By Caroline Praderio, Insider
When most of us get a breakout, our first urge is to hide all evidence of it. We use foundation, concealer, and filters to disguise acne, for fear that others might notice — and judge — even the tiniest blip in our complexions.
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Instagram star Kali Kushner is trying to change that attitude one selfie at a time.
Kushner is the 22-year-old behind the popular account @myfacestory, Marie Claire reports. Since October of 2015, she's been posting photos that show how she's treated her cystic acne and the resulting scars. Her radical openness about skin issues — and her dramatic before-and-after shots — have attracted nearly 24,000 followers so far.
"People think you have acne because you're dirty, or you don't wash your face, or you're just generally unkempt," she recently told Marie Claire. "But it's about hormones, blood sugar, and genetics, more than anything else, and yet people look down upon it as if it's something you're not trying hard enough to fix, which is what I try to dispel in my Instagram."
Here's a closer look at her story.
After about a year of trying treatments that didn't work, Kushner started taking a prescription drug called isotretinoin— better known by the now-defunct brand name Accutane. It has some nasty side effects, but a single four to five month course can permanently cure severe acne for about 85% of people who take it, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
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"I used to think it was odd, because I really didn't do anything magical — I just took Accutane and a bunch of selfies, but now I realize that the reason people are so dedicated to following my story is because nobody actually posts stuff like this," she told Marie Claire.
It's now been more than a
year since Kushner finished taking isotretinoin, and things have
changed. When her cystic pimples started to come back, she shifted her
diet, cutting out dairy then transitioning to veganism. (The evidence is still limited, but a handful of studies do show that certain dairy products — particularly skim milk — can make acne worse.)
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"I've been treating my scars for almost a full year," Kushner told INSIDER in an email. (She uses a line of products called Banish Acne Scars.) "It's not 100% where I want to be, but I am so ecstatic with the progress I've made. Besides that I've switched to all natural skincare and no makeup which has also helped my skin in healing."
And at every stage of
the journey, Kushner has continued to posted raw, unfiltered photos of
her skin — often with simple, powerful captions like "I have acne scars and I am beautiful." It's a refreshing alternative to feelings of shame and frustration that tend to accompany skin imperfections.
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It's important to remember that the treatments that work for Kushner might not work for you — the unfortunate truth is that there's still no acne treatment that works perfectly for all people. But everyone can learn something from Kushner's approach to acne.
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"[Acne] is not your
fault. Sometimes your skin may be clear while other days you may be
experiencing a monstrous breakout. Don't waste your time or money
searching for a 'quick fix,'" she told INSIDER. "Instead, listen [to
what] your body is telling you it needs, whether that be a rigorous
workout, meditation, or hopping into a bubble bath to relax. Don't let
your skin ever hold you back from what you want to do in life. You have
to push forward."
Instagram star Kali Kushner is trying to change that attitude one selfie at a time.
Kushner is the 22-year-old behind the popular account @myfacestory, Marie Claire reports. Since October of 2015, she's been posting photos that show how she's treated her cystic acne and the resulting scars. Her radical openness about skin issues — and her dramatic before-and-after shots — have attracted nearly 24,000 followers so far.
"People think you have acne because you're dirty, or you don't wash your face, or you're just generally unkempt," she recently told Marie Claire. "But it's about hormones, blood sugar, and genetics, more than anything else, and yet people look down upon it as if it's something you're not trying hard enough to fix, which is what I try to dispel in my Instagram."
Here's a closer look at her story.
Kushner never dealt with serious breakouts as a teenager. But in 2014 — out of nowhere — her face erupted with deep, painful cystic pimples.
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That's when Kushner started to post photos of her progress on Instagram.
"I used to think it was odd, because I really didn't do anything magical — I just took Accutane and a bunch of selfies, but now I realize that the reason people are so dedicated to following my story is because nobody actually posts stuff like this," she told Marie Claire.
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These days, she's also working on treating her acne scars.
"I've been treating my scars for almost a full year," Kushner told INSIDER in an email. (She uses a line of products called Banish Acne Scars.) "It's not 100% where I want to be, but I am so ecstatic with the progress I've made. Besides that I've switched to all natural skincare and no makeup which has also helped my skin in healing."
[post_ads_2]
Kushner wants people to know that acne shouldn't hold you back.
It's important to remember that the treatments that work for Kushner might not work for you — the unfortunate truth is that there's still no acne treatment that works perfectly for all people. But everyone can learn something from Kushner's approach to acne.
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