Growing up, I was never hyperaware of my appearance. The only thing that mattered to me was friends, family, and my education; unfortunately, that bubble I was living in went away the moment I reached middle school. We all know what happens as we get older: puberty. I remember the exact moment I first got a pimple, or in my case, acne β and yes there is a difference. I was in sixth grade and I realized that my cheeks were covered in little bumps that weren’t there before, and it made me insecure because I noticed that no one else had them. As middle school progressed, I came to learn that it was all apart of puberty. One thing everyone always made sure to mention was that acne was normal. This, to me, was subjective, because what is normal?
My acne reached its worst when I entered seventh grade, and this didn’t help with my mental health. My parents were both immigrants, so they didn’t feel that appearance held weight over other matters. For a while, I was researching and trying everything under the sun to clear up my skin. I finally decided to speak to my mom about it, and she ended up taking me to my physician’s office. A majority of the things they prescribed me didn’t work. My mom even tried giving me some holistic products to try that she heard helped others back home. They didn’t end up working, but I didn’t give up, and somehow I eventually cleared up my skin on my own.
And so it Continues…
Fast forward to my freshman year of high school, my skin got bad again, and nothing I tried worked, so I stopped trying. This was also during COVID, so I felt better about not having to see people. Sophomore year came around the corner, and everyone was required to wear masks, so I finally felt like I had a chance to look normal. This was also the time I started getting into makeup β small things like mascara, foundation, and lip gloss. Eventually, masks weren’t mandatory anymore, and I was back to feeling insecure.
Earlier, I said acne was different than a pimple, and that’s because acne is recurring pimples in large quantities. To me, acne wasn’t normal. I saw more people with clear skin than I did people with acne, and if I did see anyone, they usually had a mild amount. Even throughout media, shows that were set in college or high school had actors that were supposed to portray teens but never looked the way I did, and I’m not naive β I know makeup exists and nine times out of 10 these teens were being portrayed by 30-year-olds, but makeup doesn’t cover texture and adult acne exists β I’m living proof.
In the summer of 2022, I spent the majority of my time researching everything I could about skin care, acne, and Accutane. I read about mild to severe acne and different types of pimples, what causes acne, and what helps it. I ended up revisiting my physician’s office for a new plan and was introduced to my first oral medication, doxycycline. I barely lasted two months on it because it made me nauseous and lightheaded. After that, I got put on tretinoin, which unfortunately also didn’t work.
For years, my mom was so against dermatologists because she felt they were a waste of money, but I was eventually able to wear her down and finally saw one in July of 2025. Long story short, I got put on tretinoin again along with spironolactone, which worked to some extent.
How I found my calling
I always knew I would end up doing something in healthcare; I just never knew what. I don’t know why it never occurred to me that dermatology was an option.
I think it was because I rarely saw women of color who worked in this field, so I didn’t feel like I could get it done. I also believed for the longest that you had to have clear skin to be a dermatologist, because why would anyone take skin advice from someone who doesn’t have clear skin? I eventually realized that this should be seen as an advantage rather than a disadvantage.
I never got the advice I needed from my mom because she never personally struggled with it. I felt like if I was able to help someone who went through what I went through, it would erase everything I ever felt towards my acne.
Getting help for acne seems like something that’s mundane, but as I experienced firsthand, not everyone has a family that’s willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill their child’s comfort. As much as I hate having acne, I’m also grateful for it because without it, I would’ve never found my future career or the lifelong tips I’ve learned about skin care through my own experiences.