Following on from my last post, I thought it best to share how it all began, and how I got rid of my acne in just one month!

It was pretty bad. The bumps, the blackheads, the whiteheads, the dried-up blood (oops). And it wasn’t just on my chin. What had started on my chin had crept up the sides of my face, down my neck, along my jawline. And it wasn’t just little ones.

It was pretty bad.

For 5 months, I suffered. I continued cleansing, religiously. I applied pimple creams, consistently. I wore less makeup, obligingly. But none of that worked, and I would crumple in a heap at the end of the day, with the thought of having cystic, hormonal acne on my face for my wedding day.

It was pretty fucking bad.

And then. One day. I saw something.

I was picking up a cake for my work’s birthday cake day, and I saw a place called Vaia. It was a skincare business, easy to miss, easy to walk past without noticing. But I noticed it. I made an appointment then and there, not even bothering to look it up properly. I just needed something to fix my skin.

I went for a treatment, and Vaia gave me a stern talking to about my cleansing routine — something no one had really ever done. “If you use the same cleansing, toning, and moisturising products you usually use when your skin is fine, it’s not going to work for you when your skin is not fine,” she said.

I was gobsmacked.

Of course! How stupid of me to assume that what worked for me then would work for me now!

I made three appointments with her. One for a facial, one for a peel, and one for another facial. At the same time, I changed my entire skincare routine to Ultraceuticals’ acne range, went to my doctor to get a prescription for antibiotics and a cream, and lowered my intake of dairy.

I also changed my foundation from Nars to Lancome, and made sure to take off my makeup each night.

What followed in the next four weeks was nothing short of a miracle. My skin cleared up, I no longer teared up at the sight of my face, and all that was left were scars. The only thing I need to do now is have a few peels, keep my routine the same for a while, and everything will sort itself out come November for the wedding.

Of course, not everything that worked for me will work for others. It’s all about figuring out what does work and what doesn’t. Pimple treatments from pharmacies and grocery stores didn’t work. My usual skincare routine didn’t work. Even so, if your skin is getting pretty pimply, go and see your doctor.