discoloration that wouldn’t fade away. I also had noticeable chest and back acne as well.
I tried every single product under the sun. Clearasil didn’t do it for me. Neither did the Neutrogena skin products. Proactive was a bust. I had so many skin regiments that I’d lost count of the number, and they still couldn’t fix the problem.
Finally, my senior year of high school, I caved and went to a dermatologist. Pride got in the way of going there before then. I’d be constantly trying to convince myself that it wasn’t so awful, but I look back now and realize that not only was it bad for my skin itself, it was bad for me on the whole. My acne was seriously harming my self-esteem, convincing me I was the ugliest girl on Earth. I wanted to feel beautiful, which, for years, I hadn’t.
My derm prescribed a topical cream at first, but it dried out my skin without getting rid of the acne. When we saw it wasn’t working, she prescribed me spironolactone instead. And let me tell you, that’s what made a difference for me. My acne cleared within two months. There are some side effects: I have to use the bathroom more frequently, which means I have to make sure I stay hydrated, and I can’t eat bananas anymore, due to the high amount of potassium already in the medication. My derm also prescribed tretinoin to help my scar discoloration fade more quickly.
This is just my story specifically. Obviously, you want to find a product that works best for you, whether or not it’s spironolactone like for me. But the moral? If something’s bringing you down–acne or otherwise–don’t stay stuck in the dark. Keep searching for a solution, and once you find it, stick with it. You deserve to have what you want and you deserve to be happy, so don’t wait and wallow like I did. I promise, your life is gonna change for the better.
Before (right). This was taken in December 2017. Yes, I’m crying here, but it wasn’t because of my acne–not then, at least. This is the best image I have of how bad it was.
After (left)!! This was taken in June 2018. No makeup!!