LISA'S STORY

Don't miss this honest, self-told account of make-artist Lisa Redmond's fight against acne since her teens.

From Co Meath, Lisa (34) shares her battle on @the.acne.queen20, along with gamely unfiltered close-ups of her skin without the shield of make-up.

Now, Lisa has agreed to try MY Clear Skin nutri-capsules by VISAGE+. Our formula has produced some impressive results in customers with moderate acne and problem skin since we launched in November 2022.

And while we’re confident Lisa will see an improvement in the health and hydration of her skin, it’s difficult to guarantee the complete eradication of chronic acne. But we look forward to her feedback over the next months, as we review our extracts regularly to ensure optimal efficacy.

The feature below first appeared in the Irish Independent on December 19, 2023. 

Living with adult acne: ‘At 34 years of age, I am still trying to find ways to deal with acne'

 

“I was about 16 or 17 when I started dealing with bad skin. My mam brought me straight to the doctor and I was put on the pill, which I was on for the next 15 years or so. I’d still get one or two spots a month but it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as it was and it wasn’t aggressive-looking.

At the age of 30, I decided I wanted to give my body a rest after years of being on the pill. I came off it in November 2019. I had heard that my skin might react and go a bit haywire but I thought I’d be fine.

Unfortunately I wasn’t. Two or three months later, I started to break out and I just couldn’t stop it.

I had cystic acne all along my jawline and it was horrific. I thought I’d just give it six to nine months and it would eventually calm down. Then Covid-19 hit in March of the following year and I thought, ‘Grand, nobody will see me’.

I wasn’t as conscious of my skin, given that we were in lockdown. And besides, I wanted to find another way of keeping my skin clear that didn’t involve being on the pill.

I started working on my diet and cutting out dairy, chocolate and sweets but it didn’t really make a difference. I’m a sucker for social media and I spent so much money on products but nothing worked. I think I was just doing too much to my skin.

By the time July came around, I had had enough. I went to my doctor who prescribed an antibiotic. He told me to give it a try and if I wasn’t happy, he said he’d refer me to a dermatologist.

I tried the medication, along with creams, herbs, and anything else I could find. But nothing worked.

My family knew I just wasn’t myself and it was really getting me down. In the September, we were having people over for a few drinks in the garden.

My skin was so bad and I just remember crying to my partner and saying, ‘I don’t want people around, I just don’t feel like myself’. Later on, I broke down in front of one of the girls and she said, ‘I never knew it was that bad’.

I think you become so good at hiding acne — thank God we have makeup.

I was desperate by the time I saw the dermatologist in September. I was prescribed Roaccutane, which is quite a severe drug. I had already done my research and read people’s experiences of taking it. It’s something people really need to think about because it’s so harsh on the body. I gave it a lot of thought and I knew I was ready for it.

You have to get blood tests before and during Roaccutane treatment. You also have to take regular pregnancy tests because the medication can cause birth defects. And it’s advised not to drink while you’re on it.

My dosage was checked every month and gradually increased. I had a bit of a purge for the first two or three months, which I was expecting. We were in and out of lockdown at the time, so I wasn’t as skin conscious and I didn’t have to pile on the make-up.

Roaccutane has a lot of side effects but thankfully mine weren’t too severe. A lot of people get aches and pains in different parts of their body, but I didn’t have that. I was very tired, though, and my lips and nasal passages were very dry.

But my skin was the clearest it’s ever been. I just had scarring, which I began treating with peels and micro-needling.

There was a glow to me and people were telling me that my skin was looking great. I was able to meet the girls for coffee with no makeup on — just normal things other people who don’t have acne are able to do. I never had that before so I was taking full advantage. And I found having clear skin was helping me mentally as well. I wasn’t feeling conscious about it.

But then, after 10 months, Roaccutane was taking its toll on my body. I had enough and I wanted to come off it. I would highly recommend Roaccutane but, personally, I wouldn’t go back on it.

I’d say I had clear skin for a year and then the acne started to come back. My skin would tend to break out when I’m stressed or worrying. And at the time we were going through the process of buying a house and it was so difficult to get a mortgage.

Every morning, I would get up and run to the mirror to see if I had another spot or if one had gone down. It’s not a great way to be at 34 years of age, counting how many spots you have.

“I find if I zone in on my skin, it stresses me out even more.”

But I don’t want to go back on medication. I want to be able to treat this myself. There has to be other ways of getting through this.

Right now I’m trying to deal with it with my diet. I went for a hormonal profile and it turns out I’ve got too much oestrogen and too little progesterone. So I’m trying to reduce my intake of processed foods and increase my intake of protein. It stops your sugar levels from spiking and then dipping, which can contribute to acne. Usually, the first thing I go for when I’m hungry is chocolate, so I’m trying to stop that.

In terms of skincare, I’m finding that less is more. I’ve just started using CeraVe products, which are very affordable and I’ve seen a difference. I found the Biofresh acne range made a difference as well.

When I came off the pill in 2020, I decided to set up an Instagram page to share my journey. I wanted people to see where I started and how I was going to get over the next hurdle, and hopefully maintain clear skin.

I was nervous posting my first photo of me without makeup but then I thought, if it helps one other person, then it’s worth doing.

 I’m very honest about my struggles with acne — what you see is what you get. And the amount of people who have reached out to me since I started the page! I actually met up for coffee with a girl who contacted me through the page. It was great to chat to someone who could relate to what I’m going through because my friends never had bad skin. Not one of them could see the struggle I was going through.

I’m still trying to get on top of my acne. You have to keep at it. My page is as much of a learning curve for me as it is for my followers. I’m getting married in September and I’d love my skin to be clear for it. I’ll be sharing the lead-up to the wedding on my page.

My advice to people experiencing adult acne?

Stick with it and remember you’re not going through this on your own. Talk to someone who’s having the same experience — it will make such a difference.”

​See pics and follow Lisa’s journey at @the.acne.queen20

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