A WOMAN who has suffered with severe acne since she was in high school has left the house make-up free after deciding to embrace her natural skin.
23-year-old Grace Nesbitt, a stylist from Philadelphia, has been struggling with self confidence issues for years, with even the harshest medication failing to banish her painful break outs.
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Now, she’s decided to ditch the make-up and share her story, hoping she’ll inspire others suffering with the condition to do the same.
“I realized I needed to embrace my acne and start falling in love with myself again,” explained Grace.
“I just didn’t like who I was and I knew there was good parts about me, but I couldn’t find them anymore.
“It’s definitely taken a lot to just pull myself up.”
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Grace also revealed the acne is so severe that she struggles to smile and even eat without being in pain.
While many people get the odd breakout here and there, cystic acne is much more severe, causing tender cyst-like lumps to appear.
Usually the skin is very red and inflamed and the spots can leave severe scarring.
Over the counter creams and medication will usually have no effect on cystic acne and many sufferers turn to oral antibiotics or Roaccutane – which can cause harsh side effects.
Barcroft Media
Barcroft Media
It was during Grace’s last year of high school that she was prescribed a course of Accutane, which is often a last resort for dermatologists.
While the strong drug cleared Grace’s skin temporarily, it has become “progressively worse” since coming off the tablets.
From diets – such as dairy and gluten-free – to tests for hormone imbalances and allergies, Grace says she’s tried it all.
“A lot of people like to give their input or their opinions, or tell me what I should be doing,” she explained.
“They think I’m not cleaning my face or taking care of my body correctly.
“I changed my whole lifestyle because of the things people would say to me and that definitely impacted how I saw the world. I didn’t want to go out in public.”
Barcroft Media
Barcroft Media
But now, Grace wants to turn her low self-esteem around and has taken to social media to share her journey.
Recently, she ditched the make-up for a night out with her mates for the first time ever.
“It wasn’t until about a year ago where I just stopped going out at all. I lost all confidence,” she explained.
Barcroft Media
“It’s a very small town and going out anywhere you are bound to see people and I think that was my biggest fear.
“I am surprised I didn’t have a little bit of an anxiety attack.
“I think I hid in my room for too long with my makeup on and now I am not as afraid to go out in public without makeup because that wasn’t even bad.
“I am just hoping that this experience helps others as much as it is helping me.”
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Earlier this week, we told you beauty fans are hailing The Ordinary’s £5 Azelaic Acid Suspension as the ‘miracle’ cure for rosacea and acne.
We also revealed high-tech skin wand claims to banish blemishes, redness and age spots – and could replace foundation.
And we showed you our go-to guide to retinol cream and the best beauty products for all skin types from acne-prone skin to wrinkles.
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