We’ve all been there; you wake up one morning to find a lovely surprise in the form of a spot sitting somewhere on your face. You stare at it until it gets bigger and after promising yourself not to touch it, you’re already attacking it like Dr. Pimple Popper herself. Acne is a struggle and whether we like it or not, we’re all going to experience it sometime in our lives – some more than others.
Throughout my teenage years, my struggles with acne had been a long and constant battle of tears, excessive amounts of concealer and wondering why my skin hates me so much. Now, in my twenties, very little has changed with my skin, the only difference is that I’ve realized one very important thing: my acne doesn’t define me.
It started one day after my completing my second course of Isotretinoin, I stared at myself in the mirror and wondered if my skin would ever start to look ‘normal.’ Discouraged and insecure, I scrolled through Instagram and stumbled upon a post by Kali Kushner (@myfacestory) where she explained her raw and unedited acne struggles and before long I found myself in the heart of an acne-positive and uplifting community. I realized that so many more people around the world have acne and share the same frustrations and ride the emotional rollercoasters that acne brings. I wasn’t alone in my struggle and I started to see how common acne actually is.
After realizing how normal my problem was, I eventually started to see that the only flaw that I had wasn’t in my spotted face but rather in the way I thought. My mindset with regards to my skin had been so hindering. My acne doesn’t mean that I’m ugly nor does it mean that I am any less normal than the next person. My journey into self-love was off to a slow yet steady start and this long and emotional process of learning to love myself began to conjure up a few thoughts:
- Stop the comparison! You are not them and they are not you. Stop staring at others and wondering why your skin doesn’t look the way theirs does. Everybody has their own quirks and loveable traits, as do you. Comparison is toxic and stops you from seeing how beautiful you are.
- There’s no such thing as normal skin. Despite what they say, normal skin is a myth. How can there be a ‘normal’ if we’re all so vastly different from each other? There should be no real standard of beauty except for character.
- You’re stronger than you think and you are more than worthy. Your looks don’t determine your worth.
- Learn that happiness comes from within. Loving yourself is an inside job. If you never learn to love and accept yourself you won’t ever love who you see in the mirror, clear skin or not.
- Stop caring so much! So you’ve got acne, big whoop. You’re still beautiful and still capable of achieving amazing things. Who cares what anybody says, the only voice you should care about is your own. Never let ego or your insecurities hold you back.
It is always so important to be gentle with yourself, especially while you heal both inside and out. Learning to accept their quirks and insecurities is one of the hardest journeys that one can make but it’s definitely worth it. Healing is never linear and while it may feel like you’re not where you want to be, remember to keep pushing because every time you fall, you’re a little stronger when you rise. Feel free to apply this to all aspects of your life.
Cheers to loving our spotted faces and embracing our insecurities!
Cheers to changing the world one spotted face at a time.