bad skin blues

This is the first step I’m taking in chronicling my acne story. Over the course of the next few weeks, or months (who knows), I’m going to be talking about my acne and skin care successes and failures. Here goes nothing…

I have bad skin. There’s really no way around it. My skin complaints include, but are not limited to: oily, acne prone, cystic acne, enlarged pores, blackheads, fine lines (around my eyes), wrinkles (on my forehead), hyperpigmentation, and scars.

These are the most recent photos I have of my bare skin. You can see how it looked a month ago here. My skin is much improved since the beginning of this year, but obviously it’s not perfect. Currently I have 2 or 3 active pimples (down from 10-15!). Most of the spots you see in the pictures is hyperpigmentation. This is a step in the right direction when trying to conquer adult acne.

Adult acne is a cruel joke. I had moderate acne when I was a high school student but a simple skin care regimen that included a prescription topical took care of that. Now, in my early twenties, acne has reared it’s ugly head yet again. The problem with adult acne is that a simple skin-care regimen is not going to cut it. Adult acne is closely tied to hormonal fluctuations and imbalances. So the key to reducing acne and improving the skin is to control the hormones. Easier said than done…

I have relentlessly researched how to balance female hormones related to adult acne. With hundreds of hours of research under my belt these are the changes I’ve made in my life to balance my hormones:

• Staying hydrated: I drink 3-4 litres of water each day. I also drink a lot of green teas and herbal teas. Drinking water can help flush toxins out of the body.
• Exercising: In the past I would have bursts of activity that last for 3-4 days and then I’d sit and vegetate for 5 days. Recently I have been trying to do moderate to intense activity every other day. I usually go to the gym or do a home workout.
• Cutting down on sugar: This one kills me the most. I love chocolate and candy bars. I could literally eat them everyday and be so happy. However, sugar creates a stress response in the body. This stress response contributes to the wacky hormone levels that create ugliness on my face. So I had to break up with candy. I do still treat myself occasionally. Maybe 2-3 times a week. My goal is to cut treats down to once a week.
• Sleeping: It’s hard to get adequate sleep. Everyone is well aware that getting 6-8 hours of sleep each night is good for you. Unfortunately, as a nurse, there are some nights when I’m getting zero hours of sleep. To combat this I’ve been letting myself sleep as much as humanly possible on my days off and then just sucking it up on the days and nights I work. So when I average out my sleep I’m still getting between 6-8 hours of sleep each night.

Each of these strategies is aimed at reducing physical, emotional and physiological stress. The less stressed I am, the less acne I will have.

Stay tuned, soon I’ll be sharing the skin care routine that has made the biggest impact on my skin.

Did you like this post? Let me know in the comments. I’d also love to hear some of your lifestyle beauty tips!