5 guys talk about living with acne.
The cast
Maxime, 23 years old, a journalist and comedian originally from Corsica currently living in Paris. He has suffered from acne since the age of 19 and has been following a treatment for the past few months.
Paul*, 34 years old, a factory worker in France’s Grand Est region. When his teenage years ended his acne unfortunately remained.
Nathan, 23 years old, a student in Paris and YouTube content creator with 125,000 subscribers. He tried Roaccutane twice and laser treatment by a dermatologist a dozen times.
Arthur, 21 years old, from Paris and creator of the Mauvaises Têtes podcast. He had skin problems as a teenager until he tried the same treatment as Nathan at the age of 18.
Alex, 20 years old, a YouTube content creator from Paris. He experienced bouts of acne as a teenager but is currently outbreak-free.
On the first spots and the start of a nightmare
Maxime: My acne appeared progressively, so much so that I didn’t notice it happening. At first, it was one spot, then a second one, until I realized: ‘Wow, I’m covered in spots.’
Paul: I was 15 and didn’t quite understand what was happening to me. My mum and my GP weren’t that worried, they said it was just one of the phases you go through as a teenager.
Nathan: It got worse as I got older. I had spots, blackheads, infected comedones, etc. It was a daily source of stress.
Alex: My acne came in waves. Sometimes my skin was clear, and sometimes it was covered in spots. When that happened, I’d stay at home and try to not show myself. I was insecure as it affected my face and my identity.
Arthur: I made a really big thing out of it back then. It felt like it was the only thing you noticed and that it made me abnormal. I’m part of the Instagram generation and the models of manliness we’re fed made it difficult for me to accept myself and what I looked like, in particular because of my acne.
On being obsessed about outbreaks
Alex: To each their own insecurities. Mine was acne. I don’t have a passive approach to life, and I was reasonably self-confident, but it really got me feeling down. I avoided being on pictures, and if I had no choice, I’d wear makeup or touch up the pictures.
Nathan: If I had a spot, that’s all I’d think about all day. I’d even wonder if people were looking at me or staring at the spot on my face.
Maxime: It bothers me because it’s changed the way I see myself, as well as the way I believe others see me. For example, when I go to auditions, I don’t always feel like I want to be stared at, although I’m sure it doesn’t really happen that often, and it bothers me more than anyone else.
Paul: Acne has an impact on my entire life. It influences the way I eat, the way I think, the way I interact with others, my love life, etc. For example, I find it very difficult to ask women out.
On other people’s perception
Alex: As a teenager, I found it very difficult to talk about my acne, because I’d get a lot of comments on how red my face was, asking me what I’d done, why I’d popped all the spots on my cheeks, etc.
Nathan: It’s associated with uncleanliness, people think that you don’t wash your skin, that you’re unhygienic, that you’re not doing what’s necessary when you really can’t do anything about it.
Paul: I find it easier to discuss on social media, it’s not as difficult as talking about it with people I know. I have to say that I’m unbothered by the way people might see me, though. Sometimes, I get a little stressed before going to work, when an ill-placed spot suddenly appears on my face. I get a little angry, but I end up telling myself I don’t care.
Arthur: Back when I was 15, most of my friends had acne too. I’m the youngest brother in my household, and all my siblings had experienced it at some point. I think that we shouldn’t be so insecure about acne. I’m sure plenty of people suffer from acne, however severe it might be. I’d love to see more acne-marked faces on social media and in ads.
On trial treatments
Arthur: At a young age, I decided to try everything pharmacies had to offer, which turned out to be a total waste of time and money. Then, I went to see a dermatologist who prescribed a bunch of creams. While some worked better than others, I still had outbreaks and acne on the face. So, I was told about a dermatologist who prescribed Roaccutane, and I tried that treatment for a few months.
Maxime: I resisted starting treatment for a long time, as I’d heard bad things about them. Some of my friends had tried Roaccutane and had experienced side effects, so I decided I’d rather let my acne disappear by itself. But since I’ve started working, it’s been much more of an issue, I feel like I look much younger than I really am. That’s when I started taking Curacné, a generic version of Roaccutane.
Nathan: The first time I took Roaccutane, my dermatologist had prescribed a super high dosage and I was undergoing laser treatment at the same time… I think he knew he’d found the perfect cow to milk, and I was so desperate that I agreed to everything. The Roaccutane worked very well, but I was always very tense, and my lips were super dry. They’ve never really recovered. The laser treatment was very painful. I had to cry and grit my teeth to get through it… On the upside, I’m much more resistant to pain now.
Maxime: These days, I don’t have spots anymore, only the redness remains. However, it’s a rather heavy treatment to put yourself through for results that aren’t super noticeable. The side effects can be quite intense, it dries up all the mucous membranes on your skin, around your eyes, and in your nostrils… I get severely chapped lips with bleeding, and wearing lenses has been made very complicated due to the dryness of my eyes. I also suffer from nosebleeds, and I have to have my blood tested regularly to check on my liver.
Arthur: I can’t complain, the treatment worked rather well for me, and I didn’t suffer from too many side effects, other than extreme fatigue, some mood swings, and the usual severe skin dryness. Which is already quite a lot when you think about it…
Nathan: I tried Roaccutane a second time, after an antibiotic treatment, which turned out to be a terrible mistake. I finished a few months ago, but I’m not totally happy with the result. There’s no point in deluding myself, I’ll never have perfect skin.
Paul: When I was 30, I took a treatment called Doxycycline (an antibiotic used to treat rosacea) for three months. It didn’t change anything, so I gave it up. The only thing that helped was adapting my diet. I tried to find the food that agreed most with my body, and that best suited me. It turns out it’s fresh and raw fruit and vegetables. It helps reduce my acne and irritations, and as a consequence, I’m not as insecure when it comes to the way people see me.
On life with acne today
Maxime: More than anything, I’m tired of it. It’s annoying, and I’d really like it to stop so I can move on to something else...
Paul: I’ll never get rid of acne; it’s left me with physical and psychological scars.
Alex: While I have a couple of scars, I wouldn’t say my face is permanently marked by acne. I’m lucky, for example, my mother has really pitted scars, but I don’t.
Nathan: I’ve had a few recurring outbreaks, but it’s mostly related to stress, pollution, and the nature of my skin.
Arthur: I do have some spots when I’m stressed or when my life hygiene is a little off… Don’t overindulge on fast food, guys.
Parting words of advice
Maxime: Don’t believe you absolutely have to take treatment. Everyone has different reactions to them. I consider myself lucky, as the side effects weren’t too bad, but it makes some people depressed, gives them nervous breakdowns, etc. Curing your acne shouldn’t become more important than your overall health. It’s annoying, nobody enjoys it, but you have to learn to take control of the situation and not make too much of an issue out of it.
Nathan: I was once asked whether I’d recommend Roaccutane, but in all honesty, I can’t. It’s too heavy of a treatment. However, I would recommend seeing a dermatologist. In some cases, it’s covered by your health insurance, and you can get really good advice. Managing your acne takes time, but patience pays off.
Paul: Try to keep your diet as natural as possible. Fill up on fruit and veg.
Arthur: Drink water and get enough sleep! I used to think it was total bullshit, but when you’re suffering from severe acne it helps, although it obviously doesn’t solve the problem entirely.
Alex: Acne comes and goes, that’s just the nature of the beast. You have to accept the situation and learn to bring out other parts of your face, whether it be your eyes, mouth or nose, etc. You can have acne and still be handsome, it’s a flaw among many others.
(*Name changed for privacy)