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Problem Skin: My Story
By Amanda Sage
About Me and My SkinI have very fair, delicate skin that tends to break out in hives, itchy red patches, and painful deep cysts. These breakouts happen mostly on my face, neck and upper chest. When my skin is at its worst, there are times when I am too self-conscious about my appearance to be able to go out and have fun. I'm not sure what causes the hives or the itching, as I have no known allergies or other autoimmune problems. As for the cysts: they may be some form of acne, but I am not certain of this. Cystic acne is typically characterized by multiple infected cysts that are spread over large areas of the face. My cysts come and go, and I rarely have more than one or two at a time. There's a lot I don't know about what is causing my symptoms, but I have identified some of my triggers and found several things that help.
Shame HurtsI used to try to cover the inflamed areas with concealer, but it always stung when I applied it. I'd grit my teeth and try to ignore the pain, thinking it was worth it in order to prevent anyone from seeing what my skin really looked like. When I washed off the makeup at the end of the day, I would see that it had made the irritation and swelling a lot worse. I'd look in the mirror and think: I'm hideous. This will never go away. What I need is a permanent face transplant. I still have those thoughts sometimes, but I've learned to adopt a new attitude towards my skin: compassion.
It's All About HealingI have shifted from trying to eradicate the flaws that I felt were ruining my life, to treating my skin gently and encouraging it to heal. I pay less attention to how I look in the mirror, and focus instead on how my skin feels. Staring in the mirror and stressing out over my appearance probably wasn't doing much to help solve the problem. In fact, doing those things may have made my skin worse, especially since stress is such a common trigger for skin problems. Hormonal factors have been important in my case as well. Since I started on the birth control pill OrthoTri-Cyclen (generic name: Tri-SprintTec), my skin is less inflamed and the cysts are much less frequent. I continue to struggle with hives and itching, but they are easier to manage now that the degree of inflammation is less severe. For more tips and strategies for dealing with various skin problems, visit my Squidoo lens associated with this article. Readers are encouraged to contribute their own ideas and suggestions.
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Contributor's Note
I do not have a medical license and am not qualified to diagnose skin conditions or to provide medical advice on treatment. This intel represents my own thoughts, feelings and experiences and is not intended to convey scientifically valid information.
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The copyright for this content entitled "Problem Skin: My Story" has been specified by the contributor as:
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