00:00I went from being a beauty pageant queen to having uncontrollable cystic acne all over my face.
00:05I couldn't stop the breakouts, I had no idea what was causing them, and every day my skin was getting
00:09worse and worse.
00:11But the hardest part wasn't the pimples, it was watching the pretty girl identity that I built slowly fall apart.
00:17I felt like acne was my fault, as if the pimples on my face were a manifestation of how I
00:22had failed to take care of myself within the previous months.
00:24It was as if my low self-esteem was right there displayed on my face, and there was absolutely nothing
00:29that I could do to get rid of it.
00:31Acne is normal, it affects 1 in 5 people, and is becoming more and more common due to external influences
00:37like the preservatives in our food, and the stress from our 9 to 5 jobs.
00:41Healing acne usually takes several months, it involves trial and error, it involves purging, and many many mornings spiraling about
00:48new pimples in the mirror.
00:49My skin is still far from clear, but you know what? I refuse to put my life on pause because
00:54of some diffused redness and a few pimples.
00:56I refuse to hide in my room and cancel plans because I'm afraid that people will judge me for my
01:01skin.
01:02My goal is to inspire people with acne. I've seen so many people on social media share their before and
01:07after transformations with their skin,
01:09and they share how clearing their acne has made a tremendous difference in their confidence.
01:13But why wait until clear skin to be happy?
01:16And if your confidence was built only on clear skin, it shatters the moment a breakout returns.
01:22That's why I knew I had to build something deeper, something stable, something that couldn't be taken away by a
01:28hormone fluctuation, a bad week, or a cyst on my chin.
01:31Because here's what I learned. Acne did not ruin my beauty, it only revealed my strength.
01:36It forced me to confront the parts of myself that were tying my worth to my appearance.
01:40It made me realize just how much of my identity had been wrapped up in being the pretty girl, the
01:46beauty pageant girl,
01:47the girl who always had perfect skin in photos.
01:50Every day, the beauty industry is profiting off our insecurities by making us feel like we are not attractive enough,
01:56and we can simply fix our flaws by buying the latest product.
01:59And if you're in the middle of your acne journey right now, encouraging, frustrated, avoiding photos, canceling plans,
02:05I want you to hear this.
02:06You are not behind in life because your skin is breaking out.
02:09You are not less worthy because your face is inflamed.
02:12And most importantly, you do not need to wait until your skin clears to start living fully and authentically.
02:18And one day, you won't only be proud of yourself for healing your skin,
02:21you'll be proud of yourself for the strength you showed to love yourself unconditionally through every step of the healing
02:27process.
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