Why this beauty blogger documented her struggles with acne medication for a month

The American Academy of Dermatology reports that acne affects about 50 million Americans every single year. The organization added that acne can even cause psychological symptoms involving anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression. That’s why it can be especially hard for one coping with acne to share their struggles with others, since such a condition can make one feel incredibly isolated.

However, beauty vlogger Katie Snooks aimed to defeat the idea that having acne makes one imperfect and alone.

To do so, Katie vlogged her experience with Roaccutane (a drug prescribed to treat severe acne) while showing her bare face on camera. She did this almost every day, for an entire month. In the description on her video, Snooks wrote that she conducted this experiment to document how her skin changes, to dispel any myths about this medication, and to “show that it’s okay to show your imperfections.” At the heart of the matter, Katie hoped to help any viewers out there who are currently dealing with acne.

According to Cosmopolitan, Katie has managed her acne for 10 years. During this time, she’s tried various skincare products, many antibiotics, and has also undergone several diet changes. Yet, none of these lifestyle modifications made a difference, which is what led Snooks to Roaccutane.

For the most part, Katie wasn’t having any major issues with her medication. Then, on Day 18, she began to notice that her skin was breaking out terribly (one of the side effects of Roaccutane, which Snooks mentioned in her video). “Today is really hard,” Katie explained. “My skin hasn’t been this bad in a really long time. I knew it was gonna break out, but I didn’t think it could get any worse than it had been getting. But, today it’s hit me.” Katie added that her skin hadn’t been that bad in five years and that she wasn’t able to cover her acne breakout with makeup.

“I don’t feel beautiful at  all and my confidence is really low today,” revealed Katie.

After her experiment came to a close, Katie felt better about the condition of her skin. Still, Dr. Jane Leonard told Cosmopolitan that Snooks has a long way to go because Roaccutane “has an approximately 80 percent success rate when given four to five months.” Even so, this isn’t the case for everyone and that’s why it’s especially important for one to consult a doctor about the course of treatment that’s right for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJMwjjf5n6U?feature=oembed

Ultimately, Katie hasn’t only given us all a look at the effects of Roaccutane. She’s also shown us that having acne is nothing to be ashamed, that this skin condition doesn’t make someone imperfect, and that no one is alone when dealing with the physical and psychological symptoms that result from acne.