Hii guys im new! I didnt know there was a support group for this very nice:) so im 19 years old. My whole life i had spotless clear skin besides a few tiny under the skin heat bumps. Those bothered me but not a lot since u couldnt see them. I never really appreciated that i had great skin bc it was just normal for me. The bumps did annoy me so i would often try products like nizoral antu dandruff shampoo or drying lotions. So when i was 18 my skin was still poppin but i looked for another product to clear the lil bumps. And skincarebyhyram recommended the SA cream from cerave. I purchased it and used it. Suddenly i get these weird under the skin kinda pimples, but not rlly cus they didnt have white heads but they were bigger bumps and they would pop if i picked them it was very weird. They were between my cheeks and the sides of my mouth, like 3 cm from my mouth away on both sides. And like there were a few and i never ever broke out there. Never had a pimple in my life. And then i went on vacation and got back and my skin was normal again. I stopped using the product after like 2 times btw bc i knew it was a reaction to the salicylic acid.so then nothing rlly happends till one day in the winter they just return. And every single one that comes leaves a scar. I was so so so sad. Every little bump on the cheek, picked or unpicked left a little brown dot. Im half indian so my brown skin is sensitive to hyper pigmentation. I try out sooooooo many products to make it go away and nothing works. So I decided to go to a dermatologist. this girl totally screwed it up. She squeezed my entire face out even in spots i never had issues. And that caused it to be more scarred and there were more bumps now also tiny ones on side burn and cheekbones. It made me absolutely sad and depressed because ive always felt so pretty and comfortable in my skin my whole life. I never had issues with not wearing any makeup everything was fine but suddenly a whole new world of insecurites openes op. Like swimming and having a boyfriend who is gonna touch your face and feeling disgusting and the light hitting it and not feeling clean, not wanting to go to sleepovers and hating going outside barefaced and allll of it was new. So i got depressed and still am. So my mom keeps telling me its your own fault u shouldnt havve messed with your skin it wasn’t problematic at all and shes right but it hurts so much because it never was my intention ofcourse. And now i dont really have acne but more like many under the skin issues and i dont wanna use crazy acids bc im so scared it just will make it worse. Ive trued everything alteady also mild soaps and nothing clears it back up to the way it was. It makes me unmotivated to even do my skinccare at all. If i show it to people theyre like i see nothing bc i always wear foundation now but my sideburn area like the cheekbones is covered in red dots and bumps and i have a few dark hyperpigmentation dots besides my mouth and i miss it being so flawless. I know people have it worse but it just sucks when it has always been good and suddenly its bad and especially when ur 19 and ive always been at home and then u finally make friends and go out, my whole confidence sheds apart. I now use benzoyl peroxide and it ironically works for the forehead bumps. But now im left with the bumps and scars on my cheeks. Oh how i wish to go back to the time it was just the forehead bumps. I keep seeing pics in my snap of years ago with perfect skin it makes me soo sad. I also wanted to go rent an appartement and live by myself but now i hate waking up and looking at myself it totally ruins the vibe. I will wakeup feeling gross instead of waking up feeling clean and pretty in my own apartement. So i canceled all those dreams and i also canceled my next study because i dont want to meet new people and make friends and sleep over and feel ugly. Its jusr unfair my whole life ive felt so confident and then when i really need that confidence, boom this happends. I wish i couldve seen that my skin was great and that the foreheadbumps were litteraly nothing. It was all so unexpected like when ur 18 u think that u have dodged the acne phase and boom i bring it on myself. Sorry for this super long rent ive actually talked about it to no one So its all coming out now. Please please please if you have gone trough something similar write me back so i can relate and not feel alone. Also please give me tips on what i should do. My skintype is medium to dry. I dont wanna use harsh products because my skin now is sensitive and its still so young. I already tried so many products and got so many different recommendations. I just really wish i could get my perfect skin back. I hate that i damaged her so much.
I'm in the same spot as you. Maybe you could avoid some sweets since they can increase acne growth. Drink plenty of water, go outside more. I hope my advice helps.
@KidDJ
Hii 
thank you so much for taking the time to respond! I dont really think the issue is my diet. I eat pretty healthy and ive eate realy really bad in the past and my skin would never react from it. I was really blessed with genetically great skin so it would stay clear no matter what, until the salisylic acid… I will try to drink more water and eat healthier to see if it maybe gets better tho! Tysm
@iwantmyoldselfback. So sorry to hear. Your skin is important to you and while your mom spoke her mind, it wasn’t helpful. It’s possible your skin will still heal and change back to the way it was.
Make an appointment with a board certified dermatologist for a consult and get clear on what happened and why and what can be done Ask the dermatologist if you should see a plastic surgeon for an opinion also
Ultimately you need to live and accept yourself—who you are/the way you are However this is a changing situation and a good medical opinion could be very helpful
Let us know how things work out
@NCMom ahwww thank u so much for responding and understanding and for making my feelings feel valid. A lot of people tell me its just skin dont worry but it just hits hard when its something ive never struggled with before. I must say i care about my looks and cherish it a lot and this affects me way more than i couldve imagined. I will defenitly see a dermatologist but for now im a little anxious about it since the previous bad experience. But I know its a must. It also makes me feel so vulnerable to have someone so close to my skin. My biggest fear is that it wont heal back to the way it was. It just makes me so angry for example ive never had a boyfriend bc i was not ready and now i do feel ready but now my skin is so bad and im so insecure its like i wasted all of my time with good skin, like whyyyy i was patient for so long its just horrible timing and it makes me feel so defeated. I took a gap year to figure it all out and fix myself so i can feel my best when i go to college. I will defenitly keep u updated! Tysm for the great advise and for caring <3