Acne and SA

[Xervello]

I was wondering how big a factor does acne play (for those of you who suffer from it) in your social anxiety? Myself, I've struggled with it since I was a teenager. I'm in my thirties now and it's as bad as it's ever been. I even put a pic up to show it, lol. Not that I go out much anyway, but I'm kind of used to it. Still, it continues to be a huge drag on my vanity and self-esteem. Is it a huge part of your SA? And have you tried any treatments? Has any helped? Let me know. I'd appreciate the feedback. As well as hearing anyone vent about it.

 

[hidwell]

Well I have rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis and it definitely has a negative impact on my life, what little confidence I do have is taken away by these chronic skin conditions.

 

[Xervello]

I had to look up what those were. That sucks, hidwell. Life really knows how to pile on, eh. Have you gone to a derma/doctor, and has anything helped either much?

 

[karl:-/]

I blame magazines/papers for shoving photo shopped images into people's faces. I feel this causes a lot of SA problems or can play a major factor in making people problems worse.. This isn't the cause of my body vanity,but I feel as tho it keeps my issues at the front of my mind. Almost feeds the actual cause of my body vanity..

I get spots but dam if I care about a zits,that doesn't define the person who you are..
Like I said Ive never had bad acne,freederm worked for mine. Now its just random spots like "normal" people. Hope you find something that works for you.. go see a dermatologist??

 

[hidwell]

I had to look up what those were. That sucks, hidwell. Life really knows how to pile on, eh. Have you gone to a derma/doctor, and has anything helped either much?

Have been to doctor many times all they give you is cortisone cream which in time thins your skin. Life is simply one long cruel hoax.

 

[karl:-/]

I'm using those creams as we type..... Mmm they work for me but if I miss a day boom! My hands are like sand paper and sore.some days they kinda blister up not a good look I tell you.. not nice wanting to shake hands with people but in your head its a big no,no.

 

[Xervello]

I'm confused, karl, so what Does cause your body vanity then?

And if dermies make house calls, I'll consider it.

 

[spider04]

I used to have real bad acne and yes it did make my SA worse. For me it was the food and other stuff I ate, I don't eat anything that has mayonnaise or something else like that anymore, after two days I would have big painful pimples on my face when I ate those. But now my face is a lot cleaner.

 

[Xervello]

Glad to hear it, spider!

I'm a health/fitness nut, so my diet is pretty ideal - barring the occasional indulgence. I think my issues are with hormones.

 

[karl:-/]

I dont want to say on open air what caused it sorry :-( I can tell you, I feel like I'm trapped in a teenagers body,despite people saying my body has Changed. The vanity man in my head says otherwise.. "get to the gym!,you need it more you skinny prickly!" So with that in my head plus the reason why I have it still playing with my head. I know what you must feel like.

 

[string3r]

Yeah, I've had acne since I was 14. Like you I've gotten used to it but that doesn't mean I haven't tried to get rid of it.

I must have tired at least 5 different types of tablets but they haven't been able to stop it completely.

 

[xSleepy]

I'd consider myself to have moderately severe acne. I can get small pimples, to ginormous cysts, which are absolutely horrible! And they have unfortunately left me several nasty scars and lots of redness. =(

I don't really think my acne affects my social anxiety that much., not that it doesn't make me self conscious at all. But I think it bothers me just as much as it would your average person. Especially when I get those huge zits on the tip of my nose, like literally. I don't think anyone would want to be seen in public with a huge zit on the tip of their nose. I imagine it would be embarrassing no matter who you are.

 

[psych]

I have scars.
I went to see a plastic surgeon many moons ago. He was supposed to do a procedure to minimize my scars. The end result was that he'd made them larger. They make you sign a release before any procedure.
Had some painful phenol peels to soften it's look...
I suffered real bad cystic acne when I was a teen. People were incredibly cruel. It definitely can make a woman feel like her life depends on her appearance.
I believe it can be a major factor in SA.
Anyways, now I'm pretty much tied to a makeup bag when out of my house. I still break out when under too much stress, & some hormonal acne... Other than that, I've been much clearer than I used to be. But I was on accutane a few times.
There were other family factors, & life experiences that have also contributed to my SA.

 

[this_portrait]

I used to have it really bad, but being on the Pill has helped to control it a lot. Naturally, I would get self-conscious about it and think it made me unattractive.

Sometimes I get an occasional zit or breakout, but I'm not as self-conscious about it anymore. Usually whenever it happens, I use concealer.

 

[WeirdyMcGee]

My acne started when I was 6.
haha
I was the only kindergartner with pimples in her school photos.

I think the main cause is autoimmune issues-- my body lacks alot of the vitamins my skin should have, so the balance is off and I get breakouts constantly.
I've had skin treatments through a dermatologist; tried every kind of cleanser, changed my diet, had shots and different birth controls and medications. Nothing helps.
Acne is just one thing I deal with when it comes to hating myself, though.


I wash my skin regularly and do mineral/vitamin scrubs/masks on a daily basis to help my skin get the nourishment it's missing.
I have alot of acne scarring-- bio oil mask helps with that, little by little.
And I've worked on my makeup routine for 10 years now, so I can cover my face without it looking like makeup; everyone is fooled and thinks I have a good complexion.

I have found that other people looking at you don't take notice to pimples or redness or hair nearly as much as you do and often times don't care at all unless they feel they need to pick something to make fun of you for and that's the first thing that comes to mind because it's physical.

 

[Xervello]

Some of you may know who Cassandra Bankson is, or have seen her videos before. But for those who haven't, they're worth watching. She's a beautiful girl who suffers from severe acne and posts a lot of tutorials on how to manage it. At the very least they're interesting to watch just to know someone so attractive goes through the same things the rest of us do.

Foundation Routine Flawless Skin (Full Coverage Tutorial) Cystic Acne & Scaring Cassandra Bankson - YouTube

 

[shakethelight]

I used to struggle with skin issues back in highschool. I tried everything! Ive been using Murad for years and its been the best thing thats come into my life!

I have clear, perfect skin (knock on wood) lol. you can order it online or buy it at sephora. Also I find that dove works well too. And I also like cetaphil products if Murad is too expensive for ya.

 

[psych]

Unfortunately, I tried, but can't use Murad.
I use jojoba oil or CeraVe (moisturizers), glycolic acid, & salicylic acid to manage mine.
I've also had luck with blue and red lights at the right frequency... Specifically, LED.
There is a good website for this topic. Check out acne.org if you like, but read up & research before trying anything.
They also post ratings and reviews from users of products and medications.

 

[coyote]

i had moderately bad acne starting in the 7th grade and all through high school

it was devastating to my already low self-esteem and certainly added fuel to the fire of my teenage social angst

i tried several prescription topical medications - nothing did much to help

right after i graduated from high school, i went into the marine corps

after three months of boot camp, my skin was completely clear - and 30 years later - i've had very few problems since then

i'n not sure what happened - detoxification maybe? - perhaps all the physical training flushed my system?

 

[xSleepy]

And I've worked on my makeup routine for 10 years now, so I can cover my face without it looking like makeup; everyone is fooled and thinks I have a good complexion.

Hey WeirdyMcGee, mind sharing your makeup routine/products? I'm horrible with makeup. I think my foundation and everything is really noticeable and gross, which also makes me self conscience. Especially when it starts melting off my face from my oilyness.


I forgot to mention in my previous post what I do for my acne. I try to wash my face twice a day with Clearasil facewash. Then I use witch hazel, which is something new I've been trying, and I'm also loving it! After that I either put on Clindmaycin Phosphate (prescription stuff), or I use maximum strength benzoyl peroxide. I'll probably be getting a lower percentage benzoyl soon though since I read the 2.5% is a lot better. For a moisterizer I use vitamin E cream. At night I try to just use witch hazel and my Retin A .

For acne scars, I'm actually not doing much for them. The Vitamin E cream seems to help a little with the redness. Other than that, I've started to use the Derma Roller about once a week. But I don't really know if it's working or not, it's hard to tell. Right now I'm mostly trying to get rid of my acne (which is really improving). Once my acne is gone I can focus more on the scarring.