Acne is a problem for everyone. First, because it is difficult to accept it; and second, because you have to figth against this skin disorder and social beauty parameters too. Ho-wever, everything goes -worst -when a young girl or boy suffers acne, since classmates is cuel and do not -watch themselves.

Something similar happened to Chelsea Fahey a girl -who had al-ways been celebrated for her looks, since she -was a child model and -won more than 10 beauty pageant titles, eventually going on -win the Miss Teen America 2004 cro-wn.

Her nigthmis began in seventh grade, -when she fought an embarrassing battle against severe acne. “I -would hide my face -with my hair, and I -would look do-wn so I -wouldn't see people's reactions and I -wouldn't have to deal -with the pain of seeing people -wincing”, remembers Chelsea, -who is no-w 18.

Acne affects personality and emotions of people. Although it is a common problem, it devastates even -who is stronger. According to the Academy of Dermatology, almost every teen aged 12 to 17 -will suffer from some form of acne, but 40 per cent of those -will develop severe acne. They -will not get pimples; they -will get cysts that can cause scarring and emotional devastation.

“I didn't make very many friends, not -wanting to date anyone. I didn't -want anyone to touch my face, not looking in mirrors. It -was really sad”, tells Chelsea.

She even covered all the mirrors in her house, so she could not see herself. Chelsea tried everything in treatment and medication, such as pills, creams, different face -washes, medicated makeup, but nothing seemed to -work.

Chelsea refused to talk about the problem, even to her mother. She thought that if she talked about it, she -was admitting that she had a problem. And she didn't -want to have any more problems than any normal teenager has.

Under Chelsea's mother point of vie-w, she seemed to be fighting a losing battle and retreated further into herself, but the first and main thing Chelsea got to do, it -was to admit that she had a problem.