What get’s in the way of experiencing clear skin today, tomorrow and everyday?
What get’s in the way of experiencing clear skin today, tomorrow and everyday?
I’m going to ask you to think about one of the more uncomfortable emotions for a second, shame. More specifically, shame and acne.
Can shame get in the way of clear skin? As far as I can tell…yes. Almost every case of acne i’ve seen involves this basic human emotion at some level.
Shame is in the way of true healing, but it is not on the top of everyone’s discussion list. Brene Brown’s research on shame, vulnerability and courage is profound and the inspiration for me to put my own work out into the world too.
Exploring and talking about what get’s in the way of clear skin for acne prone individuals is exactly what we need to do at this time in history because it’s the discomfort in talking about it that gives way to freedom. It is the freedom that gives way to true healing.
Let’s get it straight. We are in no shortage of DIY guides for clearing acne. The issue is not entirely “how to” clear acne.
Just look around, it’s not exactly working. As a culture, we have more people, of all ages, suffering from acne than ever. Something is getting in the way of putting into action what we know we need to do to attain clear skin.What’s in the way…true self worth and It’s not our fault!
So, let’s look at shame and acne. How are they linked?
1. As humans, we all experience shame. It is one of the most basic and primitive emotions known to man. Shame and our sense of worthiness are linked. Acne deeply affects our sense of self or our perceived worthiness in the world.
2. It is not comfortable to talk about shame or acne. We don’t like to talk about difficult or uncomfortable emotions, conditions, or states of being.
3. By not talking about it, we do ourselves and society a huge disservice by perpetuating the myth that acne is merely a dermatology issue.
The less we talk about it, the bigger it is, the bigger it is, the more we have of it.
My acne was always better when I was talking about the difficult emotions surrounding it. Difficult emotions that I had unknowingly carried with me for years. Challenging emotions that developed along with the rest of my psyche as a young woman navigating this world with a face full of acne.
Shame and acne tell the story of, “i’m never good enough..” The symptom of the tagline, “i’m never good enough” is perfectionism. If i’m perfect, i’ll be good enough. Here lies the foundation for shame.
We have a media that tells us how we should look and what is beautiful. Acne is covered, hidden, photoshopped, ignored.
What can we do?
What can we do about our shame based relationship to acne?
For a long time now, i’ve described my skin as reactive yet resilient. And, it is. The term that I care about in this case is “resilient.” We can be more resilient. By understanding shame and its unquestionable relationship to acne, we can better understand how deep the connection to our sense of self and our acne is. Then, and only then, can we tell our stories.
This is the Acne Beautiful journey to healing: When you can tell your story and like who you are in the midst of doing that, you will have found yourself.
What do you get? A deep sense of belonging and comfort in your own skin.
We need you to share you story. We want you to share you story! If you would like to share, please email your acne story to Morgan@acnebeautiful.com
Unsure of your story? Confused about the whole thing? Acne Beautiful Virtual Complexion Coaching is a program designed to help you heal from your acne inside and out. It is a gateway to your story. Check us out at AcneBeautiful.com. Mention this post and receive 20% off your initial complexion consultation.
