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Coping With Severe Acne On Your Wedding Day

Over the last month or so, we've been sharing a series on bridal beauty and today we're discussing spots. If you've ever suffered from acne you'll be able to relate, so we'd love to hear your thoughts and recommendations below the post too. I'll pass you over to Bex, who is sharing her story with us today... Bex: From my teenage years up until a month or two before my wedding, I've always had persistently spotty skin. I remember saying to my (now) husband that I was not getting married until I had clear skin! Seems so silly now but at the time it was a big deal. I would be meticulous about taking off my make up each night wherever I was. An aeroplane toilet, camping, travelling in the remotest of places in Peru. I would always find somewhere to wash my face. All the while, seeing my friends sleep in their makeup day in day out without a single sign of a spot!  I've been back and forth to the doctors over the years and been on various tablets, applied more creams than I care to count and stained all of my parents' bed linen and towels growing up with some seriously toxic lotions and potions! I remember one liquid that was SO strong it made my eyes water. I can still smell it now.  Anyway, eventually I got a doctor that listened and understood that it was affecting my self esteem. She put me on Roaccutane. This is a serious drug and I'm not sure, in hindsight, that my skin warranted it. I remember signing so many forms regarding pregnancy and harm to babies. I signed a form to say I understood that an abortion may be needed if I were to fall pregnant whilst on these tablets and had to undergo monthly pregnancy tests at a clinic. My skin became not just dry but raw. I went through a lip balm a week! Alcohol was off the cards for six months as it would send you sky high! It was almost like my skin was peeling off. The spots literally had no chance! At a review, the doctor took me off them quite rapidly as there had been a lot of media attention on the drug and it's links to depression. But my skin was much calmer and although the scars are there it did the job!  My ‘normal’ skin type is an oily t zone and dry cheeks. Before my wedding day after trying various things, I stripped right back to Simple face wash and moisturiser. In the build up to the wedding, I used Cetaphil face wash as I was on prescription tablets that dried my skin so I needed the product to be very gentle. I ate well and ran every day.  Prior to my wedding day, I decided to go to see a senior make up artist at MAC in Selfridges. I spent about two hours talking through the look I was going for and he showed me how to apply the make up on my wedding day. I treated myself to all sorts of wonderful treats from MAC that would handle the heat of an August wedding. It stayed put all day and I was actually really pleased with my skin in the photographs.  Image taken from our sister site, Rock My Style.

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Hair & Beauty