How Acne Has Changed My Life

By Caleb

How Long I've Had Acne

Ever since high school, acne has been a huge aspect of my life. The first thing that I would do (and still do) when waking up in the morning is to look at the mirror and hope that no new pimples had formed. Ironically, my obsession for a healthy, acne-free face became very unhealthy. However, looking back at my acne journey so far, I have realized that the person I am today is very reflective of what I have learned from struggling with acne.

How Acne Changed My Life

Acne doesn’t go away quickly. Especially the after-math: the scars and discoloration. Before acne, I would say that I was a very impatient person. Acne essentially forced me to be patient with myself because there was nothing more that I could really do to treat it besides acne medication and eating and living in a healthy manner.

I Learned To Be Patient

As a result, the patience that I had with my acne translated to patience that I would have in other aspects of my life (i.e. patience in relationships). What I have written may sound overly exaggerated, however, I can confidently claim that struggling with acne has caused me to grow to become more patient.

I Focused On Building Character Traits

Acne has allowed me to build and develop my personality and character. Like I said before, there wasn’t much I could do to further improve the condition of my acne but to be patient and continue with my skincare regimen. At this point, I realized that my physical appearance is only a fraction of who I am as a human being.

Everyone, including myself, has a personality that is unique. Therefore, instead of focusing so much on my physical appearance, I began to concern myself with my traits and examine how they make me unique as a person. As a result, I have grown to become confident in myself.

Sometimes, I can say that acne was somewhat of a blessing to me because it was a humbling experience and has allowed me to find and develop confidence in who I am as a person.

I Became More Optimistic

Acne played a role in changing the way I think. I used to have a lot of negative thoughts about myself and my acne.  Many of my friends tell me that I am a very positive and optimistic person. I can definitely claim that my journey with acne has played a significant role in contributing towards the optimistic mindset that I possess.

Why do I say this? I draw the connection between my optimism and my journey with acne because I have learned that the way I think can affect my acne to a certain extent.

For example, if I am bombarded with many negative thoughts concerning my acne and physical appearance, I tend to experience anxiety and stress; ultimately, triggering potential breakouts. Thus, I have learned to change my perspective about my acne in a way where my thoughts are more positive. I no longer consider it my ‘struggle’ with acne, but rather, my ‘journey’ with acne.

Acne may just be a teenage memory in some people’s lives. For me, acne drastically changed the way I thought, behaved, and basically, lived life! This may sound quite strange, but sometimes I am thankful for my acne because it has caused me to become the person I am today