Bottles, Blunts, and Zits
For most people hormones are rarely their friends, I was no exception. I got my first bra in
third grade and by sixth grade I was going on to a size double D. The boys my age made fun of me and the older boys me gave me attention I did not know how to handle properly. High school was good to me; everything started to settle into place. I was sure that college would be even better but I was hugely mistaken. Fresh out of my first relationship, having sex for the first time, and to top it off a zit covered face that a pepperoni pizza would be jealous of. I have rarely been one to focus too much attention on my zits but these I could not ignore. It was not until that first month of college did I truly understand what people meant by growing pains. It took years of testing products, changing my diet, and realizing to work from within to subside my acne.
Going into college I knew I would have to go through exams but never did I think my face and body would be suffering examination as well. I was spending more time researching acne products than researching for papers. Proactive, doxycycline pills, topical creams, etc., etc. You name it; I tried it. But nothing was working. It wasn’t until my parents took me to see Dr. Lancer that I finally found real help. In the state I was in I would do anything to get clear skin - and I did. Dr. Lancer suggested Accutane, so Accutane I took. When the man who makes Oprah’s and Ellen’s face look TV flawless suggests something, you listen. Accutane is one of the strongest medications out there for acne. It was originally invented for skin cancer; then there were discoveries on how it clears up acne as well. It is not a medication to be taken lightly. You have to go through training, take exams before every prescription refill, and sign a waiver to be able to take Accutane. The medication can even cause severe birth defects in a baby. So you have to pledge to be abstinent or use two forms of birth control. Even though it is a serious medication - it is not a quick fix. My skin got worse before it got better. I even suffered from cystic acne (huge swollen acne under the skin). Then about a year later a miracle happened, my skin was as clear as a babies bottom. I was getting complimented left and right about how beautiful my skin was. Sadly this did not last for long.
It is true what they say, there are no short cuts in life. My skin was damn near perfect but it was not long until the pesky zits came sprouting back up again. I could not figure out what was happening but then I went back to the basics. When I first met with Dr. Lancer and his team they gave me a list of foods I could and could not eat. I followed them strictly at first but then once my skin was clear I went straight back into old habits. Those nights of Netflix and bowls of ice cream came creeping back. I thought this diet was temporary. But I have been learning now that the word diet is a lifestyle not a fad. After the new breakouts, my doctor wanted to put me back on Accutane but I refused to put these chemicals back into my body. I told him to give me a few months of eating right to see what would happen. I cut out the processed carbohydrates replaced them with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. I started cutting back on red meat and chicken. My skin started clearing up! But it took one final step to truly get the benefits. I had to cut out the harsh and my favorite chemicals that were creating turmoil in my body.
I was one of those people who raved about eating healthy but then went out, poured half a bottle down my throat, and rolled up a nice blunt to hide behind. Okay I lied, I never rolled a blunt in my life - but I sure smoked a few in my days. When my mom found out how much I was smoking she was convinced the weed was causing me to breakout. I kept telling her she was crazy and she didn’t know any better. I was so in denial that I even use to smoke weed and drink alcohol while taking Accutane. The high meant more to me than taking care of myself. In high school I was always a social butterfly, I loved getting ready and going out but no amount of makeup or clothing hid the fact my face was covered in zits. So I turned to alcohol and drugs to cover up my insecurities. I did not want to face the truth that I had a dependency on drugs to feel good about myself. When I finally decided to stop smoking weed it had nothing to do with my acne but I am not exaggerating when I say that my skin cleared up quicker than before. Keeping my skin clear and body clean is one reason I have yet to place another blunt or bottle to my lips.
I still occasionally get a break out here and there but now I know that acne is beyond skin deep. I had to start from deep within to fix what was going on on the surface. I would never recommend the steps I took in that order to help someone get their face cleared up. If I could go back I would start from sobriety and work my way forward. Luckily I learned through this growing pain that we should first see how we are treating ourselves, second what we are putting into our bodies, and THEN go to an extreme measure if necessary. Now I try to use natural/vegan products, I am a plant-based eater, and have been sober for a year, one month, and seventeen days. I am learning to place the attention I put on my vanity into true-life substances. The outside is nothing without a lively inside.
