I had acne and now I don't.

Here's how I did it.

// THREAD

I started getting acne when I was 12.

It peaked when I was 16.

I looked like this on the outside.

I felt like this on the inside.

I was willing to do anything to make it go away. I went on:

- Accutane
- Hormonal birth control
- A vegan diet

The results were everything I hoped for. I managed to:

- Clear my skin
- Lose 15 pounds
- Improve my quality of life

End of story?

Not quite. My acne returned.

I didn't want the pills. I got off birth control and never considered Accutane again.

I stuck to my diet, thinking that veganism would cure all my problems.

It didn't.

Gradually, my skin reverted back to its teenage state.

I didn't know why. I thought I was doing everything right.

I wasn't drinking *that* much.

I wasn't consuming *that* much sugar.

I thought I was healthy because I was:

- Vegan
- A student-athlete
- Working out regularly

I chose to ignore that I was also:

- Drinking too much
- Stressed out of my mind
- Gaining weight from processed foods

Portrait mode was my best friend.

But real life doesn't have a portrait mode.

In March 2020 I was given a life-changing opportunity.

The opportunity to slow down.

I lost the weight I had gained.
I stopped drinking to get drunk.
I started sleeping more.
I started stressing less.

My acne got better but the spots still lingered.

There was only one thing left that I hadn't tried:

Diet.

Could the one thing I was so sure of be causing my problems?

I was willing to try anything.

Overnight, I went from a high-carb vegan to a low-carb meat-eater.

I lost more weight.
I gained more energy.
And best of all, my skin was clearer than ever.

This was the best decision I ever made.

I never thought that I would look in the mirror and see the girl that I see today.

I had teenage acne.

I had adult acne.

They both sucked.

But maybe I had both so that someone else won't have to have either.

If you liked this thread, please consider giving the first tweet a retweet! https://twitter.com/theacoburn/status/1387081101471109121?s=19