I wrote about my Acne scar treatments and after 5 months, I am finally done with them. It was so intensive & definitely the most concrete example of “beauty is pain.”
Just as a quick background: I never had acne until I was 19 where I got SEVERE cystic acne that scarred instantly. I’ve felt like I have someone else’s skin ever since.
I will say that is it not and has not been easy to be vulnerable when speaking on this topic. Additionally, the process itself was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced and it caused breakouts. If you don’t agree with spending money on your face, I will advise you not to. However, the following photos are not your face, but of mine. This is something that has bothered me for a very, very long time. It’s my face.
To be completely honest and vulnerable, as if I wasn’t already: I cried after one of my sessions. Not from pain, but out of anger that I would have to do something like this in order to feel comfortable in my own skin. Luckily, I have a good man who was there to say “Alex, you’re beautiful,” with a tone that told me to shut the frick up. Never underestimate the empowerment from people who don’t let you wallow in self-pity.
That being said, please enjoy this extremely embarrassing photo journal!
BEFORE
SESSION #1 September
immediately after my consultation–you can nearly see the hope in my eyes! immediately after my consultation immediately after my consultation
THE WEEK FOLLOWING SESSION #1
The first week was the worst as far as recovery. Maybe my skin was getting wasn’t used to it because the doctor informed me this was a lower setting to begin and that the following treatments would be more intense. Additionally, my doctor got me good on my blood vessel. Apparently not everyone reacts that poorly to this, but he avoided the area in the future session. In general as well, I react to each month a little differently!
One Hour After One Day After One Day After Two Days After Two Days After Four Days After !!
FOLLOW UP SESSION #1
before follow up before follow up before follow up immediately after follow up immediately after follow up #2
SESSION #2 October
Before Session #2 Before Session #2 Before Session #2
WEEK AFTER SESSION #2
I healed great after this session compared to the others
One day after session #2 One day after session #2 One day after session #2 Two days after session #2 Two days after session #2 Two days after session #2 Four days after session #2 Four days after session #2
FOLLOW UP SESSION #2
before follow up before follow up before follow up immediately after follow up immediately after follow up
SESSION #3 November
before session #3 before session #3 before session #3 one day after session #3 one day after session #3 one day after session #3
FOLLOW UP SESSION #3
before follow up before follow up before follow up immediately after follow up immediately after follow up
I want to take a note that I was hysterically discouraged at this point in the process. I felt as though I wasn’t making significant progress, but yet I kept going.
SESSION #4 December
immediately before session immediately before session
FOLLOW UP SESSION #4
I’m going to be honest: I went to my initial session on December 17th…what is one week after that? The day after Christmas. I was living in the movement and totally forgot to take ANY photos of my recovery but I was SUPER swollen!!! I change doctors for my last two sessions so that could be my only guess as to why this would happen.
SESSION #5 January
immediately before session immediately before session immediately before session
warning…this gets ROUGH!
It was so swollen that I had to wear a mask to work
WEEK AFTER SESSION #5
SAME DAY! Compare session 1 same day to this… I was shocked. SAME DAY! One day after One day after Two days after Four days after
FOLLOW UP SESSION #5
immediately before follow up immediately before follow up immediately before follow up
Although I do see an improvement, I was super discouraged at first that the difference wasn’t more drastic! However, it was gradual! So, I didn’t see much of a difference. Then…I put on MAKEUP:
final results no makeup final results no makeup final results no makeup
final results with makeup final results with makeup final results with makeup
BEFORE AND AFTER
BEFORE AFTER
I think these two photos speak for themselves! I feel so happy writing this post. Part of this was for you all, but a lot of it is for me.
To #1: see the final results #2 know that I AM BEAUTIFUL AND I SHOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE IN MY OWN SKIN WITH OR WITHOUT THESE TREATMENTS!!
I hope you all feel beautiful today and please feel free to ask any questions! Again, I wrote specifics on the post here. Thanks for reading ๐
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