There is no person under the sun who has never developed a bump on the face sometime in their life, due to reasons such as stress, hormonal changes close to menstrauation, oily food or chocolates. What if your face decides to freak out on the morning of your school party? Thanks to make-up and concealing creams, you will probably be able to hide them. But what if cameras penetrate through all those foundation creams and make-up bases to highlight your pink bumps or dark scars? 

How much do acne and dark scars affect self-esteem and confidence?
It is not surprising at all to know that acne could have a huge impact on our psyche as well as social habits, giving rise to avoidance of social interaction, insecurity and self-effacement. 

You know what?
It can be really comfortable to sit in a corner giving a wide berth to people around you, but will you be able to do this forever? This is a defence mechanism to deal with the anxiety you might have developed due to your pockmarked face. Feeling confident despite all these imperfections will definitely take some time, but will be worth it in the end. Changing your thinking will result in numerous positive changes in your life.  

How can we boost our confidence and self-esteem without letting a few pink bumps affect our happiness?  

Is picking acne helpful?
No! Did you know that popping this particular type of pimple known as a cyst or hormonal acne could result in permanent scarring which can become discoloured, dark and unsightly? According to dermatologists, this is the commonest form of acne which will scar easily and is difficult to treat.  

Visit a dermatologist 
‘Meeting a specialist in the field completely changed my life’ says Dilakshi, 25.  

‘Being a lady doctor who is a known expert in treating acne taught me many lessons in life and not only defined the treatment but in general, my entire life altered with inner peace and confidence,’ General Physician Dr. H.M. Jayaweera said.  

The change should start from within
First of all, accept yourself for who you are. Then the mind-body connection will take place. There are many people who have gotten rid of acne permanently and sticking to a form of therapy involving a positive attitude, emotional upliftment and external medication will have good results. Medication will do its part if you try your level best to enhance the power of the inner self. According to the latest research studies, feeling good on the inside has a beneficial effect on one’s immunity, thereby increasing the quality and rate of healing.   Topical antibiotics, hydrating applications and vitamin supplements play a major role in treating acne. In cases that don’t respond to these treatments, acne can be managed effectively with surgical interventions like cauterization, where the cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist will poke at the scars with a needle charged with a mild electric current.

 
In addition to the therapeutic interventions, it is very important to keep yourself clean and hygienic- select a mild face wash which won’t harm your skin (baby soap is perfect), get rid of dandruff- potentially a causative agent for facial acne- and live a relaxed life, avoiding stress and anxiety.It will take some time for the treatment to work, based on how severe your condition is.

The point is ‘don’t ever keep your feelings all bundled up’ - Just let them out! In fact don’t let anxiety, stress and tension overthrow you and ruin your inner peace, as these can affect how the treatments work.

Fighting acne is worth it but even if you lose the battle, it doesn’t matter, because beauty comes from within and ‘perfection can’t beat the beauty of imperfection!’  
The writer is a final year medical student.