It doesn't often come up in polite conversation, but I have a real issue with skin conditions.
When I was in elementary school, it was falling down and smashing my face on things. When I was in high school, it was a really, really virulent case of verruca vulgaris (aka common warts-- best treatment, by the way, is the one where they inject mild chemo drugs at each site... but that's a story for another day).
But my biggest battle, the one that has outlasted the rest and caused me the most irritation, self-esteem issues, and annoyance, is with acne.
To give you an idea, here's a pic of me a year ago:
*wince* Yikes. Those big red splotches are mostly cystic acne. This is the kind that gets waaay under your skin and makes scars, and I had a lot of it.
Now I know acne doesn't seem like that big of an issue compared to a debilitating disease or a mental disorder, but I can vouch for many, many men and women that being a serious pizza face messes with your self-esteem. Not only can it be painful and itchy, but it's the only part of you everyone always sees, and not everyone is kind.
Luckily, I'm at the other side now. After many, many months, I am nearly acne free, and I rarely have cystic acne issues. I count myself blessed, but I know there are still brides (and grooms) out there who are staring down their wedding day and feeling dismal about their skin, and I want to let you know that there is hope! Here's what worked for me:
- Eating Right-- Believe it or not, what you put in your body affects your skin just as much as your other organs (did you know your skin was an organ??). So while chocolate might not cause pimples, not drinking enough water and eating potato chips 24/7 will definitely affect your skin. I try to eat right every single day.
- Getting Enough Sleep-- Just like food, sleep intake affects your entire body, including your skin. It's a good idea to get somewhere around 8-10 hours a night. Being young is SO not an excuse to have an erratic sleep schedule-- it will mess you up.
- Changing Sheets and Towels-- I try to change mine at least twice a week. It keeps all the accumulated dead skin cells out of your pores, which makes you less likely to have a breakout.
- Prescription Drugs-- My dermatologist currently has me taking Minocin (aka Minocycline) every other night, along with applying sodium sulfacetamide lotion to my face in the morning (this helps with dryness) and Differin (aka Adapalene) at night. I can definitely credit these drugs to solving my issues-- but only because I used them every single day, even if it didn't look like it was helping. This is super important especially with pills; Minocin, for example, is an antibiotic, so if you miss even once your system will become immune.
- A Consistent Routine-- I wash my face every morning and every night (Neutrogena is my favorite face soap), making absolutely sure to use all my prescriptions. I also use a microdermabrasion lotion (Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Facial Peel is awesome) twice a week to help with scarring.
Some things that didn't work? I wouldn't recommend:
- Proactiv-- Okay, so it worked for Jessica Simpson, but that sure as heck doesn't mean it's going to work for everyone. For me, Proactiv irritated my skin and made my cystic acne worse. Even the Gentle Solutions stuff didn't work. My advice: don't spend the money if your skin is super sensitive.
- Vitamins-- My mom and dad are big pill people, so when I almost went on Accutane (Isotretinoin) last year and scared myself out of it, we worked out a complex regimen that was supposed to help flush out all the toxins. See picture above for results :)
- Other Drugs?-- Honestly, I've tried about everything under the sun (on acne.org's prescription meds page, there's only one or two I haven't tried). Not all of it worked, but I wasn't always patient. Try something faithfully for two months, and if you don't see improvement, ask about something else.
What body issues have you had to deal with in planning your wedding?
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