My acne started when I was about 14 years old. It started with a few zits and before I knew it, my entire face was covered in deep cystic breakouts. I struggled with severe acne off and on for 10 years.

This is my journey…

I tried everything! Or felt like I did. When I first started getting breakouts, I started trying different products. My friends were using Noxzema, Clean and Clear, Saint Ives Apricot Scrub; I tried them all with no luck.

I tried Clinique, which was the brand my Mom used, and the ladies at the mall counter were all too happy to sell me full sizes of their entire acne line.

As a result of using these over-the-counter products, I was left with dry, inflamed skin that made everything smell like rotten perfume.

When Proactive came out I was the first to try it- nothing but dry, irritated skin. At this point my acne was getting so severe, it was time to see a doctor.

I was put on Antibiotics, internally and topically. I was given tretinoin which was harsh and irritating and made me more red and more dry. I chose not to do accutane as it seemed too aggressive on the body and I was not willing to risk the potential side effects.

Nothing was clearing my skin.

Even the birth control pill I was put on (a standard treatment for teen acne) that was supposed to clear it barely did a thing.

I was about 17 at this time and having severe cystic acne sucked. Adults would tell me “it’s just a phase” and “it builds character,” or “it’s your personality that matters,” but to me it was something that made me less than.

I never thought of myself as popular, but I had good friends and I walked around feeling like a normal angsty teenager, with all the normal dramatic issues high school students get to experience including being bullied.

People would comment behind my back about my skin, and how I was dirty because “I didn’t wash my face” or how I’d be pretty or dateable, if I didn’t have acne.

It consumed me.

I’d cry more often than not and pray at night that I would wake up and it would be gone.

The part in my journey that stands out the most is when I asked my dermatologist if my acne could be caused by what I was eating. Without ever asking me about my diet he laughed and said “no, that’s a total myth that food affects your skin.”

At that point, I knew he didn’t know what he was talking about.

If he had asked, he would have learned that my best friend and I shared a Twix bar, Twizzler Nibs and a Dr. Pepper for lunch every single day.

For breakfast, I ate sugary cereal or a pop tart. Dinner was boxed or canned and I don’t recall many veggies or fruits. To me, there was just no way the two weren’t linked. Regardless, I went on eating that way because there was no one to educate me differently.

At one point, my Mom started to take me to a dermatology office with a medical spa where I received microdermabrasion treatments.

I got on professional skin care products and began seeing some results even without diet changes. I still struggled with acne through my undergrad, but there were times it was better.

I continued with microdermabrasion and I truly believe this prevented the long term scarring that I probably should have had based on the severity of my acne.

Having this experience affected me so deeply, I knew I needed to help others with acne.

It was the only thing I felt passionate about. So at the age of 25, I went to school to become an esthetician.

It was a fun and rewarding job but after 3 years I just wasn’t seeing enough results for my clients by just doing topical treatments.

So go big or go home, I ended up in school to become a Naturopathic Doctor. Now, I’m able to be the doctor I wish I had had for myself.

I strongly believe, and the science shows, that acne is an internal disease. It’s not a quick fix but with the right nutrients, diet, lifestyle, stress coping mechanisms, gut health and hormonal health the body can reverse acne. 

Getting on good topical products and treatments such as Facials, Chemical Peels, Diamond Glow, Laser Treatments and Microneedling can change your life to where your acne will just be a story you tell one day.

WORK ON HEALING ACNE FROM THE INSIDE OUT WITH AN ACNE CONSULTATION WITH NATUROPATHIC DR. STEPHANIE SPENNY

One of Dr. Spenny’s main passions in her naturopathic practice is helping others to overcome acne.

Dr. Spenny has led many individuals through transformative journeys of healing and helping them to clear and prevent acne breakouts.

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