I was lucky enough not to be too troubled by spots/acne during my teenage years, twenties and thirties. My big issue was facial hair which I learnt how to manage and became less bothered by it. Most people are hung up about at least one aspect of their appearance whether it’s spots, a hairy upper lip or a facial feature but I think it’s important to remember that we scrutinise our own faces far more than anyone else does and notice things about them that others just don’t see.
Anyway, back to spots. I had a scant amount until the age of 40 and then, bang, they started erupting with regular frequency on my chin. Though it’s hard to say for sure, I think the likely cause was either hormonal (I’d just had a baby) or weight gain as high blood sugar is thought to contribute to acne. Most likely it was a mixture of the two but, regardless, it was a problem I wanted to solve. While the spots were annoying, it was actually the marks they left behind that concerned me the most and, in particular, the scarring. I went to highly regarded dermatologist, Dr Sam Bunting, who advised using a combination of prescription and over the counter products. Thereafter my skin improved considerably and has stayed that way apart from the occasional spot and some congestion. Unfortunately, on-going consultations with a dermatologist can be expensive and as a result I hadn’t been to see Dr Bunting for several years. Therefore, I was delighted to see her a...