Acne is one of the topics I am not so confident to talk about. Treating them has been an ongoing journey for me and it made me struggle with insecurity and discomfort since my teenage years. But, defying the imposter syndrome, that makes me feel I should not be talking about acne when I’m dealing with problematic skin, here’s how my journey goes:
I was in secondary when everything was going well. I had my first acne and thought it would soon go away. It eventually did, but after that, there came two more and they seemed to take longer than the first ones did. It’s when I started to get bothered and when my mum stepped in. She took me to an acne dermatologist in Singapore.
I learned that I was suffering from hormonal acne and while it’s common during adolescence, it could persist longer than that and I am a living proof to that. Even at 25, I still visit my dermatologist in Singapore to treat my acne and discuss the ways to manage them.
While the acne problem is still there, I’ve learned how to embrace them and been working my way to overcome my insecurity.
Let me be clear here. I will not be talking about natural remedies or acne treatments you should ask your dermatologist in Singapore about. Instead, I will talk about how you can emotionally deal with the problem and the things you can do to help manage an acne breakout.
We live in a time when skincare is a frequent topic and the beauty trend centres on having glass skin and that ‘no-make-up makeup look’. But, unfortunately, not everyone can join the bandwagon and I am one among the many. I’m not quite there yet where I feel beautiful and confident meeting people, going to work, or attending events without some coverage and it took me some time to even run errands to the grocery with a bare face.
However, what really breaks my heart is the fact that some people with problematic skin associate the mantra of embracing one’s flaws with not taking care of themselves. Girls, listen to this: The more you suffer from acne, the more you will have to take care of your skin.
Grappling with the insecurity of having imperfect skin isn’t synonymous to flaunting your acne. It’s about finding ways to treat them and accepting the process. This then leads me to my second point. While treating the problem, you should not stress about your skin because it will only make things worse.
You are not in full control of your skin. While yes, there are plenty of ways to help your skin—taking a number of dietary changes, committing to a skincare routine, and getting enough sleep—these will not totally prevent an acne breakout. When you obsess over these things, you will only end up becoming more frustrated when acne pops out.
You can try every skincare product but not everything will work out. Who has not tried hundreds of products over the past few years in search of something that would finally work out on their skin? The problem with the products I use is that for the first few days they would do their magic only to find out that a few weeks later, they are already clogging my pores, causing my skin to breakout.
It’s okay to seek help—it’s what I did. Acne laser treatments, acne facials, name it, I did it. Just because you consult with a dermatologist doesn’t mean that you’re hopeless. It actually means you want to take care of your skin and you’re seeking help from someone who can actually help you manage the problem. While you may think it’s expensive, it’s actually the other way around because it will save you from trying out products all of which add up to the cost in the long run.
These days, I make appointments with my acne dermatologist in Assurance Skin in Singapore. I have never been this patient with my skin and I’m happy that I’m getting professional advice on how I can better take care of my skin.
The bottom line is that you should never stop finding what will work for you. It may take time but when you become more accepting of your flaws and be patient with the results, you’ll eventually get there. I hope these thoughts will enlighten you as much as it did enlighten me more importantly, I hope these will help you achieve that healthy skin because we all deserve to!
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