I'm pretty chill when it comes to my acne, there are and up and down days but I'm not really the type of person to constantly think about it. Well, if I happen to catch a glance in the mirror and I notice my acne started to populate my face like it was a new city that just opened, I do try to think of ways to clear it up. I used to be a lot more subconscious about it when I was younger, but I'd say I've grown comfortable with my acne lovin' skin.
And then a doctor waltzed into my life and said this: All girls want to be beautiful, and your acne... without acne you will be, you should try laser.
At that moment, the inside of my brain was having a monologue of - my acne doesn't make me less beautiful is this person even a doctor? Since she was a medical professional, I didn't want to push any buttons - she's the doctor who went through Med School and I just have my Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science - what should I know about 'cures for acne'.
I have no plans to get laser treatment for my acne, I'm pretty chill with just seeing what foods work with me and my acne loving skin - I do have plans to see a dermatologist to see natural ways to lessen my acne though. The thing is, I'm comfortable with my acne - but what if I wasn't? What if I was self conscious about it and had a medical professional say that to me?
Telling me that the only way to be beautiful is to be without acne is not a message that should leave a medical professional's mouth, or anyone's mouth. But do you want to know why she jumped to laser treatment? Tea is about to be spilled, get comfortable: It's because her husband owns the laser treatment facility, so she just wanted to cash in on self conscious young adults.
and that my friends is the golden hour
My beauty is not defined by the acne on my face, and yes I think I am beautiful with my acne regardless of what a 'medical professional' says about it. Sure, there are times when I'm taking fitness photos with my Nike Hijab that I am OVERLY aware of my acne on my face, with casual scarves (as shown in the pictures) it covers some of my acne. Yes, I drink 5 bottles of water a day, have a cleanser and do all the things I'm supposed to do but acne is still taking up residence on my face. And that's okay. The acne on my face took time to get used to but I would never in my mind think oh I'm not pretty because I have acne. Beauty is defined by the person you are, not by who has acne and who doesn't.
To be fair this wasn't the LARGEST issue from this doctor - I mentioned exercising (as uh you know I'm a runner) and you want to know what this 'medical professional' said? Oh you know if you have some fat you want to get rid of, you can use laser.
In no dimension have I EVER heard a doctor say to get rid of fat, use a laser. The first thing a doctor should do is question your eating habits, how much movement you do each day etc. and go from there. This medical professional (which, I guess I have to keep calling her by that because she somehow managed to become a doctor) is prying on young adults with acne and those interested in bettering their-selves by becoming more active.
The question you might be having is: Why didn't you "go off" on her at the time? Why are you writing a blog post on this when you should have spoken up right then and there?
The thing is, in my mind, a medical professional is a medical professional and I just sort of took what she was saying because on the one hand it could seem like, well what do you know? Did you go to medical school?
I call this pose my-shirt-is-3-sizes-too-big-for-me-and-the-wind-really-wanted-you-guys-to-know-that
I would like to note, as someone who runs my main goal is never to lose weight. My main goal is to just be a stronger and healthier version of myself - the number on a scale isn't something I focus on which means if someone asks me how much I weigh I actually never know the actual answer.
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A fitness YouTuber I often promote on here because I personally use her videos for home workouts is Lucy Wyndham-Read. She's an amazing online trainer and you can best believe you feel that sweat after every workout & see a difference in your endurance and the increased amount of reps you can do of an exercise after a few weeks. CONSISTENCY! IS! KEY!
While doing an exercise, she also explains the benefit of the exercise!
While doing an exercise, she also explains the benefit of the exercise!
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Thankfully this Doctor was a fill in, not my actual doctor, so you can best believe I'll never see her again.
If you also have acne, don't even bat an eyelash at people like the doctor I mentioned above, you're beautiful just the way you are, keep livin' your best life.
as you can see by the arms that I do not have, this shirt is actually huge
It's a men's large (I probably should have gotten a small/medium) - I can never actually find fitness clothes in the women's section that's a bit loose so! the men's fitness section with no cute patterns is where I live
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I just uploaded a new YouTube video Running Diary: Ep1
At the end of every month I'm letting you guys know how it's going running wise - if you have the time I'd love for some feedback!
LOVE this post! Also, how dare she cash in on insecure people to support her partners business?! Honestly a doctor suggesting that any cosmetic procedure would make you "More beautiful" is so stupid and enrages me quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteJas xx
Thank you so much! When she mentioned it was her partner's business that's when I really thought she's not at all interested in my actual health, just the money she'd be getting if I went through with it!
DeleteThis is the first time I've ever even heard a doctor say something like this - all I kept thinking was how many people before me didn't take what she said with a large grain of salt.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
Oh my goodness I'm so glad that you mentioned that this was just your fill in doctor because I was totally about to comment that you HAVE to find a new one- she deserves some serious complaints. I'm so glad that you're confident enough to not let either of these comments get to you but its still totally out of order that she said those things. I can't believe that her husband owns the laser, talk about messed up ethics! What a joke!
ReplyDeleteSoph - https://sophhearts.com x
Thankfully this was just a fill in doctor and not my actual one! When my doctor gets back I'm definitely going to let him know what happened, because it was honestly clear she didn't care at all for my health considering I went in for a completely different reason!
DeleteRight! She's just trying to cash in on self conscious young adults for her husband's (and hers too) gain - I didn't take anything of what she said seriously, and by the time she mentioned getting laser instead of exercising I already knew her ethics were nonexistent!
I am glad you saw the fault in that doctor's reasoning. Good for you posting about it, since I think we all have fallen in that trap "If only I did ... or had ... I would be more beautiful" and it is good to question ourselves about what we want for our own body and self image!
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand it's really easy to only listen to the doctor and trust what the doctor is saying is correct, but once she mentioned getting laser instead of exercising that really made me see she's just trying to cash in on whatever she can for her husband's business.
DeleteI completely agree- I can say we've all fallen into the trap of 'If only I did this I'd be beautiful' type of mindset; the most important thing to to remember that we are beautiful just the way we are.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
I'm really glad that you said that was a temp doctor because I was about to go crazy telling you to get a new one. I'm so disgusted that they said that to you. I'm also incredibly happy that your confidence levels are high enough that it didn't bother you. Some stories about medical professionals are truly horrifying. I'm really glad you shared this story! x
ReplyDeleteSophie
www.glowsteady.co.uk
Thankfully she wasn't my actual doctor, I would have switched ASAP if she was! I'm planning to tell my doctor when he gets back because she really needs to get her ethics in check. My confidence have had some dips and dives in previous years, but thankfully now I'm comfortable and confident in myself enough that her comments didn't really do much to me.
DeleteI would have never thought a medical professional would stoop this low to try to cash in on self conscious young adults, but clearly there are some that will!
Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
I'm sorry you had to go through this, medical professionals should be responsible and suggesting to people that they are not beautiful and need laser treatment is totally irresponsible (as well as being untrue) . It frustrates and angers me that people with perceived authority are allowed to do this. I'm glad you didn't agree with her but there will be other young people out there that are very impressionable and self conscious about their looks.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree - a medical professional giving her ~opinion that should really not even be an opinion~ is completely irresponsible. One thing I worried about as I left the Doctor's Office was how many impressionable & self conscious adults have fallen into the trap of thinking they need laser to feel beautiful even though they are beautiful just the way they are.
DeleteThank you very much for reading and commenting!
Love this post! I feel like sadly this is the position of our beauty community at the moment- people trying to earn money through others insecurities! Some of us know what’s right and wrong but but the younger generation doesn’t!
ReplyDeleteI’m glad you shared this because this definitely not okay!
Beaulife.org
Thank you! I completely agree with you, the perception of beauty is clear skin with no acne in sight. Anything other than that that is how people try to convince you you need products (laser treatment facilities in this case) to be *beautiful* even though you're beautiful just as you are.
DeleteI really worry for people from the younger generation that she may have said this to- I knew better and took what she said with a massive grain of salt, but there are others who would believe her. At the time, I sort of brushed it off but the more I thought of what she said, the more I couldn't brush it off anymore.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
I cannot believe a DOCTOR said those things to you. I am so glad that you are comfortable with yourself and know that you are so beautiful, but just imagine if you were an insecure teenage girl, would she have still said the same thing to her? It is really disgusting. I totally get why you didn't kick off, I wouldn't have either I don't think, it just isn't worth it, you'll never have to see her again so it wouldn't have been worth your time or effort. You are beautiful with and without acne<3 xx https://lifeofshar.co.uk/
ReplyDeleteI was honestly so shocked and confused that a doctor would even think of saying something like this. If I had this doctor when I was a teenager, I would have believed her because I wasn't comfortable in my own skin especially with society's standard of beauty being clear skin plastered on every magazine I looked at.
DeleteThat is one thing I really worried about, how many self conscious young adults did she manage to convince that they weren't beautiful UNLESS they had laser at her husbands laser facility. I plan to complain to my actual doctor when I get the chance to see him (he's currently on vacation) because she really needs to get re-evaluated.
Yeah, exactly! I knew I wasn't ever going to see her again so I just kind of swallowed what she was saying until she said I was allowed to leave and then simultaneously made sure everything she said went in one ear and out the other.
That's literally so nice of you to say, I'm just sitting here with the biggest smile on my face right now, thank you so so much for taking the time to read and comment Sharnah!! ❤️❤️❤️
I too have acne prone skin and come across do tors who play on my insecurities about the skin struggle. Nowadays, it's like doctors don't want to heal you they want to make money off of you. I'm so happy you spoke against this and you're outpouring of confidence inspires me, really makes me feel so good! I'm learning how to embrace my face with acne, scars and all 😍 Thanks for this Sahara!
ReplyDeleteNatonya | https://www.justnatonya.wordpress.com
I'm so sorry to hear that - I really wish Doctors, like the one I've mentioned above, would stop trying to prey on insecure young adults with acne prone skin. The whole notion that you can't be beautiful if you don't have ~clear skin~ is honestly so infuriating.
DeleteTo see doctors adapt this like it's fact is just so damaging to young adults who are struggling to believe that they are beautiful regardless of the acne on their skin.
You are beautiful just the way you are, don't ever let a ~ doctor~ tell you anything different ❤️❤️❤️