You Deserve the Best
What is Acne? Most teenagers have some form of acne, but some get it real bad.
Acne is such a complex disease (yes, it IS a disease).
Most teenagers have some form of acne, but some get it real bad. I really want people to understand what acne is and how painful it is to suffer from it.
Teens suffer because of it more than just the fact that they have acne and don’t feel attractive. Kids and adults, say the darndest things to kids with acne, sometimes intentionally, often times without even thinking of who they are making their comments to.
So imagine you have bad acne all over your face (and often on your back and shoulders too).
Despite washing your face religiously it persists.
Then a pretty girl at school gets one “big” zit on her flawless face. In front of you with all your acne, she exclaims in horror how awful she looks and OMG how is she going to survive looking so ugly. That’s with 1 zit.
You have 20 on your face – never mind your back. So basically she has just told you your face is like a horror movie. I mean if 1 zit can destroy her life, can you imagine how bad your life must be!
When you tell her thanks for saying that when I have acne, she laughs and goes, Oh No, I didn’t mean there was anything wrong with you, you look fine. Oh really??? Think about your cruel words.
Someone in your group at school touches their face…
The person next to them says “Don’t touch your face ‘Jane’, you’ll get acne.
Laughter- you know all about that, right ‘Mary’?” Is he serious? Did he really just say that to the person (Mary) who does have acne?
People also think if you don’t wash your face it causes acne.
While I totally believe in face cleansing, people with acne are some of the cleanest people I know.
So please think before you blurt nonsense out in front of people with acne or directly at them. IT IS BULLYING.
When I was a new esthetician, I wanted to open an acne clinic –
– a skin care salon specializing in treating acne, but also treating the emotional aspect of the disease.
You have no idea what emotional abuse acne sufferers go through.
People won’t date them, because Eeew, it’s gross.
People point at the acne on their body and ask what’s that? (I mean really, what do you think it is? Leprosy??)
I will use this page and mostly the next blog to explain in detail what acne is and some of the ways to control it.
First of all, acne is a genetic disease.
Yes, you inherit it. If both parents had acne, it’s 100% guaranteed you will have it. If 1 parent had it, 50% chance.
We can’t change our genetics.
There are factors that trigger or exacerbate acne, but they don’t cause it.
People with dry skin can eat junk, have crazy hormones, be stressed and they don’t break out profusely (they might get the 1 zit that ruins their whole life!).
People who are born with the genetic predisposition to acne, have so many factors that aggravate the acne.
I will go into all of this in detail in my next blog.
For now I am begging you to please be kinder to kids with acne.
It is a form of severe bullying.
Kids are so sensitive and self conscious anyway, and having acne makes them even more sensitive, so PLEASE be kind.