I have. It was when I was in my late teens (~19), and, in a nutshell, it was not fun.
Before that, when I was still in high school, my skin was clear and smooth. I still got the occasional pimple, especially on my forehead, but it didn’t get serious until my sophomore year in college.
For one, it hurt. Like, physically hurt. The pimples I had were big and red, and they were tender to the touch, and I remember so clearly how simple things that I take for granted now, like washing my face or putting on sunscreen, became a chore because it hurt to touch my face.
And then when I started taking Accutane in my sophomore year, my face hurt even more because the medication dried out my skin and made it extremely sensitive to sunlight and, surprisingly, even wind.
On sunny, breezy days my cheeks would hurt like a MUTHA. I remember stepping out of my apartment one day, seeing that there was a breeze outside, and wishing that it was socially acceptable to wear a helmet around campus and to lectures.
And of course there was the mental and emotional pain. I got really, REALLY good at hiding behind my hair and under hoodies.
Then there were the comments from people, most of them friends and family who felt like they could say anything about the state of my skin. It was never from strangers. Today I remembered someone mentioning all of my “big old gross pimples” in a picture of us, and it brought back sharp pangs in my heart… Why is it that the people who are closest to us often feel like they have free reign to say hurtful things?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. I hope this post wasn’t a downer for you. I didn’t mean for it to be. I just know that it was something I went through, and other people probably do too. I hope you have a nice Friday. 🙂 TGIF!
Hi Karen, Been a lurker for a long time, but I had to post when I read this. I didn’t have cystic acne, but I had really bad skin for years, and had the same thing happen to me – people just feel free to speak up about it, or worse, make fun of you because of it. My “dear” brother used to do that – glad he lives half way round the country now. Since it wasn’t cystic, the doc. didn’t consider accutane for me, but I just had to suffer through it, and I wish there was something else that could have been done. ‘Course this was years (and years, and years, and years….) ago and they didn’t have the tools and drugs they have for it now. But it is painful to go through, and the treament from other people leaves a lasting mark, even if the acne doesn’t.
Been there with you, girlfriend. I feel your pain.
No acne but lots of eczema was my problem – red flaky sore and itchy patches on my face – ugh!
I still get it from time to time but I thank God it’s not like it was. Now I cover it up with Keromask camouflage make up and then use Bare Minerals foundation over the top…No one knows it’s there!
There’s nothing really for me to add that hasn’t already been said. I didn’t even have cystic acne, I mean it fairly bad but you’re right how bizarre it is to have close friends or family say such things. I’m still scarred from what an ex friend once said to me. Those are the things that last 🙁
I suffered from cystic acne both in my teens and then again starting at age 25 and through both my pregnancies. The pimples hurt, but the comments (“stop eating chocolate”, “go wash your face”) were much worse.
On the plus side it made me interested in skincare and makeup, a hobby I still cherish now that my skin has calmed down.
Hi Karen
I’m sorry you experienced such terrible acne issues. I am 40 years old and currently have a bad case of cystic acne on my chin. I believe it is a result of an at home facial product. It is very painful but I know it is only temporary. Thank you for sharing your story
I had them in my mid 20s to late 30s. My self confidence took a beating. A co- worker proudly told me that he photoshopped my zits away in the company pictures. Sales guys single me out to sell acne trratments or concealers at the mall. Strangers tell me about how this magical thing can work for my zits. I had topical and oral meds that made me bloated, dry or sensitive. I finally found a good dermatologist and lifestyle that has tamed the buggers. But the scars are still there, physically and mentally. I like to think it made me stronger somehow and more compassionate.
Hi Karen! I deal with it since I was 10, now i’m 33 and I still had to use the strongest products, undergo laser or similar treatments and do not abuse of fundation, primer and whatever. Since it is a family fratture and is 20 years I treatments it, I accept the fact that probably I’ll never really get rid of it and will never have a smooth face skin even with the better fundations, concealers and everything, because even during the better times i have pores, scars, spots and dry skin.
Thanks for talking about it!
I developed cystic acne in my early 30s. Every month like clock work one or two painful cysts would develop somewhere on my chin and jawline and take solid week+ to go away. I tried ev.er.y.thing over the counter and nothing helped. Finally talked to a Derm about it and was prescribed Spironolactone. It took a few months (as she said it would) but I completely stopped having breakouts.
Like you, I had fairly good skin (the occasional pimple) right through high school, then my skin went nuts around 19-20. It wasn’t as bad as some people, thankfully, but at any one time I would have one or two big red painful lumps somewhere on my face. There was no face wash or treatment which made any difference, and I tried them all. I tried antibiotics and they worked for a while, but I didn’t like taking them for long periods. I saw a naturopath and she helped me sort out some minerals I was lacking which helped a lot, but it was when I went sugar-free for a month that my skin really cleared up. Now in my early thirties and my skin is the best its ever been, but if I over-do the sugar I know I will still get a breakout.
I didn’t have anything worse than mild acne in my teens and it cleared up as I went off to college. Unfortunately, Dear Daughter had really bad cystic acne starting in college. She blamed it on the water in Houston. She would not see a derm in Houston and finally did the on-line thing. No accutane, but some other meds and finally got it under control. Sadly she has pock mark scars from the years of acne. Sigh.
Wow I wouldn’t have guessed that you went through this anguish yourself Karen. I had bad cystic acne in my 20’s and through my first pregnancy especially. A strict
BP regime and then later SA really helped me to keep my acne at bay. I still use Paula’s Choice BHA once or twice a day and I’m 54 now. Later my son also developed really bad cystic acne and ended up eventually pleading me to go on Accutane. It really cleared up his skin and now 4 years later he is still acne free. So hard to go through this as a young person and I too remember kids pointing to me at the store and being singled out to try some new skin care and by family members questioning me about my skin. I can truly relate to your post today. Thank you.
Mine flared up in my mid-20’s. I tried everything over the counter at first, then saw a derm. Went on doxycycline for 3 months and Retin-A. I always had a 7 day rx for the doxy on hand for any big flare ups or would go get a steroid injection in the office. Still using the Retin-A religiously in my 40’s, and my skin looks 10-15 years younger after 20+ years of using Retin-A (+ sunscreen and no smoking).
Hi Karen
Your not alone, I have a protruding chin and guess what this is the area where my big cystic pimples used to show up , actually correction they like to show up from time to time until today and I’m in my early years of menopause. It’s just crazy, they were gone for a while and now they are back, so I know how you feel about the whole topic – acne
No matter how clean my diet was or how clean my face was they could show up for no reason , actually I believe this has lot to do with hormones.
Believe me, it really makes me uncomfortable knowing I have a pimple ( a big cystic one ) on my protruding chin , lol
I’ve accepted the fact and can’t live without my concealers
And yes family can be brutal sometimes but what doesn’t kill you make you only stronger
Cheers
Bebe
I’m dealing with my worst breakouts of my life right now (at 32), I used to get one pimple on my chin or nose before my period, but that was it. Now i have as many as four or five at a time, on my hairline cheeks, jawline, and even forehead. Of course at first i thought it was product reactions so i tried to calm down on products and cut out oils, then it was showing up any time i ate crab or shrimp (which ugh!! They’re my favorites) so I’m trying to see how no face oils and no shellfish for a month will do, but i’ve messed up both times I’ve tried that. They’re painful, they make makeup not go on smoothly and make me not want to keep moisturizing, so then I end up with other problems.
I think any kind of acne, at any age, is hard and makes you self-conscious. Certainly not helped by people with clear skin that just don’t get it. I don’t think they realize that their comments are hurtful because they haven’t experienced skin problems, so to them it’s like “oh, your shirt has a stain – Tide stain sticks work for me”. It’s not meant to be cruel or personal but it certainly feels that way for someone who just hopes no one notices their skin. 🙁 I do think most people are trying to be helpful, though siblings and mean-spirited class mates are a different matter. Things seem a bit easier these days. There are a lot of options now and a lot more education. I would hope that would help people to be more sensitive. Though, I must say that I get after my boys almost every day to “wash your face and use the lotion, morning AND night”. In their case, they are just lazy about it and don’t really care. They are teenagers and everyone has a few pimples and it’s no big deal (to them). It drives me nuts because their skin is beautiful with just a tiny bit of effort. I would have killed to have been like that when I was young.