We love learning more about our communities skin journey and discussing the impact it has within our lives. We asked Heather from @myfaceplusacne about her  experience with acne, heres what she had to say!

How did you start your Acne Positivity Journey?
I began my Acne Positivity Journey last year within the first lockdown in 2020. After suffering with Acne the majority of my late teens and early 20's, I just got to the point where I realised that viewing my skin and myself in a negative way was only leading to my unhappiness. I threw myself into my journey and went from being worried about answering the door without make up to posting make up free and filter free selfies on Instagram to complete strangers and felt completely liberated! I’m sure for many that might sound crazy but for me, I just thought it ‘it’s now or never’ and just went for it. With the support of the Acne Community I have learnt to view my skin in a positive light and finally feel confident and beautiful in my own skin.

What are your main skin concerns?
Mainly Cystic Acne, Adult Acne and hyper-pigmentation post breakouts.

What has having acne taught you?
Having Acne has taught me that my self-worth and beauty is not defined by my skin. We live in a world where filters and advertising showing airbrushed skin and unrealistic beauty standards is unfortunately the norm but this can be so incredibly damaging for people when you don't see yourself represented anywhere. All skin has texture and you are beautiful and worthy regardless of your Acne. Acne has also taught be to be more open about how I feel and how my acne has effected my mental health. It’s so important to be open and not bottle up those feelings as I learnt that bottling it up ultimately made me feel a million times worse. Finally, acne has taught be to be kind to myself and not to blame myself for having acne. I have acne yes, but I am so much more than my skin. 

Acne scars are a huge part of having acne, do you have any advise for dealing with them?
Although I use skincare products which will help reduce the appearance of my Acne scarring and post breakout hyper-pigmentation, I would say most importantly to ensure you protect your skin with SPF every day. I have to admit, in my teens I didn’t use SPF but it’s so important for your skin!! Aside from the products and SPF, learning to view my scars in a positive way has really helped me. They are a reminder of how far I have come on my Acne journey and remind me on those difficult days that my skin is constantly improving and that it will get better - remember to focus on your Progress and not Perfection!