To whoever knows me since I was in junior high school, I was a person who suffered from a major acne breakout until I didn’t even recognise my face. This was happening until the next 15 years, even when I wasn’t a teenager anymore. Becoming an adult-who-suffered-from-acne-breakout unconsciously made me less confident with myself. I rarely wanted to be in the photo, especially on a birthday occasion. I remembered there were moments when I woke up with blood stains in my pillow sheets. My desperation made me believe what’s written on the internet. From putting lemon juice on my face, as well as spreading coconut oil with DIY essential oils. The result? It wasn’t getting any better for years even until I stopped the practice. Here is a pic of mine during my trip in April last year (2019).
Real plot twist: it was on both sides of my cheek. This was the result of my acne-prone skin combined with DIY stuff from the internet. Never ever trust what you’ve read on the first sight. Always check other reputable sources to verify the fact.
Misinformation can happen to everyone. As a communication practitioner, I was ashamed I didn’t screen thoroughly all written information on the internet, including social media. My blind faith put me in a difficult position and it did affect my well-being that much. Finding the professional in the respective field is the viable solution I have - which in this case is my dermatologist. She even lost words when she saw my face condition. I remembered how painful it was to be injected with Vitamin C directly to my acne in two different sessions. This (bitter) experience motivates me to always reminding people the importance of trusting legit professionals rather than following random micro-influencer advice. Long story short, I put all my experience and thoughts about how fake online information affects people’s well-being on an academic paper and it got published (click to read the article)! This makes me more than just happy, but also as my first step in campaigning the right information on social media. Feel free to read it and let me know what’s your thought!
A year after I went to a dermatologist and using legit products afterwards. It’s not at Asian-perfect level, but it’s waaaay better than my previous condition. Always follow professional’s advice!