No Pictures Please

As a teenager I had some problems with acne, but I would say it was relatively mild. Still, I did see a dermatologist and used various treatments since I was very concerned with my appearance as a teenager. By college I had fairly clear skin.

But at the age of 22, just after graduating college and starting my adult life, I broke out with a terrible case of acne. It started on my neck and quickly covered my face. I can’t be quite sure what caused it, but I believe it was triggered by the birth control pill which I had quit taking a few months prior.

I have to say, that was one of the worst periods of my life. To be a young woman, single and just starting out on my own, having acne covering my face was very difficult emotionally. I don’t even think I have any pictures of myself from that time as I refused to be in front of a camera. Makeup was my best friend, but that wasn’t much of a fix.

During that time I tried many different treatments with no success. After about a year I convinced a dermatologist to put me on Accutane and after a few months my acne was finally gone. I did experience a few side effects from the Accutane, but I was so happy to be acne-free. Also, being on Accutane required me to go back on the birth control pill for safety reasons.

Fast forward a few years to my late twenties. I was married and again, I stopped taking the birth control pill, this time to begin thinking about a family. After a few months, my acne reappeared. It wasn’t nearly as bad as in my early twenties, but it was certainly noticeable and caused me to be very self-conscience about my appearance.

Once again, I tried many different treatments to try and rid myself of my adult acne although I never did see a dermatologist. What finally cured me for the most part was pregnancy. In hindsight, it seems obvious that my acne was hormonal and I may have had more success treating it had I known that.

Today, I am in my late thirties and still have an occasional pimple. Not too long ago I had a bad breakout and started to worry my acne was back, but luckily that wasn’t true. I very clearly remember how embarrassing my adult acne was and in the back of my mind worry that it could suddenly appear again.

I started this website to discuss adult acne – the effects and the treatments. There are more options available today than were available to me, and educating yourself on adult acne treatments is your best chance at success in becoming acne-free. Hopefully this site will get you started in the right direction.