What the doctor told me

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, I was probably too embarrassed, but I've been suffering with moderate acne for around three years. 

Up until about a week ago I had never been to a dermatologist, but once I did I got the oh so wonderful news that basically if I didn't do something soon, it would kind of be too late. 

Of course, I knew this was true already, but hearing it from a professional means that it's serious stuff. 

I'm starting to get some scarring, which really isn't attractive on me whatsoever... 

Anywhoo,

when I saw the doctor he put me on an oral antibiotic, as well as a topical treatment.

Also, he recommended that I wash my face with a particular soap (which we had a little difficulty finding) using, instead of a wash cloth, what's basically a scrubby for your face.

Then he put me on a diet where I can't eat the following things:

Fried and greasy dishes (obviously), Ham and pork (basically the only types of meat I really like), Butter, Cream, Chocolate (*Insert dramatic "Nooooooooo!" here.*), Spices, Nuts, Peanut butter, Cola drinks (I'm fine with this since I don't drink Pop anyway.), Iodized salt, Coffee, Tea, and Caffeine.

I can however eat "An abundance" of:

chicken, Bread, Sugar, Candy, 

Beef, Lamb, Veal (what is a 'veal'?),  Potatoes, All vegetables and cereal.

The reason I'm supposed to eat all that stuff is to replace calories from the stuff that I can't eat anymore... But to tell you the truth since I'm not exactly a big fan of those foods (especially sugar, candy and potatoes... I really don't like potatoes very much at all.) and eat them sparingly, I seem to have lost a couple of pounds. Not to say that I don't eat enough because trust me, I do. 

Below is the only un-edited recent picture I could find of myself. You can't see that well, but you can definitely get an idea of how bad my acne was before I started this whole thing. 

I don't actually have a picture of what my skin looks like now, but it is clearing up quite a bit. 

Now for the yucky part!

The medication I was prescribed to put on my face apparently has a LOT of alcohol in it... Or at least it seems like it to me since it smells strongly of it.  When you mix that with my skin, you get "Uh-Oh!".

When I woke up yesterday, my face was legitimately cracking. CRACKING! Also, if I opened my mouth wide enough, it pulled the corners of my eyes down.. Is that crazy or what?

This stuff is drying my face out like none other... But if what I get out if it in the end is clear skin (and please no wrinkles due to moisture deprivation!) I'll find a way to survive. 

Last but not least, one of the most scary things the Doctor made me do was give up wearing makeup.

This girl right here was beyond self conscious about her skin, hence she wore makeup almost literally ALL THE TIME. So you can imagine how nervous I was about going out in public without.

At first I felt naked, but after a while it's not really all that big of a deal to me. 

I'm actually kind of glad that I can't wear makeup any more (at least, for the time being.). 

It takes me a LOT less time to get ready, and I don't have to scrub a truck load of foundation off of my face before I go to bed.

All in all, I just hope that by a few months I'll be able to cross "Get clear skin" off of my bucket list!