Alyssa's Story Living with Acne

Around age 12 years old, I became very aware of my skin and how it made me different from others. I struggled with acne, and I would often pick at my pimples without even realizing what I was doing. After the pimple healed, it left behind dark spots called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Sometimes the dark marks bothered me even more than the acne itself because they stayed for so long and felt so noticeable. I grew up around a lot of people who did not deal with hyperpigmentation the way I did. Their acne would fade quickly, while mine left dark marks that stayed for months. I felt different and embarrassed. One of the hardest feelings was the shame I felt when people pointed out my skin. Sometimes people would ask, “What happened to your face?” or tell me I should stop touching my skin. Even if they did not mean to be hurtful, those comments stayed with me. They made me feel like my skin was the first thing people noticed about me.

I became very shy, and I was scared to draw attention to myself because I thought people were always looking at my dark marks. I avoided pictures, stayed quiet in groups, and felt nervous meeting new people. It felt like everyone noticed the things I was most insecure about.

Even now, I still get acne and hyperpigmentation as an adult, but it does not affect me the same way anymore. As I got older, I started realizing that my confidence could come from places other than my appearance. I found things I loved and focused on becoming good at them. I learned that when you spend time doing things that make you happy and proud of yourself, you slowly stop thinking about your insecurities all the time. Working as a nurse helped me realize that I had so much more to offer than what my skin looked like. I found genuine joy in caring for other people and helping them feel safe, comfortable, and understood during hard moments. As a nurse, I met so many different people and saw so many different skin conditions, scars, birthmarks, and textures. It reminded me that everyone’s skin is different, and that there is beauty in being unique.

I still have days where I feel insecure, but I no longer believe my skin should stop me from speaking up, making friends, trying new things, or chasing my goals. Skin conditions can be hard, but they do not have to control your life.

Your skin does not decide your worth.

You are still smart, funny, kind, talented, and important, even on hard days.

Find something you love. Maybe it is sports, art, singing, science, dance, reading, playing an instrument, helping people, or something completely unique to you. Let yourself grow confidence through the things that bring you joy.

Your skin is only one small part of who you are.