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#24 - I have really bad acne!

Hi I'd like some advice please.

I have really bad acne and it is really annoying and disgusting. I feel really self conscious and am always checking myself in the mirror. 

I feel like if I didn't have it then I would be more popular and boys would like me.

It stops me from doing some things. I can't wear tank tops, vest tops or crop tops because it is on other places apart from my face. And whenever I wear makeup it just goes all cakey and looks even worse. My mum doesn't even let me wear makeup that often anyway.

I was at the school disco recently and all my friends were wearing belly tops and short tight skirts and I just felt really jealous of them.

I have tried a number of creams, gels,  face washes and tablets but none of them seem to work or else they just dry out my skin.

Please get back to me ASAP :(

::

Hi. 

I know how it feels to have that one thing about you that you hate because it stops you from doing so much stuff, and you feel like you can't be yourself because of it, and you feel like you won't have friends (let alone guys) because of that one thing. Trust me, I know the feeling.

Firstly, I'd suggest that you ask your mum to take you to see a dermatologist. That's a skin doctor. They can assess your situation and give you the necessary medication to help your skin clear up. You said you've tried creams and gels and whatnot, but maybe they don't work because you've misdiagnosed the acne? In the sense that, you don't know what exactly it is or what is causing it and so you're not buying the right products? What I'm trying to say is that you should see a professional about it who can give you the correct prescription medicine, and they will also tell you how to take care of your skin.

One thing girls need to stop thinking is that the only way to look 'sexy' or 'pretty' is by showing off a lot of their skin. Would you be surprised if I told you that you can look just as hot all covered up? Look at Taylor Swift at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party (2014) or Rihanna at the MET gala (2012). They looked incredibly sexy in their covered-up, long-sleeve, maxi dresses! Don't get jealous of your friends because you can rock your own style. How about oversized hoodies and skinny jeans? Maxi skirts? Graphic tees and Turtle necks? There's so many stuff that you can wear that make you look good, sexy even, that doesn't require you to show off any skin. I'm not trying to encourage you to hide in your own shell, but I'm suggesting that there are other ways you can look really good without having to feel so self-conscious.

But, one thing you need to get out of your head is that this acne is the reason you haven't any friends and whatnot. Because it isn't. The fact that you think that people won't like you because of it makes you become someone you're not. I'm sure you hide in your shell a lot. I'm sure you try to cover up who you really are and stuff? But can you really say that it's the acne's fault?

Quite frankly, it isn't babe! It's your fault. Because you view yourself so lowly because of it, you tend to hide thinking that everyone will think the same. It took me such a long time to realize that for myself, and so I'm telling you this straight up so that you don't waste away your life hiding when you could have had so much fun. If you're yourself, people WILL like you. You don't get friends simply because of how they look. You get friends because of how they act; who they are. If you're a nice, fun person to be with, your friends won't give two shits about your acne. I've a friend who hasn't one of her two front teeth, yet she still smiles like it's nothing, and she has so many friends! Or, my other friend who has some really bad acne too - she's all wild and crazy and suddenly it's like you don't even notice it anymore. Guys have liked her. I think she even has a boyfriend now.

They don't let these physical things about them define who they are as people. Because physical is something that you can't really change, but how you portray yourself? How you decide to be around other people? It's up to you. It's up to you to decide that you can still be your best self despite of (and in spite of) your flaws. You've got to love yourself, even though you think you suck. Because other people cannot love you if you don't love you first.

I won't tell you to just stop being self-conscious because like I said, I know that it's never that simple. You've just got to take small steps to try and realise that the acne shouldn't control your whole life. What counts is who you are as a person - that determines whether or not people like you.

Just try and see a dermatologist about it and hopefully things start to clear up xx

(No pun intended) :3

Hope I helped! 

- genie_us xx