5 Things Adults With Acne Want You to Know

Skin positivity starts with education and acceptance

For the past three years, I have lived with severe cystic acne. I never had acne during my teenage years but once I hit my twenties the acne gods came pounding at my door. To be completely frank, it’s been a harrowing journey ever since.

At first, I had no idea what was happening to my skin. I was studying abroad when I started having cystic acne breakouts. Cystic acne “is a severe type of acne in which the pores in the skin become blocked, leading to infection and inflammation.”

I didn’t know what to do or how to get rid of them. I was convinced it was just the new weather and figured it would clear up within a few weeks. So I waited it out. But then, my acne only got worse. No matter what I do, it seems I am constantly dealing with painful breakouts.

I’ve taken antibiotics, prescription creams, and vitamins. I’ve experimented with just about every different type of facial routine or supposed acne-be-gone miracle product. Nothing has completely abolished my acne.

My skin condition is something I’ve learned to live with, some days it’s absolutely miserable and other days it’s manageable.

However, throughout my own personal experience with acne, I’ve realized there is so much misinformation around skin conditions.

All of the misinformation around severe adult acne only causes shame and harm to those struggling with the condition. So without further ado, here are 5 things people with severe adult acne want you to know.

1. Acne is painful…both emotionally and physically

When I have severe breakouts, I am in constant pain. My skin is on high alert and I am acutely aware of my skin. With some breakouts, my partner cannot even kiss my face because it hurts too badly. I can think back to certain days where I sat thinking, “I want to claw my face off” because it hurt so badly.

With some breakouts, it’s hard to fall asleep and I have to lay on my back to avoid my face touching a pillow. Acne on my shoulders and upper back make it impossible to comfortably wear certain clothing, purses, or backpacks.

Simply put, certain forms of acne are very painful. But the physical pain can be coupled with severe emotional pain. My self-esteem plummeted when I started struggling with adult acne. I hated looking at myself in the mirror, I hated taking pictures. I was constantly thinking about my skin and the perception of those around me.

Even well-intentioned comments like “oh it isn’t that bad!” hurt. I didn’t want to date. If I had a really bad breakout, I had to convince myself to go out. I was constantly evaluating every part of my life. Maybe I shouldn’t eat this slice of pizza, the grease might cause a breakout. The negativity was constant.

Although I’ve learned to deal with the emotional turmoil after a couple of years, the physical pain is still very difficult. And there are still plenty of days where my mental health is impacted by my acne. Acne is painful and stigmas don’t help.

2. Unless you’re a doctor, I promise you haven’t out researched me

Since I visibly struggle with a skin condition, I constantly have friends and strangers alike providing me with unsolicited advice. They share how they read about the latest trend and how it worked wonders for their other friend. Or a stranger will tell me “If only you cut out dairy, then you wouldn’t have acne.”

When I hear these remarks, I have to quietly nod and thank them for their concern. They don’t realize that I immediately feel self-conscious and that I’ve heard all of these remedies before.

The truth is, I have spent countless hours reading every single article I can find about acne and how to get rid of it. I’ve read academic studies, magazine articles, and random Instagram pages. I’ve tried cutting things out of my diet, I went 3 months without eating sugar to see if that helped. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on beauty products and facials to ease my pain.

I promise that if you don’t struggle with acne, you haven’t out researched me. Unless of course, you’re a dermatologist. And hey, even some of those guys aren’t giving good advice!

90% of the time, unsolicited advice is not welcomed. If someone wants to ask you for help, they will ask you for help. So while I appreciate the well-intentioned advice, you can rest assured I’ve already tried what you’re about to suggest.

3. Makeup is a personal choice, not an acne medication

“Well, why don’t you just wear more makeup to cover up your breakouts and acne scars?” Because the makeup is not a solution to acne nor is it necessary. To wear makeup or to not wear makeup is a very personal decision. Some people love it and some people avoid it, for a plethora of reasons.

But just because someone suffers from a visible skin condition doesn’t mean they are obligated to cover it up.

But just because someone suffers from a visible skin condition doesn’t mean they are obligated to cover it up. I very rarely wear makeup and if I do, I really only wear eye and lip makeup. For me, makeup is incredibly irritable for my already sensitive face.

When I’m experiencing a bad breakout, just lightly touching my face hurts. Those moments don’t exactly inspire me to spend 30 minutes on a makeup routine.

The insinuation that acne is ugly and needs to be covered up by makeup is wrong. Acne isn’t ugly. Acne is just a skin reality for so many people. In America alone, nearly 50 million people suffer from acne. And although the percentage of severe acne is significantly lower, acne is normal.

Makeup is not a solution for acne and you aren’t more beautiful with makeup versus without makeup. Whether you choose to wear makeup is a completely personal and valid decision, but it isn’t obligatory for people who live with skin conditions.

4. Acne isn’t dirty!

Contrary to facts, despite the educator's best efforts, acne is still assumed to be a result of improper hygiene. Acne is not caused by having dirty skin or poor hygiene practices. Most of the biological triggers for acne occur below the skin, cleanliness has little to no influence.

In fact, overwashing is actually a contributor to increased breakouts! Overwashing aggregates the skin and strips natural oils down, causing more irritation and prolonging breakouts.

Acne isn’t dirty and it isn’t something to be grossed out over. When people perpetuate this myth it only serves to add stigma to those who are living with acne. Spreading misinformation can cause people to overwash because they assume acne=dirty, so overwashing=no acne.

5. Representation matters!

I have been living with acne for several years now and it was only two weeks ago that I first heard the terms, “skin positivity” or “acne activist.” I stumbled upon an Instagram page of Sofia Grahn and finally saw skin that resembled my own.

From her page, I found so many other people who were proudly posted about acne and their personal journeys. They were candid about the highs and lows, about how acne has drastically affected their life and how they are recovering from stigmas. I felt seen.

In film, social media, and fashion, it is very difficult to see an accurate representation of real skin. Everything is airbrushed and presented to the public as natural. Whenever I have seen acne depicted in movies, it has usually been for laughs or to depict a geeky teenager.

It has been such a breath of relief since I started following these accounts. Seeing acne and various skin conditions on social media are important. Acne can be a very isolating journey to struggle with on your own, representation matters. Skin positivity matters.

Skin positivity starts with education! Shame and stigma can only end when the general public is knowledgable. Acne is not gross or dirty, our skin isn’t always going to look like the skin in the magazines. Normalizing acne and all skin conditions is an important part of skin positivity.

All skin is normal skin! If you’re living with acne, you are still beautiful and worthy (red marks, bumps, and scars included). Representation and inclusivity matter in the skin positivity conversation.

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