Health Blog

It really takes personal experience in order to understand serious acne. Most people think they know what it’s like to suffer from the occasional zits, but it’s a different thing when pimples covering your face completely. Or a person might have deeper cystic acne that causes noticeable in unusually large blemishes. If you happen to have a friend going through this experience, it’s important to be as understanding as possible. They probably are feeling great about the situation, and they might be masking some deep emotional pain. It can make a person feel like an outcast even when they are surrounded by friends and family. An acne sufferer often feels misunderstood especially when they’re given unsolicited advice meant to solve the problem. As a friend, it’s important to be supportive and put yourself in their shoes while doing your best to help them through it.
 

Embarrassment

A person with acne deals with daily embarrassment on a variety of levels. Sometimes it’s in their head while other times they might be bullied or teased because of their skin. Try to empathize with this experience and don’t just shake it off as a person being self-absorbed or the main. It’s not about someone wanting to be beautiful all the time, it’s more about someone simply wanting to fit in. It’s hard to stand out in such a noticeable way when pimples are so heavily associated with stigmas and stereotypes.
 

Isolation

When acne is bad enough, a person might hide themselves were avoid social situations completely. It can be a tricky thing to deal with this type of thing because on the one hand, you don’t want the acne sufferer to hide completely. But it really won’t help if you try to drag them to a party other suffering from a breakout either. The best way to help them deal with their loneliness is by being a good friend who is there for them no matter what.
 

Blame

Sometimes acne sufferers blame themselves for their condition, or they might be angry at other factors as well. One of the worst stereotypes about acne is that people who have it don’t wash their face enough. You should never suggest that acne is a direct consequence of a person’s actions. It’s likely that your friend has a good routine when it comes to washing and acne products already.
 

No Need for Tips

As mentioned above, unsolicited advice is one of the worst things about having serious acne. People fancy themselves experts and try to give tips all the time. Sometimes an acne sufferer might just be walking down the street and a complete stranger tries to give them tips for their skin. It’s incredibly uncomfortable and embarrassing situation, and there’s no need to offer advice unless someone asks you for it.
 

How to Help

The best thing you can do as a friend is be there for the other person no matter what. You will also need to gauge your reaction on your friend’s personality as well. It really depends on the situation because people have different responses. For example, some people use humor to cope then in that case, it’s perfectly fine to joke about the subject. Other folks don’t want to talk about it at all in which case you should never make it a topic of conversation. But if it does come up, then be supportive and lend a helping hand if your friend needs assistance in finding a dermatologist or other resources. For cases of severe acne, a dermatologist is the best resource to help find a long-term solution. And while a treatment is being sought out, your friendship will play a valuable role as well.

Andrea Warner’s website is called How to Get Rid of Acne Help where the emotional and social sides of acne are discussed as well. It is also a good place to find tips for daily skin care and getting rid of pimples in a safe way.