Scared to have sex, caked in make-up and becoming a recluse… Three women reveal how they cured crippling battle with adult acne that affects one in four women
With celebrities from Millie Mackintosh to Stacey Solomon baring their pimples we ask experts about the condition – and speak to three women whose lives have been blighted by it
IT was once thought of as a teenage issue but at least 25 per cent of women in their 20s and 30s have acne – often having a devastating effect on their lives.
Stars from Millie Mackintosh to Strictly's Jo Sugg have spoken about the battles they’ve had with their skin, and our columnist Stacey Solomon knows the misery of acne.
She said:“I have craters and scars from stubborn spots.
"When I first met my boyfriend Joe [Swash], I couldn’t bear him seeing me without my makeup – which, ironically, made my spots worse.”
She is not alone. Here, three women whose lives were blighted by acne tell their stories.
'Horrified by sex'
Sophie Rusetto, 27, an actress from Glastonbury, Somerset avoided social events because her face left her feeling so low – it even stopped her from dating as the thought of sex filled her with horror.
“I had my worst outbreak ever about six months after I graduated from acting school.
“I’d just moved to London to try to find work. I went for casting after casting and was getting nowhere.
“At one point I got very low. I felt incredibly sad and angry whenever I saw myself in the mirror. I blamed my skin for not being where I wanted to be.
“It was eroding my confidence, a constant barrier to my progress. Every time I felt hopeful, my skin would break out and bring me down again.”
Sophie became so low that her acne -which covered her face, back and bum- stopped her from dating, let alone being intimate with someone.
“My acne also drastically affected my relationships. If I ever went on dates, I’d feel the need to wear masses of make-up.
“And because I have acne on my back and bottom I was very self-conscious about ever being intimate with a man or taking my clothes off with the light on.
“As a result I didn’t really have many boyfriends for most of my early 20s. While my friends were dating lots of guys, I generally kept myself to myself and was quite awkward and uncomfortable when it came to men as I felt they were judging me by my skin.”
Sophie now uses a product called Sebopure from Clarol (£12.79 from ), which works by stopping the skin’s oil from oxidising and becoming rancid, which is what feeds acne bacteria.
Her skin is about 60 per cent better.
'I refused to leave the house even for my own graduation'
Like Sophie, Charlotte Hall, 27, an after-school assistant from Ashford, Kent says her self-esteem hit rock bottom when her skin got so bad that she refused to let people see her without makeup and spent days hiding at home to ensure no one saw her face.
“Seeing the horror in people’s eyes when they saw my skin was awful.
“‘It took me on average an hour to cover my skin every day – but if I didn’t apply my makeup well enough, I’d take it off and re-apply from scratch. I wouldn’t let anyone see me until I’d finished.
“Sometimes, though, I was so paranoid about my skin I wouldn’t leave the house. I even missed my own graduation.
“The acne started when I was 12 and was severe by my late teens. My dermatologist told me I was the worst case he’d ever seen.
Why is adult acne on the rise?
London-based aesthetic clinician Dr Preema Vig ( told us: “Pollution may come into it, along with hormonal fluctuations and poor diet and lifestyle.’”
But there’s one major factor that occurs time and time again in adult acne sufferers… stress!
“Chronic stress is linked with inflammation in the skin, and once acne has set in, you may become increasingly distressed about it, which fuels the condition,” says Dr Anthony Bewley, a consultant dermatologist who specialises in psycho dermatology.
“Our lives seem to be getting busier and busier and that stress also has an effect on our skin.”
“Nothing seemed to help. In my first few weeks at uni, I was prescribed Accutane (a medicine given for severe acne) but the side effects were awful.
“I felt tired, depressed and ill and I developed dry eyes and lips – when I smiled, the skin on my lips and around my mouth cracked, bled and peeled off.
“After that I tried a course of microdermabrasion, light and laser therapy, which was agony. By this point I’d had enough. I just hid at home and let my skin erupt.
Eventually Charlotte started using Silver Serum, which helps skin to fight acne naturally by boosting its levels of good bacteria and it’s transformed her life.
“I was sceptical but after two months my skin was about so much better.
“I’ve been using it alongside a prescribed retinol (vitamin A) cream (try The Ordinary from £4.20 at ) ever since and now, you wouldn’t know I’d ever had acne. I’m still healing emotionally – for so long, people’s first reaction was a horrified stare, and that stays with me – but I’ve come such a long way.”
'I felt people judged me for my skin'
Stephanie Barrett, 25, an event manager from Ampthill, Bedfordshire used thick make-up to help her deal with her acne.
“I used to dread social occasions or work events as I could guarantee my skin would break out. I’d be trying to hide from the camera and worrying about my makeup sliding off.
“When I had to give presentations, I felt everyone was looking at my skin rather than listening to what I had to say.
How to cope with adult acne
Seek help
"Your GP may be able to prescribe something that helps – and if not, push for a referral to a dermatologist. Acne can have a huge psychological impact so don’t give up," Dr Antony Bewley says.
Sort your lifestyle
A balanced diet and regular exercise supports your skin and helps reduce stress.
Have a routine
“Getting to bed at regular times and trying to relax – whether that’s through yoga or doing things you enjoy – can help you manage stress and feel more in control,” says Dr Bewley.
“I felt people judged me due to my skin, maybe they felt I lived a bad lifestyle or didn’t wash properly. I was so healthy in my diet and I was meticulous about looking after my skin. But people do make negative assumptions when they see people with bad skin.”
“If my friends ever took photos I’d never let anyone post any of me as I’d spent hours editing them to try and edit out the acne on my face.
"I’d spend hours in the evenings reading blogs about acne to see if I could find anything that sounded like it might work in a different way to everything I had tried before. Eventually I found Silver Serum and now barely need to wear foundation as my skin is so clear and smooth. I can finally face my family and friends and enjoy socialising."
- Silver Serum, £12.75 for 75ml, from Amazon -
- Sebopure, £12.95 for 50ml, from Clarol -
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