Kali Kushner had acne all throughout high school, but in 2014, it got really severe. Pimples covered her entire face, making her uncomfortable and self-conscious.
She tried everything to get rid of her cystic acne — the caveman regimen, the oil-cleansing method, and a variety of creams and lotions.
After a year of struggling, Kali's acne finally started fading after she started taking a prescription medication her dermatologist prescribed. Kali wanted to keep track of the way her skin looked and felt, so she created a diary of sorts, using Instagram to document her journey.
Anytime you're trying to notice a change in yourself, it's hard to see the big picture, so Kali wanted to have photo evidence of where she started to compare the difference.
She started the account for herself, but she quickly got thousands of followers.
She regularly posted selfies and updates — and realized that people needed to see what she was sharing.
[H/T: Marie Claire]
In an interview with Marie Claire, Kali explained that she originally thought that she wasn't doing anything special, just sharing unfiltered selfies.
After a while, though, she realized that people were following her story because nobody talks about acne.
Many people think acne is shameful while clear skin is a marker of beauty in our society.
But Kali wants people to know that acne doesn't mean you're dirty or unhygienic.
More often than not, acne is caused by genetics, hormones, and blood sugar — not by being "dirty."
Even though Kali isn't on the acne medication anymore, she still keeps her followers updated with her acne journey.
Her skin still has its ups and downs, and she wants her followers to know that it's OK to have acne — that it doesn't make you any less beautiful.
She writes on Instagram:
I think it’s important not to get stuck in the past and continue to grow as an individual.
Though Accutane did wonders for my acne, I do still experience cystic (and regular) acne flare ups. If I were to post every time I got a breakout I would be focusing on all the wrong things.
It isn’t psychologically healthy to fixate on the past and to constantly keep comparing yourself to how things were, good or bad.
Don't bring yourself down with negativity, bad thoughts, or things that make you unhappy — life is too short for that.
Instead build yourself up with positivity, fill your life with the things you love, and celebrate you as you are now in this moment.
Learn from your past, move forward — and keep looking ahead.
Kali's followers constantly comment about how much she's helped them with their own acne struggles.
One person wrote, "This is sooo beautiful!!! You have no idea how much this page has helped me emotionally about my acne. Thank you."
Another follower wrote, "Wow you must be so pleased with the progress! So so brave for you to share with us the before pictures, I wouldn't be able to."
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