When it comes to acne, all people seem to talk about is how bad it is and how they want to get rid of it as fast as possible. If you watch any of the current acne cream commercials out there you’ll certainly be bombarded with the messages of how horrible acne is and how necessary it is to zap it away. Labelling acne as such an undesirable condition actually makes the situation a lot worse for the people who have it. After all, they have the very thing on their faces that commercials are labelling as so gross that it has to eliminate right away.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m never going to claim that acne is something that you should live with if you can find a way to treat it effectively. Bad acne can certainly be embarrassing and sometimes you can feel like an outcast if everyone else around you seemingly has perfect skin.
But I’d like to tell you why I think bad acne had a positive influence in my life. It sort of falls in line with that old saying: whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Acne certainly didn’t kill me, and if you happen to have severe acne you can take solace in the fact it won’t kill you either. And if you get through the hard times, there’s a good chance you’ll come out on the other side with a stronger sense of self.
The first thing you should know is that I had really bad acne. It might not be possible to compare my situation with yours, but my acne was among the worst of the worst. When it came to finding ways how to get rid of bad acne, I tried almost everything out there. Some of it would work for a while, but my acne would inevitably come back if you gave it long enough.
Unfortunately, my acne hit right in the middle of high school and it seemed to happen overnight. Kids can be merciless and they certainly were when it came to their teasing. I would get teased daily about my bad acne and it turned an already shy kid even shier. I had the sense that I was a decent looking person under all that bad acne, but I never felt attractive in any way. My acne would fluctuate between being bad to very bad and it was always noticeable, such much so that even some of teachers commented on it.
I always had a few friends, but because of my bad acne and blackheads I was never comfortable going out all that much. I was shy and introverted, and I’m convinced I wouldn’t have been this way if it wasn’t for my acne. In fact before high school I was a really social kid who loved to talk to everyone. It’s hard to be as social when you feel ugly all the time. So what good came out of all this?
In retrospect, the time when I had acne was extremely painful, but I don’t think I would trade it for anything else. During these years I certainly turned inwards but I also developed a great imagination and creativity. When you don’t really get a chance to live in the “real world” you can either create your own universe or imagine that you belong in some way. I did a little bit of both and learned to develop my artistic ability. I think I also became a genuinely nicer person. I had absolutely no desire to ever tease any else or make other people feel as bad as I did.
I developed a great sense of empathy and to this day I think I have the type of outlook that lets me see things from all perspectives. And since I didn’t have much of a social life, I concentrated on school, got good grades, and eventually made it into an excellent college. I think I was made more caring, kind, and gentle due to my experiences with acne and although it took a while, I’m happy with the person that I turned out to be.
If there is any point to this story, it is to share with you a positive perspective on bad acne. As I said before, it won’t kill you and it might steer you towards a path that has many benefits. Humans are extremely adaptable and they have a way of navigating their way through a variety of challenges. So if you happen to have bad acne, don’t give up hope or feel that you are an outcast. Things can and will get better, especially if you make some effort to find a treatment that works for you. And in the meantime don’t get swallowed up in negative thoughts because there is certainly good that can come out of any situation.
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