Having acne is difficult. Treating acne is promising. It provides a sense of hope that you can rid yourself of something embarrassing and socially debilitating… which frustratingly some other lucky people have seemingly never suffered. Breakouts are crushing. You think you are getting the better of an unfair hand of cards from life, and you are instantly reminded in a very ugly way that acne is still your problem. Am I right? There’s no worse feeling than looking in the mirror and seeing a new pimple. The frustration, anxiety, anger and disappointment… amongst a range of other emotions. Typically this will occur at the worst possible time also. A vivid and painful memory is when I took my driver’s licence test. At that time my acne was quite aggressive, but I had it under control. Then the morning of my test (and photo, should I be successful), I woke to enjoy the largest pimple I think I will ever see – right in the middle of my left cheek. It was humiliating. Life can be cruel. But it’s not all bad. It turns around for the better. Over time, as I battled acne, puberty and some other treats life threw at me, I learned to manage my negative thinking. When you are faced with a relentless condition such as acne, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of negative thinking. People think you’re ugly. You think you’re ugly. You don’t want to wear shirts without collars because people will see more acne on your neck and back. You don’t want to go to the beach so people can’t see it on your chest or back. You should try makeup Concealer. Anything, just hide it. No one will want to date you. It isn’t getting better. It won’t get better. No treatments will work. How can people treat you seriously if you have a face covered in pimples? People can tell you Facebook profile picture was photoshopped – you have no acne in it. Any of that sound familiar? I don’t recall a particular point when I started to think more positively. It may have been when I swapped treatments to something I believed work. It may have been before then… when I gave up. The key, however, was that in my mind I was able to move beyond the negative. I stopped fretting and stressing about it. This sounds simpler than it is, and that’s the case, but the fights worth having difficult ones. Find positive things. Think of the great qualities about yourself. Look beyond your skin. Think of the future when you will barely remember what it’s like to manage an acne breakout. If you acne flares, and you have some new spots, treat them. They’ll go away. They aren’t permanent. It feels relentless, it feels defeating, but it’s a treatable condition that will pass. Keep a face mask handy. I use the SkinB5 5 Minute Mask as a topical solution for problem spots. Take the time to consider what may have caused the breakout – diet, stress, sleep, even changes in the weather. If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to take SkinB5 Acne Control Extra Strength Tablets. I find them to be helpful in reducing breakouts, and the redness of my skin. I occasionally miss mine for several meals, but rather than fret or stress about it, I simply resume the pattern. It’s not worth the stress. Battling acne is difficult, but you are not alone and for this, I’m thankful to be a part of the SkinB5 community. A mid-twenties Melburnian cliché, Nick Bell, a bearded student suffers wanderlust, a soft spot of his city’s cafe culture and a love of cycling. He writes from experience, having suffered acne himself throughout both high school and university, and it’s something he still battles today. Nick also writes a personal blog where he is documenting his journey for clear skin with SkinB5, having previously given up after years of ineffective.