Kristine's (Adult) Acne Story

Growing up, I watched my friends go through acne breakouts, one after another, but I never understood their struggle until I got into my mid-twenties. It was around this time last year when I started getting huge zits on my face, and thus began my acne story: how I dealt with it, how I surrendered to it, and, FINALLY, how I overcame and cured it. 

June 2015 - The Beginning

I don't know exactly how I got acne in the first place. All I can remember was that I started using this rejuvenating facial set last May 2014 and I religiously used it until I decided to stop in May 2015. It was around June to August when I started getting oily skin and, eventually, started getting a few pimples and white heads on different parts of my face. I repeat, I never had to deal with any kind of acne or pimple breakout before this. 

(I screenshot the photos on purpose so that y'all can see the dates)

        

No pimple yet

I've got a pimple on my nose 

   

                                     

I don't know if you can see it in the photo, but if you zoom-in on my cheeks, you will see that I was starting to get a few small bumps and some black spots from some pimples that were starting to grow.


Here you can quite see the small white heads and pimples on my left cheek. I later found out from my dermatologist that they are actually 'inverted acnes' - a type of acne that grows from the inside out.

  

In this photo, you can totally see the bumps starting to get bigger

It was in September to October 2015 when the bumps got bigger than any pimple I ever had in my life. It was when it finally sunk in to me that I was experiencing an acne breakout so I started reusing a rejuvenating facial set.

    

Here are haggard, no make-up, no filter photos to prove how much worse my acne breakout got on both sides of my face at the beginning of October. 

It was getting worse each day...

At this point I was starting to get SOOOO stressed about work, about my acne breakout and about life in general. I didn't know what to deal with first.

My face was oilier than ever and the acne were so painful

Thankfully, I discovered and started using Celeteque DermoScience Acne-Clearing Concealer. I really loved it because, apparently, it helps cure pimples while concealing them.  I forgot how much it was but it was probably around P200- P300. I bought mine from Watson's Sm Megamall. 

It was a Disneyland miracle and the amazing coverage of Celeteque Acne-clearing Concealer (plus good lighting, probably) that my huge zits weren't noticeable in this photo! Charot.

I never really noticed any difference with the size and state of my acne while using the acne-clearing concealer but it really did a lot to cover it up, which was okay, but not good enough. 

It was on October 21, 2015 when I finally decided to have an anti-acne facial (complete with pimple extraction and injection) at Forever Beautiful clinic in SM Megamall. I spent a total of P1800-P2000  (sorry, I really can't remember exactly) for the treatment plus the acne soap and toner. I was advised to come back after a week or two for a follow up treatment BUT I NEVER WENT BACK. 

Anyway, here's a photo of my face with no makeup on, two days after the acne treatment. 

No more zits (for now), just scars

For a few weeks after the session, I didn't have any major acne breakout. I never went back to Forever Beautiful, though. I have nothing against their clinic, I just didn't think it was necessary to come back anymore. 

However, I still had those pesky inverted white heads all over my face. My face was also still oily and rough. My scars were healing and no longer that noticeable. 

In November 2015, I decided to visit Flawless, which is also located at SM Megamall, because I knew someone who works there and so I felt more comfortable. 

My face was totally improving but I would still get bumps on the same spot

I was advised to visit their clinic twice a month because I still had a lot of inverted white heads and my face was still quite oily. So I did. I also started using their acne soap, acne toner, bleaching cream (at night) and sunblock gel (in the morning). For quite a while, I really felt like my skin was starting to improve. 

January 2016 - Doomsday 
In January, I didn't go to Flawless because I really thought my face was doing okay already and hello, pimple extraction is quite painful kaya! My face would honestly feel sore for a day after each session so I decided to rest with all the facial thingamabobs. 

It was probably because of that that I started getting more whiteheads again! Ang tigas naman kasi ng ulo ko!

Personally, I felt really hassled by going to the mall for my acne treatments so I decided to try a different clinic that day.

There are two clinics here in Maybunga, Pasig and I tried the one in Dr. Sixto, near Stella Maris. I was quite happy at first because their prices are quite cheaper as compared to Flawless.

However, it was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. :(

After my session from the clinic whose name I won't mention here anymore, my face felt sorer than usual and the bumps on my face felt BIGGER. I cried when I saw my face in the mirror at home. I looked like this:

 I was honestly so depressed. Usually, when I had my pimple extraction at Flawless, my face would feel and look quite sore but the bumps never looked like that. And the soreness usually disappeared the next day. 

But it didn't disappear the next day. I was so stressed because I felt like I developed a whole new set of fresh acne over night! 

Let me remind you that I never had any pimple or acne breakout before June 2015 so dealing with acne then when I'm already an adult really took a toll on my confidence. I decided not to go to  my Masters class that Saturday because I didn't want anyone to see me like that. I wanted to stay at home forever.  

However, my mom talked to me and reminded me of this beautiful verse from the Bible. My hope was renewed. My faith was restored. I painted this on watercolor paper and shared it to my friends on Facebook and Instagram:

That afternoon, I went to Light and White Dermatology Clinic, which is also located here in Maybunga, Pasig. I was so relieved because the dermatologist, Dr. Perez, was the one with whom I personally consulted my acne problem. I also found out that she's the one who conducts the treatment on their patients, too. So there is a clinic that is of walking distance from our house with a hands-on dermatologist who personally treats their patients. A fresh batch of hope rushed through me! 

I was advised to use their clinic's very own Light and White Skincare System: acne solution (twice a day, morning and night), sunblock (morning), and alternatively, bleaching cream and Benzoyl Peroxide: Keratolytic Gel 5% (which is not part of their own skincare system but you can buy this at any drug store) at night. The doctor also gave me a prescription for Doxycycline which I had to take twice a day for seven days, after which I have to come back for my acne treatement/facial.

 (Doxycycline is an antibiotic that is used in the treatment of a number of types of infections caused by bacteria and protozoa. It is useful for bacterial pneumonia, acne, chlamydia infections, early Lyme disease, cholera and syphilis.- Wikipedia)

They also recommended that I avail of their 5-session acne treatment promo for P5000. It was inclusive of anti-acne facial, pimple extraction, and unlimited pimple injection (when needed). However, I wasn't financially prepared to splurge 5K so I said I would just buy and use their products first and then come back next week for my facial. 

I immediately noticed the difference the next day after using their skincare system the night before:

The bumps didn't miraculously disappear overnight but they definitely felt less sore. 

Because I am such a stubborn person, I didn't come back after a week. Seriously, what is wrong with me? If there is something that I want you all to learn from my battle with adult acne, it is that as an adult, we should always follow directions. Haha!

So on February, as expected, my acne started getting worse again.

    

February 15, 2016 - How I Stopped Being Stubborn and Finally Overcame Adult Acne

I went back to Light and White Dermatology Clinic here in Maybunga, Pasig and availed of their 5-session acne treatment promo for P5000. I had my first acne treatment on February 15, 2016. The first two of the five sessions were done in between a 7-day interval. I was also advised to take Doxycycline again, but now for 90 days or three months. Dr. Perez explained that the bacteria that is causing my acne breakouts can never be truly cured by mere extraction and external antibiotics. It should be cured from within as well. 

For a week after our sessions, I noticed that my face would always peel. Now, I'm no skin expert but Dr. Perez said that this helps in removing my acne scars.

I started noticing remarkable improvements with my face. I still had a lot of inverted whiteheads but my face was no longer oily. Dr. Perez asked me to be patient and assured me that after our 5-session treatment was over, these pesky whiteheads, as well as the acne scars, would be gone. 

At this point, I was not using any other product on my face except BB cream because I didn't want to irritate my skin with concealers or cheek tints. 

My peeling(s) were so exposed! haha

Yes, the scars are so apparent but you will notice that my face is no longer as oily as before. Check out my photos from before I started treatment. :)

I was going to be a bride's maid on my friend's wedding so I needed to buy my own foundation because I didn't want to compromise my acne treatment sessions. I was so happy when I found Happy Skin's Zit Zapper cream and Eye Need A Miracle concealer because they are also perfect for everyday use. :)

 I still had a lot of whiteheads but they were no longer that noticeable anymore. 

At this point, from afar, you can't even see any acne marks or whiteheads anymore. But I still had a few left on my cheeks.

My face would still peel and the scars would be more prominent after a session.  This one was a day after my second to the last session. 

My face started having that dewy look and people around me really started noticing the difference. 

I was done with the five sessions! 

At this point, Dr. Perez said that I can now stop using their acne soap and they recommended their triple whitening soap (licorice, kojic and glutathione) because my face have totally been healed and I am no longer acne prone! Yeeey! I also started using cheek tints again but I am careful in using anything on my face now. Sometimes, I use KJM Cosmetic's Lip and Cheek tint because they use organic materials for their products and never cause my face to breakout. Other times, I use Happy Skin's Shut and Kiss Me Lip and Cheek Mousse because, of course, it's HAPPY SKIN!!! and I just loove their products. Also, I've since stopped taking Doxycycline. 

Now, I still get monthly facials from their clinic because they are just awesome and truly care about their patients. I am also currently undergoing their underarm permanent laser hair removal treatment, but that's another story for me to tell. :)

So, on a final note, I would like to share to you three (of the many) things I've learned from my experience with adult acne:

1. Confidence comes from being hopeful. Yes, I became very insecure about my skin because I never experienced teenage acne so having to deal with it when I was already an adult who also has to deal with career, relationships, and whatnots, was very exhausting. But when I started being hopeful, I became confident again, scars and all. So please, never stop being hopeful. Things will not always stay the way they are. There will come a day when things will be so much better than they are now; 

2. You are never too old to experience something new. Be brave, because you never know what fresh (hell? haha) experience life will throw at you; and lastly,

3. Just like in matters of the heart, scars are not forever. Your scars don't define you. Scars heal. Scars disappear. So can the pain, heartache and bad memories of the past. Just don't be stubborn like I was at the start of my acne journey. Do what you have to do now and don't settle for just okay. Be patient, be consistent, do what you have to do now and follow other people's good advice. :) 

    

Now my skin isn't perfect and I still get a small pimple here and there whenever I'm about to have my period, but that's it. :)

Ps. There is actually no perfect formula for getting rid of acne. I am no skin expert and I am not in any way saying that everything I shared in this blog post is the only way to get rid of acne. Each person's skin is different so we have to really go out there and try out different methods and/or products that suit our own skins. :)

Pps. What is actually up with my short curly hair and chopped off fringes? Thank God I outgrew that. Lol