I wanted to talk a little more today about how I’ve learned to deal with acne. I have talked about my morning and evening skincare routines before, but I wanted to go a little more in depth specifically about how to handle pimples – something that almost everyone has to do at some point or another!

I think that I first started breaking out when I was in middle school. And I’m not talking about tiny blackheads – these were deep, cystic-type breakouts. I didn’t wear makeup in middle school – well, other than the bright blue eye shadow that my friends and I would put on in home room – and I was really, really embarrassed when I started getting pimples. After trying a few over-the-counter treatments with very minimal success, my mom took me to a dermatologist.

I cannot overstate the importance that going to a professional has had on my skin, and I don’t think it’s something that we talk about enough when we talk about beauty. I use two prescription face creams daily – clindamycin mixed with benzoyl peroxide in the morning, and adapalene at night. The rest of my skincare routine is important too (cleanser, toner, exfoliant), but without these prescriptions, I think I’d see a lot more breakouts than I do. Sometimes, acne is bad enough that all the facials in the world aren’t going to help it, and you really do need prescription strength products.

Like so many other things, it’s all a matter of balance. Just using the prescription creams isn’t enough for me; I need to be vigilant about the rest of my skincare routine, and even then, breakouts can pop up if I get stressed, sleep-deprived, or if it’s my period. And sometimes (like in the picture above!) I’ll get a pimple for no reason at all! It happens. I just tell myself that people that people are looking at my wheelchair, not my zit.