Today we’d like to introduce you to Wendy Lewis.
Hi Wendy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey with acne began more than two decades ago at the age of 13. I spent 15 years struggling with cystic acne before my skin cleared up on its own and left me with permanent facial scarring. In my more than 20-years journey with acne and scars, I’ve learned a lot about myself and the impact that acne has on mental health.
I spent a large part of my youth feeling alone with my struggles, depressed and anxious, lacking in confidence and self-esteem. Because I didn’t prioritize my mental health when I had acne, I struggled in other areas as well: an eating disorder, self-harm, and a constant need for validation, to name a few.
I knew that if I had struggled this much with my mental health as a result of my acne, others are out there suffering as well.
For this reason, I started The Acne Effect in 2019 to raise awareness and educate the public about the impact that acne has on mental health. I wanted to use my experience and knowledge with acne to empower individuals to reclaim control of their lives and to focus less on their skin and more on gratitude and what brings their life meaning and purpose.
The last two years have been so rewarding for me as I wholeheartedly believe in what I do with The Acne Effect and love to see its mission benefiting the lives of others.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As with any new venture in life, obstacles and setbacks are bound to turn up. I found challenges, in the beginning, making a place for myself within the acne community because I no longer have active acne or pictures of myself when my acne was at its worst. But I also didn’t start The Acne Effect to be about my personal skin journey; I started The Acne Effect for the public.
That said, I believe in my mission and what I do, and I know people can benefit from what I have to say. Quitting has never been an option for me; even when I was working up to 50 hours a week in my day job and feeling exhausted, I still spent my free time researching, networking, and creating content. When you find something you’re so passionate about and believe in with all of your heart, you find a way to make it all work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a mental health advocate emphasizing the impact that acne has on mental and emotional health. The Acne Effect was created to raise awareness and educate the public about the deeper, often unseen, effects of acne on an individual’s life through the use of my own experiences, stories shared with me from others, and research I gather on and offline.
What I do with The Acne Effect differs from most accounts within the acne community because I’m not solely documenting my own skin journey and products I use, nor am I selling a service to treat anyone’s skin. Instead, I have created an educational platform that empowers individuals to see themselves beyond their skin and provides them with the tools necessary to reclaim control of their lives after feeling like they haven’t had control for so long.
The greatest myth an acne sufferer may believe is that all of their issues will go away once their skin clears up. Oftentimes, healing from the effects of acne can take longer than it took to clear the acne itself. If an individual is not careful, acne has the power to manipulate their truths and steer the directions they take in life. For this reason, I maintain on my platform that treating one’s mental health along with their acne should be mandatory: if you’re not treating your mental health at the same time as your skin, you’re doing your skincare routine all wrong.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
There is much to take away from this global pandemic, with many silver linings to be found. One, in particular, being the importance of community.
Notably, the acne community on Instagram has been one of the most solid communities I’ve come across in a long time, and that solidarity was amplified tenfold during these trying times. The care and support given by individuals in the acne community are truly remarkable and inspiring, and when I talk to people about their acne and mental health, I often encourage them to join the community if they aren’t already a part of it.
Another important lesson I learned from this pandemic is just how fragile our mental health is when tested at great extremes like we recently experienced.
I genuinely believed I had a solid grasp on my mental state when the pandemic first hit, but after experiencing weekly debilitating anxiety and panic attacks starting in the summer of 2020, I quickly realized I was not okay and needed help. I began seeing a therapist and quit my job to focus on my mental health. While I still struggle with my anxiety and am actively working on my health, this merely serves as a reminder that we are all human beings, vulnerable to struggles and suffering, and that our life will always be an unfinished book, constantly evolving and adapting to changes all around us. Which is all the more reason to regularly prioritize our mental health, no matter how good or difficult life is going for us.
Contact Info:
- Email: theacneeffect@gmail.com
- Website: www.theacneeffect.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theacneeffect/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/theacneeffect/
