My name is Rachelle and I am twenty-six years old from Canada, Alberta. I’ve been dealing with acne for almost two years after I reacted horribly to a facial called Microneedling. I was unaware my skin had underlining acne so when getting the Microneedling facial done it spread the acne bacteria all over my face and in a matter of two weeks my skin purged very badly and I soon learned that I was dealing with cystic acne.
When my skin first broke out I did not have a clue as to how I was going to heal it. A lot of the products I was using were making my acne worse; I was spending so much money trying to find the right products that would work for me. The doctor’s advice was unhelpful because I did not want to take antibiotics to heal my skin so I was quite lost on what to do. I could feel myself falling into a bad mental state and became very depressed. I felt like I was losing myself. I went from being so outgoing and social, always wanting to talk, meet new people and hang out with my friends and family, to never wanting to leave my house. I would cancel events with my family and friends, which was so unlike me, and when I did have to leave my house I would never make eye contact with people. I would just stare at the ground and get in and out of the store as soon as possible because my biggest fear was running into someone I knew. It started to affect my day-to-day life a lot. I’m a mother and I can’t be hiding indoors all day – it’s not fair to my daughter. I really had to find it in myself to build up the confidence to leave my house and start being comfortable in my skin.
I stopped focusing on the negative things about having acne and started to write down the positives I’ve gained from having acne, like how much I’ve learned about my gut health and the importance of putting healing foods into my body. I learned about clean skincare products and how a lot of products have pore-clogging ingredients in them which is just going to make my acne worse. The biggest thing I learned from my skin breaking out is the importance of saying positive affirmations to myself every day so I could get my mind out of the negative place it was in.
…you are more than your skin and you will come out of this feeling stronger and confident in yourself…
Its been a journey with a lot of up and down moments but I am so happy with where I am today. I’ve overcome a lot of challenging obstacles along the way but I really wouldn’t change anything. It has gotten me to where I am now and that is a person who is stronger, confident and happy in her skin.
The acne community on social media is a wonderful place – it lifts you up in times where you feel so down and alone. The support that each and everyone gives you is truly amazing. I am so grateful for the acne community. It really has reminded me that I am not alone in my healing journey.
If you are struggling with acne, I just want you to remember that you are more than your skin and you will come out of this feeling stronger and confident in yourself because you are BEAUTIFUL and don’t ever forget that or let anyone tell you otherwise.
Rachelle
Follow Rachelle’s skin journey on Instagram.
No Comments