I am not my acne, my scars, my battles, or my mistakes.
I always thought my acne was something that I’d have to hide forever. I never thought that I’d get to a place of shamelessness.
Using makeup and having skincare routines are wonderful and amazing, but they are not a necessary part of being beautiful and living well.
While I hated being different for a time, I came to understand that beauty only exists because of uniqueness and individuality.
I need to stop being insecure. I need to stop hating who I am. Because the more I hide and feel shame, the more people will have the power to ridicule me.”
As I reflected on my attachment to makeup, something snapped. I thought to myself - “this isn’t normal… I can’t be like this forever.”
When I no longer fulfilled people's expectations, I began to question my worth. However, going through this inspired me to start creating content around a hashtag called “pores not flaws.”
Being unrecognizable was something I never wanted, and hiding my acne made me feel like I was hiding a part of myself.
It’s not just about the right esthetician or the right dermatologist. It’s about having the right people around you who accept you for who you are.