Pop that Pimple

It has been a long journey for me and my diagnosed grade 4 acne. My journey began when I was 19, with pustules, blue and purple cysts that came in twins and triplets filling literally every inch of my cheeks and jawline. Much like the picture you see above. I never had breakouts in my high school years, and when it came, it sure came with a vengeance. Ready to attack. Pore by pore. I was a prisoner within my own skin.

It would hurt to sleep on my cheeks because of the throbbing pain. Crying was normal. My self-esteem questioned. I mean...I cleansed, and scrubbed, and NEVER slept with my make-up on. Still, their heads kept poking out, sometimes playing hide and seek. Leaving, only to come back again later in the same spot sticking it's nasty white tongue out.


"Oh, it'll go away, it's normal for teenagers."
"It's because you need to cleanse more."
"Do you change your pillow cases?"
"Use proactive!"
"It's because you're oily"
"Have you tried Accutane?"
"Don't touch your face. Just leave it alone."
"Just put alcohol on your whole face."


Really? REALLY? You think I'm a dirty teenager, that loves to mess with my face, and that I haven't tried all the products out there? Products promising to cure you to having beautiful, healthy, glowing skin. Money back guaranteed y'all! And if the products aren't good enough, just go through the miracle drug called Accutane that'll make have extreme dry eyes, mind go crazy, dry lips, and possible liver damage for the rest of your life. Yea....I pass. (Though in desperation I tried it for a couple of weeks. Half the dosage prescribed. My stomach felt like it was burning to ashes, had nightmares like no other, and my eyes couldn't stop blinking for the desperation of saline)

Oh if they only understood! The pain that I go through. The money that I've spent. The hours wasted through extracting, masking, cleansing, scrubbing. The disgust I feel when I look at my own face. The tears shed because NOTHING would work.

Well...10 years later, I became an esthetician, and I still suffer from cystic acne. Did I find a cure? Nope. Sure didn't. Because it's a disease. Just like diabetes, arthritis, or even psoriasis. There's no cure. So don't believe the lies. Sure, some of the lucky ones stopped breaking out so much after high school. But they still have occasional breakouts. A myth that so many people still believe. I have clients even in their 50's that still suffer from breakouts. And through a healthy lifestyle and strict regimen, I am able to help them control their skin, not let the skin control them.

Yes, you can control it, balance it, and really take care of it. I was blessed to work with such an amazing esthetician and mentor, Brea Gratia, owner of Sanctuary d'Sante Spa here in Houston, TX. She worked on my skin, taught me techniques, and changed my lifestyle...my life.

Clear skin truly does start from the inside out. All that fast food, starches, sugar, and fried foods is not only bad for your overall health, but really shows up in your skin. Why? Because these foods are inflammatory foods. It inflames any disease you have going on. Diabetes, heart issues, arthritis, rosacea, and yes...of course, acne!

Our skin, unlike the "lucky clear skinners", skips the healing stage. With clear skinners, their pore gets clogged, joins bacteria and oil, then heals instantly. Ours? Our pore gets clogged, befriends bacteria and oil, inflames, then heals. So we have to watch what we eat. Inflammation is our enemy. I know its hard. No bread, pasta, cake, candy, soda, pizza, fries, rice. You can slowly add this to your diet (to maybe once a week). But first, you need to jump start your body back to a really healthy state.

So it's just about eating right? Of course not. You have to take care of your insides, just as much as you do the outside. Again, there's no cure-all product. So I do have to assess your skin before I start prescribing a product regimen. I assure you however, that through professional skin care products, a healthy diet/lifestyle, and my facials, your skin will surely be controlled.

I would love to blog about everything I know on how to help acne. But of course, like a doctor, even they can't tell you what's wrong without first taking a look for themselves.

So I invite you to post. To ask your quesitons, take your pictures, send them to me...or even better, come see me at my spa. I'll get down to the nitty gritty of things like how to properly pop a pimple, what supplements to take, what you SHOULDN'T be using, and particular ingredients that are so toxic, you might as well rub WD40 all over your face.