I'm 14 and I suffer from acne and ezcma, both are on my face. None of my friends have acne but if they get one spot they make a big deal out of it and it makes me feel so much more insecure, I've tried to wear makeup but it gets stuck in my ezcma and I get picked on about it at school and my mum told me to stop wearing it, i've tried tablets and creams which make it worse and I've asked my mum to get me tablets from the doctor although they cause depression, it's getting to the point were I'm crying myself to sleep every night and not wanting to leave the house, I just want to scratch my face off despite the pain and I don't like eating! I generally feel horrible about myself and would rather die than carry on with it, it's embarrassing and no one seems to understand :(
Sam
Hi there,
Thank you for writing to me and sharing how you are feeling, from what you have said it sounds like your going through a pretty tough time at the moment with your skin. Firstly I would like to say that eczema and acne can be a common issue for lots of young people so even though you feel youre the only one I can assure you that there are lots of young people that are going through similar issues. So, although you can feel alone - other people are going through what you are experiencing.
It sounds to me that you feel your friends do not take your feelings in to account when they over react about having a spot, Sometimes the people around you may not even think about what they are saying or even know how they are making you feel. Perhaps you could think about talking to a couple of your closest friends and telling them how you feel about your skin to help them understand how it makes you feel.
You mentioned that you have tried creams and tablets but mum is not keen on taking you to get prescribed tablets from the doctors. It might be an idea to go and talk to the doctor and discuss what medication they could offer you as there will be different kinds as what may work for one person will not work for another and so the doctor can explore this with you and discuss any potential side effects. Sometimes people have to try a few remedies or medications before they find the one that is right for them - this should always be done with the support of a medical professional, like a doctor or nurse.
I can here you feel horrible and embarrassed about your skin, it sounds like maybe your self-esteem and confidence are low at the moment due to the way you feel about your skin? You mentioned that you would rather die than carry on I am really concerned to hear that I am wondering how you would feel about talking to a ChildLine counsellor through 1-2-1 chat or on the phone: 0800 1111, so they can explore how you are feeling and look at what options are available to you. Try to remember what you see in the mirror may not be what everyone else sees. It might help to try to think about what other qualities you have and ask yourself what it is about you that your friends like. You might find it useful to take a look at our Explore page on self-esteem or see what other young people are saying on the message boards.
Take care
Sam
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