A Canadian lawyer who lives with severe acne scarring describes the impact on her life: “Every day is a struggle, and the emotional wounds feel just as raw as the physical ones.
“It is easy to say ‘accept yourself, love yourself’ but the reality is that we carry many scars with us, and when you also carry them on your face, that weight becomes very heavy,” says the 40-year-old, South Asian woman who wishes to remain anonymous.
“To date, there are days when I won’t go out in public. Certain angles of lighting and make-up accentuate the deep scarring, uneven texture and years of damage. As I age, my skin is no longer tight and youthful but is riddled with scars. I try to limit social media and in person socialization to the extent that I can,” she says. “I feel for the younger generation as scars likely could last a lifetime and that is a hard thing to accept given the unrealistic beauty expectations we are surrounded by.”
Her acne first began when she was around 20 years old and had started university. However, in her early 30s, the acne quickly became much more serious and led to scarring and hyperpigmentation.
“The progression of my acne was swift and relentless,” she relates. “Within months, my face was covered in painful, cystic acne. Being a person of colour meant I was at a higher risk for hyperpigmentation, which indeed occurred alongside my acne, leaving me with significant dark spots and further complicating my condition and leaving me with even less treatment options.
“The sudden change was not just a physical burden – it was deeply traumatic and emotionally devastating,” she recalls. “Seeing my once-clear skin covered in large, dark and pus-filled hills made me feel helpless and shattered my confidence immensely. I became extremely sensitive both emotionally and physically, flinching at the pain and the sight of my reflection. The embarrassment was overwhelming. I started avoiding mirrors and dreaded social interactions, feeling constantly judged.
“My cultural background (South Asian) added another layer of pain as insensitive comments about skin conditions are unfortunately common and something I experienced regularly which made the experience even more isolating,” she explains. “Often cruel and unsolicited comments would be thrown my way with callous disregard to my situation.
“I wish I could offer some wisdom about accepting yourself and finding peace despite the acne and scars but I can’t – I’m not there. I still grapple with self-esteem issues. If there’s one thing I can say, it is that today there are many more resources available and do your research thoroughly.
“A positive I have drawn from this experience is I have developed deep compassion and empathy for people who have had injuries to their face and others who have suffered facial disfigurement. If this is how I intense I feel about pitted acne scars, my heart, compassion and love go out to them even more to their extremely difficult challenges.”
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