Adult Acne
As if adulting wasn’t already hard enough, for most of us unlucky ones, adult acne decides to rear it’s ugly (white/black) head at the most inconvenient times. It affects 85% of adults between the age of 15-24 years old and is said to get worse as you get older. *Cue screaming face emoji*.
If you are someone who is only just coming to terms with the fact you are suffering from adult acne or in denial about having it, please take comfort in knowing that you’re not alone. Trust me, the sooner you accept it, the better and more cooperative your skin will be! Evidence suggests stress is directly related to breakouts and when we’re freaking out about how terrible our skin looks, the stress is only making your breakouts worse.
In 2015, I made the decision to go off the pill after having been on it since I was 15. This choice was for a myriad of reasons - I wanted to give my body a break, I’d noticed a shift in my libido and overall mood, and lastly, I really just wanted to see the difference in how I’d feel both mentally and physically.
I’d previously gone off the pill about 3 years prior, but I broke out in cystic pimples which began to scar, so I quickly jumped back on the Estelle bandwagon.
Coming off the pill the second and last time, I was adamant I wouldn’t chicken out and revert back to the pill again, so that I could allow my body time to adjust naturally. For the first 8 or so months, my skin was great. I was feeling less foggy and my energy levels had increased - yay!
Then around the 9 month mark, my skin had turned a corner - boo! I was getting cystic pimples around my mouth, cheeks, and even my neck and back. Have you had BACNE before? It ain’t pretty and while it’s nasty having pimples on your face, it was a hard pill for me to swallow as it was now starting to change the way I dressed as well. Everyday I’d be waking up with a new whitehead or cystlike pimple in a different spot on my body and I quickly saw my confidence and my mood start to spiral for the worst.
While I know my acne was not a severe case, it was effecting me. It was changing who I was and how I was acting, even around my loved ones, and this didn’t sit well with me. Everyday was a constant struggle. I was wearing more make up to cover up the spots, which made my skin even more inflamed. Add in the fact I was too embarrassed to go out with a face full of whiteheads, so I’d pop my pimples, which made them spread like wildfire and scar.
I had made a conscious effort to adjust naturally, even finding a Health Coach to teach and guide me on how to approach my diet and everyday life, differently. So I made the relevant lifestyle and diet changes she had suggested - cutting out gluten, sugar, animal products etc. I was exercising regularly and trying my best to practise self care to reduce my stress levels from work. While my digestion improved, my skin continued to get worse. As did my anxiety and my confidence levels. I would avoid social outings. I couldn’t even look people in the eye as I knew (or thought that I knew) that they’d be looking at my face thinking “F** that looks sore,” or “Yuk, how could she go out with her skin looking like that?”
At the end of the day though, more often than not people are not thinking that - they barely notice! People are already so consumed in their own thoughts, that they barely recognise what’s going on in front of them. AND, in the off chance they are judging you for the way your skin looks, then they DO NOT matter. Ask yourself if that persons opinion really means anything to you? The people who love you, won’t judge you for the way your skin looks. They are the only opinions that matter.
I needed to get out of my funk and was desperate for a quick fix, so I found a skin clinic in Robina that was offering free consultations and a technique using laser to stop the spread of acne. This was an extremely painful and dreaded process, which left me with even more pimples, scarring and an AfterPay debt from treatments and products, that quite frankly, were the opposite to what I wanted to achieve - they weren’t natural. Did I mention I was desperate though? You had to be to endure this pain. They literally squeezed your pimples and extracted the gunk, then put the laser needle through the pore and zapped the pore with laser 3 or 4 times, before moving on to the next one. This was said to stop the spread of pimples in the affected area.
After a few sessions, I knew it wasn’t right for me. I dreaded each appointment and did not see any improvements in my skin.
From here, since I’d already tried both the natural and facial treatment ways, I finally took my sisters advice and booked in with the Dermatologist she had seen when she was the same age as me and also struggling with acne. I was reluctant to go on Roaccutane, but after spending close to a year doing everything I could to avoid it, I accepted it was best for my mentality and committed to using it for 9 months. This was my last resort.
I had my reservations for sure. The side effects of Roaccutane can be different depending on the person. My main concern was knowing I wouldn’t be able to think about pregnancy until at least 12 months after starting the prescription (9 month course + 3 months wait to allow the drug to completely leave your system. There is research that suggests that the drug can cause birth defects). In the information pamphlet my Dermatologist gave me, was the statistic that it had a 98% success rate. My main side effect during the course of it was my dry lips and skin, which was easy to manage. At that point in time, this was the best decision for me and I don’t regret my choice.
It has been a year now since I’ve been off Roaccutane and I’ve not had any major breakouts. I’ve accepted I am someone who won’t have flawless skin - (not too many of us can say that) and I’m totally ok with that! I take pride in knowing I’m confident enough now to embrace my flaws (without make up!) and have grown from this experience.
For those suffering with adult acne, I suggest you look into the below steps based off my personal experience only.
(Please note: What may have worked for me, may not work for you and you should always seek professional health advice first. Don’t be scared to get multiple opinions as well, if you’re not feeling connected to your health professional or confident in their advice.)
Book an appointment with your GP/Nutritionist/Naturopath. They can advise and organise you to have your blood work done to check your levels. I highly recommend Martika Nightingale - a well in tune Nutritionist, who helped me after my course of Roaccutane.
Seek a second opinion, or depending on how long you’ve been seeking help, book in with a referred Dermatologist.
Other practices I highly recommend trying/doing, as acne is a process and definitely not a quick fix:
Practicing Self Care. Commit to living a slow and balanced life, ensuring you’re moving your body. Remove any big stresses in your life. If it is your work, speak with your boss and let them know the workload or the workplace is affecting you mentally. If it is your relationship or a friendship, speak up and voice your concerns. More often than not, people aren’t aware with how you’re feeling unless you COMMUNICATE!
Meditation. This is a part of my self care practice and meditation can come in many different forms, depending on what works for you - journaling, walks on the beach and sitting still are some examples. Acknowledging your thoughts and feelings is a part of this, both the negative and the positive. Allowing time to check in with yourself, helps you to clear your headspace. The benefits of meditation include making room for new ideas, mental clarity and a state of calm. Over-busying yourself tends to increase your chances of developing anxiety/depression by not dealing with your thoughts and feelings.
The Ocean or salt water. If you’re lucky enough to live by the sea, go for a swim. It’s as simple as that. And I don’t mean wading up to your ankles or even to your neck if you’ve washed your hair that day, take a dive! Allow yourself to float. It could be a 5 minute dip or you can spend 30 minutes in the water. What I know for sure is water washes away any negativity and leaves me feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, each and every time. If you don’t live by the sea, run yourself a bath with some Epsom salts. If you don’t have a bath, treat yourself to a foot bath with Epsom salts.
Surround yourself with good company. In the direct aspect and also indirectly. If you are following instagram accounts of people who are posting things that don’t make you feel great, kindly unfollow. Ditto with Facebook and any other new age social media platforms!
Eat Well. Meal plan and create a shopping list before you head to the store/markets. Eat mindfully. Switch of the TV, put away the phones and enjoy the process of eating! To improve digestion, check out The Beauty Chef products available at Prae. I guarantee her products will leave you feeling “evacuated” as my Nutritionist would say.
Switch up your skin products. While many professionals will tell you what you should/shouldn’t be using, if you’re conscious about what you’re putting on your skin, why not move onto natural and certified organic skin care product?. Prae is your go to shop for these products as well and Mukti is my absolute favourite skincare brand. My skin loves it!
Find confidence in knowing that many people are affected by acne in some way or another. Like I said, it may not even be a severe case but if it is affecting the way you live, you need to make some changes. Finding what works for you can be super draining, costly and just a pain in the ass really! If you need extra guidance or have any questions/concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me!