What to Do When Acne Ruins Your Self-Esteem

Over nearly two decades, I've developed a few personal ways to feel better about my skin. The first, most important and most painful to master is going without makeup. It might seem easy to some but even with new friends, it usually takes a while before I allow them to see my "naked" skin. Same goes with men I'm dating or, really, anyone in my life. What I've found by giving my pores more breathing room is they will—naturally—clog up less. Though no matter what I eat, what I apply, how little or how much makeup I wear, I will always break out around my period, bravely going bare-faced has made an impact on my skin and my sense of self.

The other is focusing on positive self-talk. This isn't easy either but as the saying promises, it gets easier with practice. When I start to be unkind to myself, I try to focus on the qualities I'm proud of: my writing talent, my ability to be an excellent best friend, my left hook, my courage to travel anywhere and everywhere, and my loving nature. When I turn the attention away from my one problem area, I can see the beauty in the others.

Image via Imaxtree