Emotional Struggles and Triumphs with Public Enemy #1: Acne

Emotional Struggles and Triumphs with Public Enemy #1: Acne

By: Megan

             I am sure that so many people can relate to what I’m about to say. I hope this helps others in knowing you are not alone. The timid and insecure person that I morph into when my acne/acne scarring is in the spotlight shadows the outgoing, confident woman I am on the inside. Eye contact and being assertive have become a struggle over the years. I know who I am on the inside, but I feel when people look at me they only see my acne and it’s aftermath. I look back at high school and want to cringe. I remember cutting my hair so it would cover my acne-ridden cheeks, even going to cheerleading practice at 6:30 AM with a full face of makeup on while everyone else was clear-faced and ready to work out.

            I have slowly been able to ignore that spotlight effect, thinking that everyone only sees my acne scars and nothing else when I walk into a room. Even writing these blogs has giving me an outlet to talk about my issues with acne. It seems like it’s been the elephant in the room for almost 16 years. Watching YouTube videos where the girls take all of their makeup off and their skin is not a flawless glowing canvass lets me know that I am not the only one that has been affected by acne. I wish I had had an opportunity to be this open and to see other people be so open about their skin problems growing up. Something as miniscule as running into someone at the store when my face is in its full natural glory was a cause of anxiety. I’m sure many others out there have had problems with anxiety and depression because of their acne. I would love to tell each and every person that goes through those emotions that they are beautiful if they believe they are beautiful. That inner confidence will come with time and they are not the only ones out there that have acne.

            There is always someone out there who has clearer skin than you. There is always someone out there who has worse acne than you. We have to look beyond our complexion and appreciate the qualities that make each of us unique. We have to embrace what we cannot change and take action to improve on what we can change. We must look beyond what we think others see and bring the positivity that we all have within us in order to truly find our happiness.