Thoughts on Acne

It has been awhile since I updated the space, and I cleared out a whole bunch of old skincare since then. I suffered a minor outbreak, and let's just say that some products do take a while for it to work its effects (be it good or bad).

I'm currently using The Skin Pharmacy's Anti-Acne range and a few beauty tools, both have helped to control my breakouts significantly. I'm now left to deal with the aftermath of an outbreak - hyperpigmentation. Thankfully, I don't have any pitted scars but just really dark hyperpigmentations left. They look especially hideous against my fair skin ughs :( But I still believe that I'm on my way to good skin!

I'm still working on my lengthy review on TSP's products (which are all natural btw) but today I just felt like sharing my thoughts about having acne-prone skin.

IT.IS.A.NIGHTMARE. On good skin days, my skin looks absolutely flawless. On bad skin days, I look horrible. And the worst part about it is, I really have no idea when I'll have good/bad skin. Sometimes, it's almost feels like you go to bed with good skin and wake up with horrible pimples popping out everywhere.

Previously, I was dealing with very bad clogged pores due to harsh exfoiliating products but my skin looks fine from afar because those fleshy bumps aren't that obvious. But when I washed my face, it was never smooth to touch. I get those obnoxious blind pimples that are underneath my skin.  Now that I'm almost 90% cleared of my clogged pores but with heavy hyperpigmentation, people are commenting that 'Omg! You have a very bad outbreak ah! Why ah!'

It makes me very annoyed because:
1) you don't know my skin better than me
2) you don't see me everyday so you can't comment on how bad my outbreak is
3) SENSITIVITY GUYS. SENSITIVITY.

Folks like us, who aren't born with flawless & poreless complexions, know it ourselves. It's not like we are not doing anything to help with ourselves. WE ARE. We spend tons of money on dermatological treatments, facials, products, vitamins, supplements etc. Name it, and we know it. We spend countless hours reading up forums on product reviews, taking plunges on new products, each time hoping that it will work for us. We know when our skin is experiencing a bad time and you do not have to rub it in. Most of the time, we are already trying our best to meet people and be normal. Our self-confidence is already at an all-time low and you do not have to make us feel even worse about ourselves.

Of course, I'm not saying that you go around complimenting people who are currently suffering from a bad skin period that they have good skin, as that wouldn't do any good either. If you have nothing nice to say, please just say nothing at all.

Maybe you have a friend whom you met time to time, and you notice that he/she is currently going through an outbreak. It is definitely a nice gesture if you make an effort not to comment on their skin condition as more often than not, we'd rather hide at home than to go out with a hideous complexion. We'd definitely appreciate your tiny effort. Or if you see that friend in a few weeks' time and you definitely saw an improvement in their complexion, go ahead and compliment them. 'Hey your skin improved so much!' will make their day, for sure. They will even appreciate your friendship, and thank you for your sensitivity towards their feelings.

I just hope that everyone out there learns to be more sensitive towards people with skin conditions, be it acne, eczema or rosacea because we know our condition best and are already trying our best to treat our skin. It is a long battle to treat such skin conditions and we are already very self-conscious, so please be nice to people around you suffering from it :)

Cheers!