SKIN DEEP
People think I’ve been in a fire because of my horrific burning acne – cruel trolls make my life hell
A WOMAN has revealed how her eating disorder left her with painful acne that leaves people assuming she’s been in a fire.
Charlie-Shannon Bedford, 20, has struggled with disordered eating habits since the age of 12, but now uses her platform to share her experience with others.
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Doctors believe a lack of nutrients in her body affected the blood flow, leading to blood storing itself in strange areas – which in turn resulted in “bright red” skin and horrifying pain.
Charlie-Shannon claims medical professionals initially “pushed her symptoms aside” until the condition became more severe – with lumps developing on her face.
The student from Redcar said: “I was constantly in pain, some days just lifting my head was too much as it constantly felt like someone had thrown hot water on me.
“It wasn’t until the lumps began coming up that someone actually checked my bloods and found out it wasn’t flowing properly around my body.
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“My skin turned bright red – it was as if someone was consistently burning my skin."
Charlie-Shannon said the lumps were on her chin and cheeks, and had hardly any pus - but the pain was unbearable.
The student quickly realised this wasn't ‘regular’ acne, as her face was swollen and she could barely speak.
Charlie-Shannon, who is currently studying mental health nursing at university, said living with her skin was hell between 2020 and 2022.
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She tried to use acne medication, but it made her mental health worse so she looked to other solutions.
She said: “I tried at-home things such as icing my face, or cooling and hydrating face masks.”
After her 18th birthday, Charlie-Shannon spotted a “tiny lump” above her eyebrow.
Shortly after, a relapse with her eating disorder meant Charlie-Shannon was taken to hospital and the link between this and her acne was finally discovered.
She said: “Doctors realised my body was producing too many white blood cells, resulting in the blood not travelling around my body properly – it is also called Leukocytosis.”
Leukocytosis is a condition where the body has a higher white blood cell count than normal, which can lead to infections, inflammation, injuries and sometimes immune system disorders.
As of 2023, her skin has finally started clearing up and Charlie-Shannon has made huge strides in her recovery.
Charlie-Shannon now makes it her mission to show others the horrific side effects that can come with disordered eating, sharing videos on TikTok.
But being so open about her life has also led to trolling online and countless hate comments.
She said: “I was told I looked like a burn survivor, I was told to kill myself, I was told to get cancer.
“I was told my eating disorder should’ve killed me.
“All because I was showing people what eating disorders actually do to your body.”
But she also receives an immense amount of support and love from her family and friends, who have helped her get through her bad days.
Now Charlie-Shannon wants to use social media to show girls they matter, even if they look different.
She continued: “To anybody going through this, as cliché as it sounds, it does get better.
“The hard work soon enough pays off. There is so much more to life than the number on a scale.”
“Life is one hell of a journey, and it’s something you don’t want to miss out on.
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“If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you might miss the opportunities.
“As an individual you are the only person that has to spend 100% of your life with you, you may as well find a quality you love about yourself and run with it.”
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