When I was a teenager I struggled greatly with my skin and Acne, having Nodular and Cystic Acne which is the most severe form of Acne you can get. It was incredibly painful, under the skin, what resembled large bumps alike boils, it was awful and I felt extremely self conscious because of it. I was severely bullied at school due to the Acne which contributed further to my low self esteem and pivoting mental health. I remember trying many different avenues in hope for a treatment to help cure the Acne; multiple skincare brands and products, steam, old wives tales, but nothing worked. I eventually went to see a GP who prescribed me different treatments over several months, none of which helped, and so eventually I was referred to James Cook Hospital to see a Dermatologist.

I was put onto Roaccutane, a hospital prescribed and monitored prescription drug with a wide selection of side effects. The side effects were horrific, I had to deal with severe muscle pain which led to most days staying in bed, in too much pain to move, exercise was impossible. My skin would crack, peel and bleed, in particular on my eyelids and the corners of my mouth. But the worst was the mental health implications with depression being one of the side effects, this just increased my mental suffering.

After suffering for three to four years with Acne I was acne free, but still to this day I suffer with some of the side effects that I gained whilst being on Roaccutane, and If I had only had an Acne Specialist back then, I wouldn’t have had to go through that traumatic experience in my teens.

This experience with my skin led me to become the Skin Health Specialist that I am today, having helped so many clients deal with what I went through, but being able to help them in a way in which in non-invasive, doesn’t come with side effects, and actually educates them about their skin too.