It’s not an easy thing looking in the mirror when you’re a teenage girl. By the time your teen years hit, puberty is in full swing, and the daily battle against acne begins.

First pimple

I got my first pimple when I was ten years old.

Little did I know that single red dot pushing up from my forehead would be joined by an army of cohorts, all trying to get the best spot on my freshly mottled skin.

It was a harsh reality that slowly crept its way into my life, as it has for most every teenager.

So began a futile attempt to banish acne from my face that would last well into my late teen years.

Every morning involved a heavy dose of anti-acne medications, a thorough face wash and moisturizing routine, and a breakfast wholesome in foods that supposedly prevented breakouts. Nothing seemed to work; I was at my wit’s end.

I was getting tired of spending what seemed like hundreds of dollars on acne products and seeing no results.

Self esteem issues

If acne does anything well, it’s lowering your self esteem.

How are you supposed to catch the eye of that cute boy at your school if your face looks like a badly baked pizza?

You walk around the school like you’re some sort of leper, turning away from people’s gaze like Dracula hissing at dreaded rays of sunlight.

Those cute fuzzy mirrors you had on your locker door are gone, stuffed under the mound of books that you use to shield your face while in class.

You don’t actually read them, but they make good cover.

Senior year calmed down a little bit.

Happy end with my acne

By that time, I had learned how to properly use makeup to cover up most of my blemishes. Hormones were beginning to settle down, giving me some reprieve from massive breakouts and embarrassing trips to the school nurse.

I even had a couple dates with a guy from my math class who had asked me to prom. I slowly started to gain my self esteem back and realized that my acne didn’t define me. By graduation, my stress levels had lowered, and I noticed my skin starting to clear up a bit. It was time for college.

My college years saw a further decrease in acne levels, as well as an increase in dates as my confidence grew.

Now that I’m 25, my skin is all cleared up. Simply because I stopped trying to fight it, using harsh products with high doses of peroxyl benzoyl. I wish I had read those acne reviews with zenmed or exposed sooner because I did use proactiv skincare in my teens years. These reviews confirmed my hunch about acne. Using very agressive treatments is not always the best way to handle it… It can even backfire….

My advice to teenage girls is to be patient; acne won’t go away overnight, but it does eventually get better with proper acne skincare.

Just remember that it’s a natural part of life. It sucks, but it’s something you have to go through. Your teenage years don’t have to be defined by acne. There’s much more to the best years of your life than that, so do the best you can in the meantime. Your adult self will thank you.

I am somehow always surprised by people who constantly need to criticize and bash people for whatever reason. They spend their time lurking and observing what other people do, and write bad comments whenever they can.

I mean, I can certainly understand we all are entitled to our own opinions but do we need to constantly voice it when we know it is hurtful?

I believe in freedom of speech and opinion but only with respect and tolerance.

We are all different, my opinions are no better than others, and I can be wrong. ( sometimes I may forget it 🙂

We are not perfect.

That is maybe the reason why life can be so entertaining. Because it gives us many opportunities to grow and be better and beautiful inside.

Yet, if You need or feel an urge to criticise, ask yourself what may be the motivations behind, and if it is really the best way to communicate.

At the end of the day, the question is : What would you feel if you were constantly criticised by haters?

Beauty is what most of us seek in order to feel great or for our self esteem. Some might say it is a superficial quest. they may be right… or wrong… whatever people think is not what matters most.  What matters is what I think.