How I Stay Confident Through Perioral Dermatitis
Hey.
For a while, I had dreams of not being good enough when I always grew up with those expectations. My dreams consisted of constantly fighting somebody, something, or running away when I couldn’t run. It turns out I was fighting myself, and the things I didn’t want to accept. I was afraid to even go out of my house without makeup because my skin was red, no matter what I would do. Products started to not work, and it scared me. This affected how I looked at myself, and treated myself as a human.
I didn’t even know how to smile anymore even as a cheerleader. Then, after losing my dad, it got worse since the skin is prone to the stress in your body. It kept rising, and I really had nobody else to continue to help me keep living. Dermatologists didn’t even know how to help cure it. Neither did products. I felt lost, and definitely not beautiful. Nobody understood the disease and how I was so stressed at such a young age. I did not know where I truly belonged anymore because of it. The crazy thing is, skin diseases can do that to humans, and that’s why this is more than a skin disease.
I was diagnosed in June 2015 when my skin would not stop itching and causing more than just a break out. It is like a break out on steroids. The more product you apply, it only seems to get worse, and it does. Honestly, as I am typing this to you today, I still don’t know if there is a cure for this. This is a battle for many people, and I don’t only want to touch on this, but any beauty in that matter.
Some things that I’ve learned and also struggled with along the way are learning how to remain confident, and be able to walk out of your house without a sense of judgement. Beyond this are measures such as using ice cubes, or even apple cider vinegar. The most important aspect through it all, was being myself, and being able to accept it within myself. Not needing to worry about what product can fix what, but the simple fact of acceptance. By doing this, you will realize it doesn’t matter what anyone looks like cause we are the same.
Because at the end of each day, everybody is different and experiences life in many shapes, forms, and sizes. To define beautiful is defining who has a purpose, and that includes everyone in this universe. I think looks are so overseen as something we're supposed to have, but that is simply not true and it has ruined society. So here I am, letting the one reading this, however you may feel in your own skin, please... lift your head and smile. That is the only way I have become myself again throughout all of this. To my dear friend who is out there like me, let go and listen to your inner self, because beauty comes within.
Fin.