Acne can have a serious impact on your self-confidence – fact! And while friends, family or colleagues may try to make you feel better about yourself, we know from our experience that kind words from others aren’t always enough to make you feel good about yourself when you’re in the middle of a breakout.
The good news is that, while spots and pimples come and go, there are things you can do to boost your self-confidence. And it’s also good to know that, for all those days when your skin isn’t necessarily making you feel on top of the world, there’s always Hero Pimple Patches. But more about them later…
You’re not alone – we checked
We’ve recently carried out a survey on how acne makes people feel about themselves – and the results definitely weren’t a surprise to us (although they did make us feel a bit sad).
Nearly two-thirds of you (65%) told us that you don’t feel confident at all on days when you have a spot on your face – and over half (53%) even told us that spots, blemishes and acne affect your mental health.
One fifth of you (19%) said that you’ve avoided a photo opportunity (no selfies here please!) due to having a bad spot, pimple or blemish, and just over a fifth (22%) of you have not gone out with friends or to a party because of one.
Social media doesn’t help
We know, we’re telling you in a blog not to listen to what other people have to say online – but bear with us. That’s because, in our survey, 64% of you (nearly two-thirds) told us that you feel sad, stressed, anxious or jealous of other people’s skin when you see a picture of it on social media.
That’s especially bad news because over half of you (55%) told us that you experience blemishes more when you are stressed - and 59% said that you believe stress is the main cause of acne (ahead of hormones – 55% - and poor diet – 37%).
While we know that acne isn’t directly caused by stress, it certainly doesn’t help keep breakouts at bay. And, with over a fifth of you (22%) sharing with us that you stress about breakouts every week, that’s not going to do much for your self-confidence.
Build your self-confidence
Yes, we know it’s not that easy (we wish it was). But there are ways to gradually increase your self-confidence so that life doesn’t feel quite so stressful when a breakout strikes.
To start with, try to stop comparing yourself to others. It’s easy to look at other people online and assume they have everything figured out (and feel amazingly confident every day), but the reality is often really different. Remember – we all get spots, pimples, and blemishes from time to time. Even skincare influencers!
Truly feeling confident in your own skin – metaphorically and literally – is about learning to love yourself as you are, flaws and all. Inner confidence and happiness really show on your face, breakout or no breakout, but for those times when you could do with a boost, Hero pimple patches can definitely help you feel more yourself again.
Make self-care a priority
Taking care of your body can help you feel more self-confident – and can also help keep your acne breakouts at bay, so it’s a win-win as far as we are concerned. You know the drill – eating well, taking regular exercise you enjoy, taking time out to relax, and doing everything you can to get good quality sleep (if you can).
Another way to increase your self-care is to say nice things to yourself. If you’re anything like us, you’ll sometimes end up saying things to yourself that you’d never dream of saying to a friend or loved one. It’s called negative self-talk, and – unsurprisingly – it can seriously knock your confidence.
So, instead of saying ‘I look disgusting because I have a pimple’, say ‘My pimples do not define me, I am beautiful’ or similar. You’ll be surprised how much of a difference it can make. Go on, try it. We’ll wait.
Fake it ‘til you make it
Did you know that pretending to be confident can actually help you feel more confident? Lots of people fake it until they make it, especially on social media, and you can too. Sometimes it’s just a matter of something as small as changing your posture!
Have you ever thought about joining a dance class, or joining a club to meet new people, but not felt confident enough? Why not give it a go. Sometimes, the very act of doing something you didn’t think you could do can be a real confidence boost in itself.
Finally, surround yourself with cheerleaders. Not literal cheerleaders (unless that’s what you’ve always wanted to try), but the kind of people who regularly tell a stranger that they look beautiful.
Negative people breed negativity, so we’d actively encourage limiting contact with people who make you feel rubbish about yourself. Unfortunately, we don’t make a Hero People Patch to eliminate them in the same way we do for pimples, but if we could, we would!
It's time to talk… about pimple patches
Life can knock your self-confidence enough sometimes without adding breakouts into the mix, which is why Hero Pimple Patches could really help improve your mood.
Available in Mighty Patch Original (perfect for overnight wear) and Mighty Patch Invisible (perfect for wearing during the day), you can also pick up a Mighty Patch Duo pack (if you need both, or just can’t decide which one you want to buy). You can also get Mighty Patch Surface patches if you need to cover a larger area on your face or body.
All our Hero Pimple Patches are made from medical grade hydrocolloid, which has been used in medical settings to heal wounds for some time. That means you can have confidence in our pimple patches to tackle your pimples, even while you’re building up your confidence in yourself.
So, why not make one small change today to build your self-confidence – we believe in you!