Daily advices

Acne’s consequences on self-confidence

Acne’s psychological impact is a reality, for adolescents as well as adults, many of whom are affected, all over the world. How can you not let imperfections ruin your social and love life, and beyond that your own self-confidence?

During adolescence and adulthood, spots often take up a very large part of our emotional balance.

Which is normal, since we live in an image-oriented society. It is not easy to face other people nor our perception of how they stare at our imperfections, day after day. The consequences of such an outlook can sometimes be quite painful for our self-confidence and self-esteem.

According to a study, 8 adolescents out of 10 believe that ‘appearance can determine the success of future life’¹.

During adolescence, acne problems arrive at the delicate moment when we’re in the midst of building our identity, between doubts and a need to belong to the group. However, the majority of adolescents are also affected, and that can make you feel better – a little bit.
As an adult, it’s often worse. Blemishes settle in, we feel different and mostly it feels unfair. Every morning, we look anxiously in the mirror and do our best to find a way to keep a sense of proportion. It’s not easy having spots when we’re too old for it.

¹ IPSOS 2015

When you have acne, you often believe that it’s the only thing people see, and that this problem defines you before everything else. Acne-prone skin is often a source of complexes and a lack of assurance, which can cause difficulties in relationships, loving or platonic. They shouldn’t be waved away. You are not just a person with acne. Don’t let it take over your mental space and psychological balance. In fact, more and more, acne problems are held up on social media today.

Many celebrities are standing by the #bodypositive movement that fights against physical discrimination and the insularity that it can produce. So much the better. Some people even feel perfectly fine about their acne. If for you, however, the situation is too much, the best way to get your assurance and love of life back is to treat the problem. You can ask your pharmacist for help to find adapted products, both for cleansing and creams, and even consult a dermatologist.

To live better with your acne means managing it better. There are different ways you can do this, but the objective is the same: don’t let yourself be defined only by your imperfections, don’t let them take up most of your life.

Popping your spots. It’s an instinctive way to act, to try to do something about them, but it’s the wrong way. This type of touching only makes your skin worse, without forgetting the risk of scarring.
Trying everything and anything, from the craziest ideas to your grandmother’s concoction, multiplying creams and changing your routine over and over again.
Full out attacking your skin to try and get rid of spots once and for all, by washing with harsh soaps, cleansers that strip and tough scrubs, all of which will only make skin weaker.

Adopt a cleansing routine adapted to oily skin and stick to it, even if you don’t wear make-up one day. Remember to always cleanse your face twice a day, the basic act for healthy skin.
Use make-up with good judgement to hide imperfections and be sure to choose noncomedogenic, nonocclusive products that don’t clog pores.
Consult a dermatologist to receive personalised medical treatment, however severe your acne may be. The real criterion is what impact your spots have on your mental health. Be aware that the struggle with acne requires a long-term strategy. Definitive results may not come for several weeks or months. And first improvements will occur quite quickly, particularly if you follow the doctor’s advice.