1 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: Hello everybody, and welcome back to the Psychology of Your Twenties, 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: the podcast where we talk through some of the big 3 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: life changes and transitions of our twenties and what they 4 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 1: mean for our psychology. Hello everybody, Welcome back to the show. 5 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the podcast. New listeners, our listeners, Wherever 6 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 1: you are in the world, it is so great to 7 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: have you here. Back for another episode as we break 8 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 1: down the psychology of our twenties. Thank you for joining us. Today. 9 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: We're going to jump straight in, no ramble, no dilly daling. 10 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: We're talking about acne, specifically the psychology of acne in 11 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 1: our twenties today. This has to be one of my 12 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: most highly requested episodes. A few weeks ago I posted 13 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: that I was doing some research on this topic. The 14 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: amount of who emailed me dm me messaged me was 15 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:10,199 Speaker 1: insane because I think that this experience of struggling with 16 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: our skin, struggling with our appearance, is a universal part 17 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: of this decade. Everybody has some aspect of themselves that 18 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: they feel self conscious about, from not feeling thin enough, 19 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: or tall enough, or big enough, like each of us 20 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: harbors an insecurity that we imagine everyone else notices and 21 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: is judging us on the basis of acne is no different, 22 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: and I think is one of the most common insecurities 23 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: that we face during this period of our lives. For 24 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: many of us in our twenties, acne is a daily reality. 25 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: About eighty four percent of people between the ages of 26 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: thirteen and twenty five are affected by acne according to 27 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: your Medicine. That is a sizable majority. And yet despite that, 28 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: there is so much shame and stigma, there are entire 29 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: industries making billions on the backs of our embarrassment. No one, 30 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: I think, is born hating how their skin looks, how 31 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: their skin turns out. We are taught throughout our teenage 32 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: years and well into adulthood that acne is ugly and 33 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: that we should cover it up. We need to go 34 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 1: on medications that could have long term health risks just 35 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: so that we can have that milky, glass like skin 36 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 1: that so few people actually have. I am one of 37 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: those people who has really struggled with acne for a while. 38 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: It used to be so terrible. It caused me so 39 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 1: much sadness, so much frustration, so much anger in my life, 40 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: particularly when I was in high school. I distinctly remember 41 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: showing up at school wearing a full face of makeup, 42 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: layers of remal foundation, maybe lane, whatever it was elf 43 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: foundation that I would get from Kmart, and even more 44 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: layers of powder. It probably just made it worse in hindsight. 45 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: But this like practice of sitting down every morning and 46 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: putting on my makeup, over all of my scarring, all 47 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: of my like pimples, all of my breakouts, it was 48 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: like protection almost. It was like this way to almost 49 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 1: put on a mask and feel less embarrassed about my skin. 50 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: And the occasional times I would go in bare face. 51 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: Anytime someone would look at me or talk to me, 52 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: I would think that they were just staring at my acne, 53 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: thinking about how gross it was, assuming it didn't wash 54 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: my face. That I ate terribly, rather than the truth, 55 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: which is that it's just a skin condition, it's genetic, 56 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: it's biological, nothing more. But that built up anxiety and 57 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: insecurity leaves lasting scars that aren't just skin deep, and 58 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: the kind of insecurities more importantly, that really travel with 59 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: us even when the acne may fade, even as we 60 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: age and mature. Even now my breakups have really been contained. 61 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: They've reduced a lot in recent years, as I think 62 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: my hormones have stabilized, I still find it really hard 63 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: to go out without makeup on especially with the podcast. 64 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: You know, people always ask me when we're going to 65 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: do full video episodes, and I just can't. I just 66 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 1: really can't because I hate to admit it. I'm so 67 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 1: self conscious about my skin and I think one negative 68 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 1: comment would absolutely ruin my day. I've seen this happen 69 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: with so many other creators and podcasters. I always think 70 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 1: about Emma Chamberlain and her struggles with her skin and 71 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 1: how cruel everyone was around that, and that terrifies me. 72 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: Those comments always stick with us. They play back in 73 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,799 Speaker 1: our memory again and again and again that one time 74 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 1: someone said something that made you realize that they could 75 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: see what you saw in the mirror, that you had 76 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 1: an outbreak, that you had acne, and that it was 77 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: disgusting and that it was gross in their eyes. I 78 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: had someone once say to me that I looked like 79 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 1: a plague victim when I was like sixteen or seventeen. 80 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: That was like eight years ago, and you best believe 81 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 1: that its stayed with me. Perhaps because of that negativity 82 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: bias we see in psychology, our brains hold on to 83 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: those mean, mean comments, and besides the impact on our 84 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: self esteem and confidence, the bullying we might face, the 85 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: genuine emotional pain that psychologists are beginning to identify. Acne 86 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: can also be physically painful at time, especially if you 87 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: have very inflamed cystic acne. The severity of that can 88 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: impact our lives on so many fronts. It's really difficult 89 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,840 Speaker 1: to feel like you have control over this part of 90 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: your body, the most visible part of your body, and 91 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: during such a formative period when we already are filled 92 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,159 Speaker 1: with so much self doubt, so much expectation to fit in, 93 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:00,839 Speaker 1: and very much prone to social comparison. Acne does not 94 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: help the situation on so many levels. It is part 95 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 1: of so many of our journeys to self acceptance, to 96 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:14,719 Speaker 1: feeling ugly, to feeling unlovable at times. So, if you 97 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: are someone who struggles with acne like myself, who has 98 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: gone to every doctor looking for a solution, take an accutane, 99 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:25,599 Speaker 1: tried clean eating every skin care product there is, who 100 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: maybe has passed their acne days, but worries about flare ups, 101 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: the breakout that always happens before like a big event, 102 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 1: This episode is for you because we're going to discuss 103 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: just how acne is as much of a psychological condition 104 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: as it is a dematological condition as well. There are 105 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:47,839 Speaker 1: so many interactions between acne and our mental health and 106 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: vice versa. So let's get into it. Acne is the 107 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: most common skin condition in the world, but it's mainly 108 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 1: experienced by people between puberty and their early thirties, sometimes 109 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 1: a little bit after that. The reason we see so 110 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: many people struggling with acne during this period is because 111 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: of the underlying hormonal changes we're going through. The hormones 112 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: most responsible for acne are androgens, which are essentially sex 113 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:27,559 Speaker 1: hormones that bring on puberty and fertility. Our prime time 114 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 1: to be reproducing is right now, and so that spike 115 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: and androgen levels is going to be a massive contributor 116 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: to our predisposition for acne, and honestly, sadly, there's very 117 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: little we can do to control that. Hormones are a 118 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: big factor. But acne, whether that is mild, severe, non inflammatory, 119 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: whatever it may be, basically it comes from oil and 120 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 1: dead skin cells that get into our hair follicles that 121 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: we have all over our face and all over our back, 122 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: anywhere on the body that has large oil depositories, large 123 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 1: natural oil depositories. I'm sure that if you've struggled with acne, 124 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: you already know a lot of this. A quick Google 125 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: search can tell you all you need to know about 126 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: follicles and oil glands, and skin cells and hormones, the 127 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: whole cocktail of contributing factors. But also, if you are 128 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: genetically predisposed to acne, if your hormones are raging and unbalanced, 129 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: you are going to get acne regardless of how many 130 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: clean products you put on your face. The thing that 131 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: I think we don't speak about enough is how much 132 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: acne is truly biological and not behavioral. That means that 133 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: when we think about things like clean skincare or like 134 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: a healthy diet, they are not necessarily going to really 135 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: help you. For some people, they definitely do. But if 136 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: you're going to get acne, you're going to get acne, 137 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 1: and normally you're going to require some very intense medication 138 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: to overcome those biological factors. I think despite that knowledge, 139 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: there are so many other misconceptions people have about acne 140 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: that really contribute to the negative connotations, the negative image 141 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 1: of this condition, and also with that it also contributes 142 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: to us feeling so bad about what is so normal. 143 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: These false beliefs around acne confuse us into believing that 144 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: our acne holds some bigger truth about who we are. 145 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 1: If that sounds confusing, let me break this down for you. 146 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: For a long time, we were told, and I remember 147 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 1: being told this as a child and as a teenager, 148 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 1: that acne came from diet and not washing our skin enough, 149 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 1: which we now know are really very minor maybe contributing factors, 150 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 1: definitely not causing. And so because of this, acne for 151 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: a long time was associated with being unclean. If you 152 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: had that must mean that you're unhygienic, that you don't 153 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 1: wash your face, that you're eating poorly. I always think 154 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 1: back to all those rom coms and teen movies we 155 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: used to watch where a character would like eat a 156 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: bowl of ice cream or like too much chocolate after 157 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:18,079 Speaker 1: a breakup and get a breakout, or the gamer guy 158 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 1: who ate pizza, and he was always depicted as greasy 159 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 1: and sweaty and dirty, and of course he had acne. 160 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: And these repeated storylines and tropes meant that we have 161 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: begun to associate acne with slothfulness for lack of a 162 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: better word, slothfulness is such an unsavory character trait it 163 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: even sounds terrible. We all know the negative connotations and 164 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: we don't want to be lumped into this like characteristic 165 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 1: this category of people. The thing is, though, that these 166 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 1: myths that acne is like a dirty condition are complete fallacies, 167 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:57,839 Speaker 1: and a lot of the time they have been sold 168 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:02,599 Speaker 1: to us by several industries that benefit from us hating 169 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: our skin so they can sell us something to make 170 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:10,559 Speaker 1: us feel better. I know this sounds a little bit 171 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 1: like a conspiracy, but I think the recognition and the 172 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: moment I recognized this was when I really asked myself, like, 173 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: if my acne is not painful, if it's not physically 174 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 1: disrupting my life, what reason do I have to hate 175 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: it other than that we have been taught to especially 176 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: when you reflect on the fact that more than eighty 177 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: percent of the population is going to experience this at 178 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:39,560 Speaker 1: some point in their life. You know, acne has never 179 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: been normalized at any point in the media or beauty 180 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: industry until very recently. Every face in every odd campaign 181 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: is airbrushed, no one has skin texture, movie sets, whose 182 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 1: thousands of expensive products to sell us on this perfect 183 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 1: image we have celebrities having access to face tune as 184 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:02,959 Speaker 1: much as the regular person does, and this creates this 185 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 1: whole systematic, I think, belief system that acne is not normal, 186 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: it's bad, and it's ugly, which I honestly disagree with 187 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: all of those points. What really fascinates me is about 188 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 1: this culture is when you see those celebrity like before 189 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:26,400 Speaker 1: and afters on TikTok or Instagram, when they show the 190 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,880 Speaker 1: raw files and then the picture that they actually posted 191 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 1: with the flawless skin. I think it just goes to 192 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 1: show that even with millions of dollars, sometimes your skin 193 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 1: isn't going to do what you want it to. Normal 194 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: skin is pigmented, it's pimply, it's rough, it's textured, people 195 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:48,679 Speaker 1: have little breakouts, people have acne, Yet we have been 196 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: made to feel really ashamed of our skin. It's interesting 197 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:54,679 Speaker 1: because as we've seen a rise in social media, I 198 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:59,680 Speaker 1: think we've seen a rise in insecurity to do with acne, 199 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:02,679 Speaker 1: and we've seen some studies on this. According to the 200 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 1: UK Psychology Association, when we have that constant exposure to 201 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: highly edited and perfected images in media, that naturally creates 202 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:17,720 Speaker 1: unrealistic beauty standards. Those standards lead to feelings of inadequacy 203 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 1: and self comparison. There was even a point when the 204 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 1: American Medical Association, the literal American Medical Association, went to 205 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: advertisers and said, please stop using photoshop, Please stop using 206 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: these ways of editing photos, because it is making people 207 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 1: like mentally unwell. It is painting this very unrealistic representation 208 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:45,839 Speaker 1: of beauty that very few people can meet. And if 209 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:48,080 Speaker 1: that is all we see, how do we have a 210 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 1: fair and realistic point of what is normal. We're essentially 211 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: set up to hate ourselves because our comparison point is 212 00:13:55,440 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 1: so unattainable. And that might sound very incident, but over time, 213 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 1: this repeated exposure, especially when we're teenagers, especially in early adulthood, 214 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: it has a cumulative effect and it makes us feel 215 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: increasingly embarrassed by the ways in which our skin is 216 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 1: not perfect. I think, especially in our teen years and 217 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:23,239 Speaker 1: in our twenties, we don't want any reason to stand out. 218 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:27,040 Speaker 1: So when our acne is particularly bad, it becomes a 219 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: massive source of self consciousness, and it creates a plummet 220 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 1: in our self esteem because it is already so fragile 221 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 1: at this stage in our lives, when we're just trying 222 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: to figure out who we are. We're trying to figure 223 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: out so many other parts of our identity, and we 224 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: have this part of ourselves that people can perceive that 225 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 1: isn't what we want it to be, and we can't 226 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 1: control it. We know people may notice it, and we 227 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:54,560 Speaker 1: worry what they might think when they do well, they 228 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:57,760 Speaker 1: think that you're not attractive. In our twenties, that is 229 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 1: a factor that we place a lot of importance on. 230 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: A lot of us are dating, a lot of us 231 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 1: want to find love, and I don't think it's vain 232 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: to want to look good and feel good about yourself. 233 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 1: In fact, having poor body image has a lot of 234 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: consequences for our psychological wellbeing. In research studies that have 235 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 1: been done quite recently, actually, people with acne have repeatedly 236 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: said that their skin was the major reason they felt unattractive, 237 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 1: They felt embarrassed or self conscious. When we have that 238 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 1: constant negative thought pattern in our mind, in our brain, 239 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:34,200 Speaker 1: it's going to stop you from doing a lot of 240 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 1: the things that you want to do, making new friends, 241 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: applying for new jobs, dating, participating in I don't know, hobbies, 242 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: sporting activities, so many activities that are really, really valuable 243 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: in this decade. That really make this decade, there was 244 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: one major study in particular on the psychological effects of 245 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 1: acne that broke down the exact impact of this across 246 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:03,359 Speaker 1: a number of different areas. Use of research is honestly magnificent. 247 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: It's incredible. I'm going to leave a link. And it's 248 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 1: one of the first time that researchers have really looked 249 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: at acne more as a mental condition with emotional symptoms 250 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: as much as a physical one, acknowledging that when we 251 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 1: see so many poor mental health outcomes associated with a 252 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 1: condition or a disorder, it probably deserves some attention. You know. 253 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: For example, we see increased levels of anxiety, of depression, 254 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: even psychiatric symptoms. We also seek greater levels of social isolation. 255 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 1: And that makes so much sense to me. If you 256 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 1: don't feel good in your skin, if you don't feel 257 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: like your external appearance is what you would like it 258 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: to be, that it reflects who you are and who 259 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: you are not, and that perhaps people are passing judgment. 260 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: Why would you want to leave the house. It takes 261 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:54,400 Speaker 1: so much courage to be comfortable knowing that people can 262 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: perceive you and observe you and think whatever they would 263 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 1: like about you, and especially it takes even more courage 264 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: when you're not even able to do that for yourself. 265 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 1: You're not even able to look in a mirror without 266 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:09,639 Speaker 1: feeling a sense of real deep hatred and hurt. So 267 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 1: with that in mind, in twenty sixteen, two researchers recruited 268 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: one hundred people who had been diagnosed with acne in 269 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:20,720 Speaker 1: the last couple of years and they wanted to understand 270 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 1: exactly how this condition was impacting them across ten different 271 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:28,200 Speaker 1: domains of daily life. They followed them for three months. 272 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:30,960 Speaker 1: This is what they found, so in eighty eight percent 273 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:34,400 Speaker 1: of cases, people reported feeling embarrassed or self conscious due 274 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: to acne, and those two emotions were directly linked to 275 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: low self esteem and self image. Each of these participants, 276 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:46,919 Speaker 1: part of the eighty eight percent said the major factor 277 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 1: behind why I feel embarrassed in my daily life, why 278 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: I'm lacking confidence, is my acne, and it was also 279 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,919 Speaker 1: one of the main reasons why most of these participants 280 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 1: actually sought treatment in the first place, was because because 281 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:02,840 Speaker 1: they needed to deal with this insecurity, it was holding 282 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:06,480 Speaker 1: them back. Thirty seven percent of these participants reported that 283 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: acne influenced how they dressed, and how they chose clothes 284 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:14,880 Speaker 1: and outfits that either covered their acne if it wasn't 285 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:18,520 Speaker 1: on their face, or which they believe almost like quote, 286 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 1: compensated for the acne. This is really interesting to me. 287 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 1: I'd never heard of this before, and I don't think 288 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 1: we often correlate acne with a change in the way 289 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,200 Speaker 1: we dress. But I think if we don't feel confident 290 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,119 Speaker 1: in one area, we want to make up for it 291 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: or increase our level of confidence in another through our 292 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:40,640 Speaker 1: fashion choices. It just shows how deeply ingrained this really is. 293 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 1: Like it's not just something that's on your skin that 294 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:45,920 Speaker 1: you can ignore. It makes its way into your decision 295 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: making as well. Sixty eight percent of patients reported acne 296 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:56,439 Speaker 1: affected their social activities. They said they avoided social gatherings, parties, 297 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: doing sports, especially during an episode of a que acne 298 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:04,640 Speaker 1: flare ups. They felt that they were making other people uncomfortable, 299 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 1: or that people were going to stare at them, and 300 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:10,159 Speaker 1: that they wouldn't be able to be themselves. This was 301 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: more so the case in women. There was a high 302 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: degree of social anxiety withdrawal, and I think this pattern 303 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: and cycle of avoidance contributes further to low self esteem 304 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 1: and of course social isolation. It just becomes, i think, 305 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: increasingly harder to want to leave the house and want 306 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:32,359 Speaker 1: to put yourself out there. So we also, well, this 307 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:36,440 Speaker 1: study wasn't me. These researchers, these amazing researchers. They also 308 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 1: looked at the effect on work and study, and they 309 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:44,119 Speaker 1: found that fifty seven half of these participants were seeing 310 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,119 Speaker 1: acne have an impact on their work, whether that was 311 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:51,919 Speaker 1: academic work or Korea focused work, a professional job. People 312 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: were saying, like, I'm so bothered by my appearance that 313 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,360 Speaker 1: i cannot concentrate because I'm picking at my skin because 314 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 1: I'm I'm feeling to see if it's gone down or 315 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 1: if it's if it's getting worse. I can't stop going 316 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,879 Speaker 1: and looking in the mirror. I can't stop thinking about 317 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,160 Speaker 1: what other people are thinking of me. I just want 318 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 1: it gone. It's hard to be completely focused or even 319 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 1: slightly focused on doing something when you have this big, 320 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: giant other ogre thing in your brain thumping around taking 321 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 1: up so much space. Finally, let's talk about the impact 322 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 1: on interpersonal relationships. Seventy five percent of individuals reported that 323 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:35,239 Speaker 1: their ACNE made it harder for them to date and 324 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:39,919 Speaker 1: created difficulties in their interpersonal relationships. And there were a 325 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: lot of people who said that part of this experience, 326 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 1: and part of their struggles in these relationships in building 327 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:49,200 Speaker 1: new connections, is because of previous instances of being bullied 328 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:53,440 Speaker 1: or even teased by peers and in some case relatives 329 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: and family members. Women yet again felt this more deeply. 330 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: They felt that having acne made them less attractive, made 331 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:04,359 Speaker 1: it harder for them to put themselves out there in 332 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,960 Speaker 1: a romantic way. I think women are very acutely aware 333 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: of how much looks matter for them and less so 334 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 1: for men, and so of course appearance in this aspect 335 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:18,160 Speaker 1: is going to be a bigger factor. Not to say 336 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 1: men don't also experience it, but I think women really 337 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:23,440 Speaker 1: do understand that there are a lot more beauty standards 338 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 1: for how we look than how others look. I've seen 339 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: this with my friends quite a bit, where their worth 340 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:32,880 Speaker 1: becomes very much tied to how their skin's doing that day, 341 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: and so they cancel dates. They kind of refuse to 342 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:39,640 Speaker 1: believe that anyone could possibly be attracted to them when 343 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 1: it's so obvious to be their friend, to see how 344 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 1: wonderful they are, to see how amazing they are to 345 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: never really think about what their skin looks like. It's just, 346 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 1: you know, it's just there. It's not a contribute, it's 347 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: not a changing factor. It doesn't impact how we think 348 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: of them. But when that is a belief that you're 349 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 1: holding so deeply, it's very hard to feel desirable when 350 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:06,359 Speaker 1: you don't really fully love yourself in those moments. The 351 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: final finding that was so interesting to me because it 352 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:11,639 Speaker 1: really affirms a lot of what I believe contributes to 353 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: the stigma and insecurity about acne is that many of 354 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:21,160 Speaker 1: the participants reported that their difficulties in their interpersonal relationships 355 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: emerged because they were acutely aware that they failed to 356 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: live up to the idea of perfect, flawless skin portrayed 357 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 1: in advertising television media. This led to a self perceived 358 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:42,959 Speaker 1: reduction in general attractiveness, which we talked about, and an 359 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: increased fear or perception of being judged, specifically being judged 360 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:53,679 Speaker 1: to be unhealthy or unhygienic. Once again, we're returning to 361 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:57,119 Speaker 1: those misbeliefs at the very beginning of this episode that 362 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: we spoke about the misbelief that acne is behavioral rather 363 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:07,640 Speaker 1: than biological, and when we have this huge cumulation combination 364 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 1: of factors that's going to create a lot of further 365 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 1: symptoms of serious mental health conditions. One in particular that 366 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:19,280 Speaker 1: I want to talk about is body dysmorphic disorder. They 367 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 1: found again and again and again a correlation between people 368 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:26,200 Speaker 1: with ACNE and BDD. And we've spoken about BDD on 369 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:29,919 Speaker 1: the show before, but for a refresher, BDD is essentially 370 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 1: a mental health condition characterized by constant worrying over a 371 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: defect in appearance. We become fixated on our flaws and 372 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:45,880 Speaker 1: obsessed with correcting them, and alongside that we are unable 373 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: to appraise our appearance objectively. So basically we don't know 374 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: what we look like because our perception is so continuously 375 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: influenced by our negative self beliefs and intense focus and 376 00:23:57,359 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: shame and anxiety, that we can't see as clearly as others, 377 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,400 Speaker 1: as friends, as family can that it's not that big 378 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:08,360 Speaker 1: of a deal, that really it's not that noticeable that 379 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:10,440 Speaker 1: no one is judging you based on what your skin 380 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,760 Speaker 1: looks like. When you're in the throes of a condition 381 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:17,960 Speaker 1: like BDD, it's very hard to see that. And an 382 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: interesting facet of this that I think really applies to 383 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:24,120 Speaker 1: the acne and skin space as well. Is that some 384 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:28,719 Speaker 1: people with BDD subsequently develop what we would call an obsession, 385 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:33,200 Speaker 1: even an addiction to cosmetic prosceidures, looking up surgeries, looking 386 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:37,360 Speaker 1: up clinics and treatments, investing thousands of dollars in these procedures, 387 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:41,119 Speaker 1: even when the primary issue in this case, the acne, 388 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: is solved. Once again, there is this whole other industry 389 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:49,680 Speaker 1: that leverages and profits from our insecurity. I think how 390 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 1: we feel about ourselves some people might call caring about 391 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:56,120 Speaker 1: your image vein. I actually think it has a really 392 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 1: profound impact on our mental health. Of course, we are 393 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:02,560 Speaker 1: going to be concerned with how our physical form presents, 394 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:05,800 Speaker 1: because that is who everyone else in our lives sees. 395 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,919 Speaker 1: And all of these observations demonstrate just how wide this 396 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,040 Speaker 1: effect truly spans, even to things that we wouldn't think about. 397 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:16,159 Speaker 1: Very few parts of our identity and our daily lives 398 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: remain untouched. So what I want to talk about next 399 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 1: is what to do about it? What do we do 400 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:26,440 Speaker 1: when the treatments aren't working, when we don't want to 401 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 1: go outside, And maybe also just offer some encouragements for 402 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: those of you who are struggling with your emotional and 403 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 1: mental health in the face of past or current ACNE. 404 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:40,399 Speaker 1: I don't really want to go through treatment options or 405 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:44,160 Speaker 1: anything like that because I'm not a licensed dermatologist. Obviously 406 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 1: what worked for me might not work for you. But 407 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:48,160 Speaker 1: I do want to explore, of course, the mental and 408 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 1: emotional and psychological side of things. So all of that 409 00:25:52,160 --> 00:26:01,480 Speaker 1: and more after this short break, managing the emotional impact 410 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: of acne, teenage, acne, adulthood acne. I think it extends 411 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:09,200 Speaker 1: a lot further than just finding the right treatment. But honestly, 412 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:13,160 Speaker 1: that is a good first step, getting onto a medication 413 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: or seeing a dermatologist, reducing your symptoms, reducing your flare ups. Honestly, 414 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:23,480 Speaker 1: it removes our main source of anxiety and insecurity. It 415 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 1: is the best place to start. I think the biggest 416 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: factor for me was not that it necessarily removed my 417 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:32,639 Speaker 1: acne immediately. In fact, it kind of actually got worse 418 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:37,520 Speaker 1: in the interim, but it reduced my feelings of hopelessness 419 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: and not feeling in control. I felt like I was 420 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 1: doing something about it. There was a solution. I wasn't 421 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 1: going to feel this terrible for so long. I wouldn't 422 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:49,920 Speaker 1: have to worry about it as much as it were 423 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:52,879 Speaker 1: as much as I was kind. I don't want to 424 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: sound cheesy, but it just just give me hope. And 425 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,680 Speaker 1: although like this podcast, we talk about acceptance a lot, 426 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:02,199 Speaker 1: we talk about self confidence. I don't think that you 427 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:03,679 Speaker 1: need to be a martyr. I don't think that you 428 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:05,879 Speaker 1: need to like embrace your acne so that other people 429 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:09,399 Speaker 1: feel confident to do so. Sometimes, if your mental health 430 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:12,240 Speaker 1: is really suffering, if you're really struggling, if your self 431 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:15,800 Speaker 1: confidence has never been worse, the best thing for you 432 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:18,640 Speaker 1: to do is to find a treatment that works. That 433 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: can take time, though, and in my experience, it also 434 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 1: takes a lot of trial and error. Some medications just 435 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:26,919 Speaker 1: don't work for some people, or they do work and 436 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:30,840 Speaker 1: they have secondary consequences. You know, our acne may settle down, 437 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:35,440 Speaker 1: but then we have really bad headaches, I irritations, stomach problems, rashes, 438 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 1: maybe even an increase in mental health symptoms like depressive 439 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: symptoms that might cause us to cease a particular therapy 440 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 1: or medication. So in the meantime, what options do we 441 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:50,879 Speaker 1: have for living a really good, fulfilling life not held 442 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 1: back by our parents or by our acne. I think 443 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: The biggest issue in this is managing self image and 444 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:02,160 Speaker 1: self esteem, and part of that is starting to normalize 445 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 1: acne for yourself. We've spoken a lot about how there 446 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 1: is a culture around seeing acne is ugly, seeing it 447 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:12,359 Speaker 1: is gross. There are a lot of people out there 448 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 1: who don't feel that way and who have made it 449 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:18,399 Speaker 1: their mission to ensure that this next generation of people 450 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:24,119 Speaker 1: grows up without those negative connotations start following acne positive influences. 451 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,719 Speaker 1: We spend a lot of time on social media. It 452 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: gives us a lot of subliminal messages on how to think, 453 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:33,959 Speaker 1: how to feel, many other factors. And when you are 454 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 1: constantly in an online space of perfection, flawless, skin, face tune, 455 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 1: whatever it is, that is not going to do well 456 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,959 Speaker 1: for you when it comes to your social comparison. And 457 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:48,800 Speaker 1: it's not to say that you're going to compare yourself 458 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: to these other people and be like, oh, yeah, their 459 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 1: acne is so much worse in mine, I feel better. No, 460 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 1: it's about seeing people who you actually can relate to 461 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 1: reflected back at you on a platform where you spend 462 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 1: so much time, but also try and buy from brands 463 00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:04,960 Speaker 1: that have a no photoshop policy. I love these kinds 464 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:07,560 Speaker 1: of brands. You can find a whole list online. It 465 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 1: means that you can shop on their sites without feeling 466 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 1: like everything is so heavily photoshopped. Just expose yourself to 467 00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:20,719 Speaker 1: media where you see characters who look like you. I 468 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 1: feel like people have been saying this for so long 469 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:26,040 Speaker 1: when it comes to representation in so many other forms, 470 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 1: it is so important to see people who you can 471 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: relate to, even if they're fictional, because it means that 472 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 1: your story, your narrative, your experiences are validated, and you 473 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 1: don't feel as alone in what you're in what you're experiencing. 474 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:45,080 Speaker 1: The one movie that I think does this really well 475 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:52,120 Speaker 1: specifically around Acne is Ladybird, the Sersha Ronan Greta Gowig movie. 476 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:56,240 Speaker 1: Absolutely amazing euphoria as well. I know these are very 477 00:29:56,280 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 1: like teen focused girls. That show is so I can't 478 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:06,400 Speaker 1: watch it without seriously wanting to slap every single one 479 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 1: of those characters in that TV show. But it's all 480 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 1: about being like, this is a realistic depiction of what 481 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:16,600 Speaker 1: the average twenty year old looks like. We're so inundated 482 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 1: with perfectly altered, filtered, edited skin that many of us 483 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: also adopt those same strategies of swiping through filters or 484 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 1: covering our blemishes, covering our scars. We are also subjecting 485 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 1: ourselves to the illusion of perfection whilst showing ourselves that 486 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:40,120 Speaker 1: it doesn't exist, if that makes sense. Like, it's sometimes 487 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:43,080 Speaker 1: hard to realize that if you're editing your photos from 488 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:45,960 Speaker 1: a place of insecurity, there are so many other people 489 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 1: who are doing that as well. If you are never 490 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: going to put your face on social media without makeup on, 491 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:54,640 Speaker 1: think about all the other people who are doing the 492 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 1: same thing. I'm so guilty of this. I said this 493 00:30:57,960 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 1: the other day in a video, but I only do 494 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: videos with the full face of makeup on. I often think, oh, yeah, 495 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 1: this won't get as much engagement. People aren't gonna like 496 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:09,880 Speaker 1: this content. People. I'm definitely gonna get cruel comments if 497 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:12,120 Speaker 1: I do this without makeup on, if they can see 498 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 1: what I really look like right now. So, like I 499 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 1: said before, it's not that you have to be a martyr. 500 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:19,640 Speaker 1: It's not that you have to go out there and 501 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 1: reveal all of your insecurity for the world in order 502 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 1: to be part of the normalization process. It really is 503 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 1: about what makes you feel best and creating an online 504 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:33,920 Speaker 1: environment in which you see yourself reflected back at you. 505 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 1: You're not faced with like the literal propaganda wall of 506 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 1: perfect skin trying to sell you a new product that 507 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:44,360 Speaker 1: is going to be so freeing. I think a small 508 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: step to accepting acne as well is thinking about what 509 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 1: small activities you can do in your day to day 510 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:53,160 Speaker 1: life without makeup, with a bare face. Challenge yourself, get 511 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:56,680 Speaker 1: used to being a little bit uncomfortable, get used to people. 512 00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 1: Maybe they're looking at you. But why does it matter? 513 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 1: Why does it matter? It really doesn't matter, Like, what 514 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: is that going to mean for your life? Does it 515 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: mean that is them in your acne? Is that going 516 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: to mean that a family member drops dead tomorrow? Does 517 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 1: it mean that your boyfriend's gonna break up with you? 518 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:18,920 Speaker 1: If someone sees your acne, does it mean does it 519 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:22,800 Speaker 1: mean you're going to fall ill? Fall seriously ill? No. 520 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:27,640 Speaker 1: If someone makes a judgment based on literally what is 521 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 1: skin deep? Quite literally, so skin deep, so shallow, that 522 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 1: says so much more about them than about you. I 523 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:41,200 Speaker 1: just want to remind you of that fact. It's scary 524 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:43,840 Speaker 1: sometimes I used to use makeup as a crutch for 525 00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 1: my insecurity all the time. But over if you keep 526 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 1: repeating this practice, you get used to feeling a lot 527 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:54,680 Speaker 1: more unburdened by the opinions of others, and you'll start 528 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:58,760 Speaker 1: to notice that you're too busy to even care. I 529 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:02,160 Speaker 1: also think it's part of this is addressing confidence more generally. 530 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 1: And the way that I always like to talk about 531 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:07,760 Speaker 1: this is what are you doing when you feel your best? 532 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:11,240 Speaker 1: What activities make you feel amazing regardless of a bad 533 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:14,640 Speaker 1: skin day. What activities make you feel more in control 534 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:17,720 Speaker 1: of your health even when your skin is being frustrating. 535 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:22,040 Speaker 1: What activities take you away from how your skin is looking? 536 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:25,320 Speaker 1: More so, what put you What activities put you in 537 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,400 Speaker 1: a state of just like completely forgetting to think about it? 538 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 1: Do more of those things you need, more of that 539 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 1: energy in your life. You will be amazed at how 540 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:40,959 Speaker 1: little you start thinking about it when you start filling 541 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:44,680 Speaker 1: your hours with things that feel good for you, and 542 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 1: you start addressing your confidence and your health more holistically. 543 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:51,880 Speaker 1: The other tool that I have in my self confidence 544 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,720 Speaker 1: toolkit is the what if game. Now we've spoken about 545 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:57,360 Speaker 1: this before. If you've heard this, I'm gonna just say 546 00:33:57,360 --> 00:33:59,680 Speaker 1: it again for the people who haven't. Oh my god, 547 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 1: I say, like such a teacher just then that is 548 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:05,000 Speaker 1: so embarrassing. But anyhow, the what if game? This is 549 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:08,719 Speaker 1: a tactic that is taken from cognitive behavioral therapy and 550 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:14,120 Speaker 1: CBT cognitive behavioral therapy. Essentially, its whole premise is, if 551 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:17,239 Speaker 1: we change our cognitions, we can change our behaviors, and 552 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:20,359 Speaker 1: we can change how we see the world and our 553 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:24,040 Speaker 1: attitudes and how we act. We can apply this to 554 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 1: our acne. Acne and our anxiety around our acne and 555 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:30,399 Speaker 1: our appearances always starts with the thought, and the thought 556 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:32,560 Speaker 1: always starts with a what if. That's how you can 557 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:37,319 Speaker 1: identify an anxious thought. Let's start. Let's play the game. 558 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: Let's play the what if game. What if they see 559 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:46,239 Speaker 1: my acne? Okay, answer the question. If they see my acne, ah, 560 00:34:46,280 --> 00:34:48,600 Speaker 1: they might think I'm ugly? Okay, what if they think 561 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: I'm ugly? If they think I'm ugly, they might not 562 00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:54,319 Speaker 1: like me. What if they don't like me? Well, if 563 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 1: they don't like me, then maybe someone else would. Maybe 564 00:34:57,760 --> 00:34:59,360 Speaker 1: other people won't like me. Maybe they don't want to 565 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 1: be my friend, Maybe they won't want to date me. Okay, 566 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:04,279 Speaker 1: what if they don't want to date you? Well, well 567 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,719 Speaker 1: then what Well if they don't want to date me? 568 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 1: What they don't want to date you? And that's fine 569 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:13,480 Speaker 1: because it doesn't say anything else about the other people 570 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:15,919 Speaker 1: who do or don't want to date you. And if 571 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:17,640 Speaker 1: your response to that, what if they don't want to 572 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:19,440 Speaker 1: date me, what if they don't like me? Is well, 573 00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 1: no one will ever like me. That is a thought 574 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 1: where you can, I think, objectively, look at it and 575 00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:27,560 Speaker 1: realize that it's irrational, and realize that it comes from 576 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,640 Speaker 1: a place of fear. The what if game basically looks 577 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:36,160 Speaker 1: at our thoughts and proves to ourselves without undermining those 578 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:40,960 Speaker 1: thoughts that they are not correct, that they are coming 579 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:44,319 Speaker 1: from a place of self doubt, that they are out 580 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:49,120 Speaker 1: in a critic speaking very loudly. And it's also speaking 581 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:52,320 Speaker 1: over the parts of us that are rational, that are gentle, 582 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:56,920 Speaker 1: that are kind to ourselves, that understand that once again, 583 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:00,120 Speaker 1: if a person sees you as no more than and 584 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:03,799 Speaker 1: what your skin looks like, that is the epitome of 585 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:09,480 Speaker 1: a superficial attitude, a superficial attitude towards connection towards other people. 586 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:12,600 Speaker 1: You don't want them in your life. You'll be okay 587 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:15,680 Speaker 1: without them. I also think it's important to address the 588 00:36:15,719 --> 00:36:19,200 Speaker 1: mental health perspective of this as well, and the mental 589 00:36:19,239 --> 00:36:24,520 Speaker 1: health consequences. You deserve to have a very fulfilling and 590 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:29,279 Speaker 1: happy decade your twenties, but also a happy life in 591 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:32,719 Speaker 1: which you get the opportunities that everyone else is having, 592 00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 1: the experiences that everyone else is having. If you're finding 593 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:39,640 Speaker 1: that your skin is really holding you back, it's really 594 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:43,920 Speaker 1: keeping you in an isolated, unhappy place, therapy is amazing 595 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 1: for that. I am going to say it again and 596 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:50,640 Speaker 1: again and again. Having someone who is a neutral party 597 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:53,439 Speaker 1: to just talk through, who kind of is like you're 598 00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:57,480 Speaker 1: paying to tell you the truth is so powerful. I 599 00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:01,359 Speaker 1: also think they'll help you see a lot of I 600 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:03,440 Speaker 1: was talking to a friend of mine who's a therapist 601 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,360 Speaker 1: and who does a lot of things about body dysmorphia 602 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:11,400 Speaker 1: but also just like appearance based counseling and appearance based work. 603 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:13,720 Speaker 1: She was like, the amount of times that I have people, 604 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:17,160 Speaker 1: full adults, who are coming into my office and crying 605 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:21,480 Speaker 1: because of their skin is ridiculous, ridiculous, noting that they 606 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:24,160 Speaker 1: shouldn't be, but like she just never expected that that 607 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:27,400 Speaker 1: would be such a point of insecurity for so many people, 608 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:30,480 Speaker 1: because once again, we don't talk about it, but this 609 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:33,839 Speaker 1: is your reminder. You're a very loud reminder. There are 610 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:37,520 Speaker 1: so many other people dealing with this. That's not to 611 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:40,880 Speaker 1: devalidate what you're going through. It's more to show you 612 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:44,040 Speaker 1: that in this place of fear, this place of anxiety, 613 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:47,080 Speaker 1: this place of frustration, you are not alone in that. 614 00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:50,600 Speaker 1: A lot of people spend a lot of time worried 615 00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:54,719 Speaker 1: about whether their skin looks good today, what's gonna happen 616 00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 1: when it looks bad, how they can fix it, how 617 00:37:57,640 --> 00:38:00,200 Speaker 1: they can have it under control, the doctor's appointments, They 618 00:38:00,239 --> 00:38:03,319 Speaker 1: need to go to the photos of themselves that they 619 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:05,640 Speaker 1: see that they hate. That was a huge thing for me. 620 00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:08,840 Speaker 1: I hated seeing photos of myself when I had bad acne. 621 00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:11,880 Speaker 1: There's literally no photos of myself from back then, and 622 00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:14,799 Speaker 1: I'm really disappointed by that. It's such a shame because 623 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:17,479 Speaker 1: I don't get to see myself grow up and grow 624 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:20,680 Speaker 1: through that. I don't have that whole chapter in my life. 625 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 1: And although it was a hard chapter because I was 626 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:27,359 Speaker 1: so insecure, I did make it through. Obviously, here I am, 627 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:29,320 Speaker 1: and I think that it taught me a lot about 628 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:34,839 Speaker 1: recognizing that your worth is not always tied to what 629 00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:38,800 Speaker 1: you look like, and that you can fake confidence, even 630 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:41,239 Speaker 1: when you have this thing that really is holding you 631 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:45,799 Speaker 1: down and making you feel bad about yourself. So I 632 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:48,359 Speaker 1: really hope that you have enjoyed this episode. I hope 633 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:52,160 Speaker 1: that you've learnt something about the psychology of acne. I'm 634 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:54,280 Speaker 1: going to link that study. I think that you should 635 00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:57,000 Speaker 1: read it if this is something that you relate to, 636 00:38:57,560 --> 00:39:00,200 Speaker 1: just to understand that there is a whole community of 637 00:39:00,239 --> 00:39:03,480 Speaker 1: people out there who have similar fears. And it's so 638 00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:07,399 Speaker 1: fascinating to realize that for how much we stigmatize and 639 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:11,440 Speaker 1: create like an aura of shame around acne, it is 640 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:15,480 Speaker 1: such a common skin condition, and it's time that we 641 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:18,200 Speaker 1: normalize it, but also that we recognize that it's not 642 00:39:18,239 --> 00:39:21,080 Speaker 1: just physical, it's also mental, and it's also emotional. So 643 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:24,040 Speaker 1: thank you again for listening. If there is someone who 644 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:26,400 Speaker 1: needs to hear this, please feel free to share it 645 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:28,279 Speaker 1: with them, and also feel free to leave us a 646 00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:32,160 Speaker 1: five star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you are listening. 647 00:39:32,239 --> 00:39:35,279 Speaker 1: I read all of your reviews sometimes when I'm feel 648 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:36,960 Speaker 1: little bit sad, I go in and I have a 649 00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:39,560 Speaker 1: look and they are so encouraging. So thank you so 650 00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:42,120 Speaker 1: much for all of the love. I always say this 651 00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:44,279 Speaker 1: but if you do have an episode suggestion, I get 652 00:39:44,280 --> 00:39:46,120 Speaker 1: a lot of my ideas, a lot of my inspiration 653 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:49,839 Speaker 1: from what you guys the listeners are thinking about, are 654 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:53,920 Speaker 1: talking about, are experiencing in your own lives. So suit 655 00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:57,640 Speaker 1: me a message on Instagram at that Psychology podcast and 656 00:39:57,680 --> 00:40:05,759 Speaker 1: we will be back next week with another Bisarde