Acne is the occurrence of inflamed or infected sebaceous glands in the skin. In other words, acne is red and inflamed pimples on the skin. Acne is very common among teenagers and young adults. But when does it become too much?
I have struggled with acne throughout my entire life. I’m not talking about the small pimples here and there when my period comes around. I’m talking big, painful, “crater-like” pimples on my face that you can see from 10 feet away. It started when I was 10 years old and small pimples broke out on my face. At that age, puberty was arising, so I thought “no biggie” and “it will go away once puberty is over.” I washed my face every day and night, and still do to this day. With my luck, it only got worse. It got to the point where I was caking makeup all over them every day, in hopes that they wouldn’t be seen. My biggest pet peeve was when I had a big pimple on my face, and it was all people would stare at when they spoke to me. I wanted to say, “Hello! My eyes are up here!”
My parents started taking me to different dermatologists to figure out what was going on. I went on multiple medicines throughout my life to make this breakout seize, but none of them worked. In my sophomore year of high school, I finally went on birth control to see if that would help. It did for the most part, but it wasn’t enough. I thought that maybe it was the makeup I was using. I then came to find that part of my problem was a certain ingredient in drug store makeup, which meant I had to buy expensive face makeup. This has its pros and cons because the makeup looks nice… but it’s $31 for a single bottle of foundation. People have asked me, “Why are you buying such expensive makeup? Don’t you need to save money?” Yes. Yes, I do, but if I “save money,” my face will take more of a toll than my bank account. I have also learned to lower my sugar and dairy intake. I have stopped drinking milk alone, and I only put fat-free milk in my coffee and tea.
After birth control only helping part of it, I went to a completely different dermatologist from outside Northampton County (which is where I’m from). We wanted to try Accutane, but the effects were going to be very harsh on my body. So, our one last step before the “big guns” was Aldactone (Spironolactone). For anyone struggling with acne like me, this medication has worked wonders. Within 6 weeks, my face looked fresh and new. I now only get major pimples at the end of my cycle, which is such a blessing. And now I can go out into the world without wearing any makeup.
This medication has truly helped my self-confidence. I now get compliments on my skin from professionals and don’t have to worry about hiding the “craters” on my face. The people I truly thank for that are my parents. They never stopped looking for answers and never settled on a medication. As much pain as I was in, they were determined to find a solution. If you struggle with acne like I did, don’t settle. Don’t stop looking for the answer. You will find a solution one day. I promise you… keep searching.