I hate my skin.
It’s full of flaws.
My face and back are full of painful pimples.
Dark areas, red areas, holes, and splotches.
I hate how people look at me,
Especially when I’m already feeling low.
Even mama, baba, and my younger siblings,
All look at me with a mixture of disgust and pity on their faces.
I hide my face from them.
My grandma has 46 grandchildren,
And I’m the only one with bad skin.

Any confidence I feel is always dashed,
When I remember what my face looks like.
I’ve bought some of the best and most expensive face washes and creams.
I’ve been to cheap and pricey dermatologists.
Nothing works.
I’ve been on hormone treatments,
And I’ve taken medicine that messes with the chemicals in my brain,
All so I could fix my skin.
As a result,
My skin got immensely better,
But the treatments gave me Alzheimer’s at 17,
And my bones really hurt.
So, of course, I had to stop the treatments.

I’m now 20 years old.
I have no self-confidence whatsoever,
Even though I pretend otherwise.
Imagine waking up each morning to large pimples on your face,
And all you can think about is how to hide them.