Just 12 People Proudly Sharing Unfiltered, Makeup-Free Pics of Their Acne

“It’s okay to have ‘imperfections’—they shouldn’t rob me of my happiness or mental peace.”

August 21, 2024

As someone who’s struggled with acne, I get how hard it can be to look in the mirror and love what you see when your skin doesn’t fit society’s narrow definition of “beautiful.” It seems like everyone—IRL and onscreen—who’s seen as “pretty” has a smooth, glowing, blemish-free face. Meanwhile, my complexion is dotted with little bumps, large pores, and lingering dark spots.

The road to confidence can feel daunting when you’re dealing with chronic breakouts (and to this day I still struggle with self-acceptance). But one of my biggest mental health breakthroughs came when I started exposing myself to unfiltered, realistic photos of people going through the same skin stuff I was.

Compared to the seemingly airbrushed, spotless photos I saw (and envied) on Instagram, social media trends like #acnepositivity opened my eyes to a refreshing and reassuring truth: A lot of people don’t have clear skin—whether they’ve got one inflamed zit or full-blown cystic breakouts—and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Reminding myself what real skin looks like changed my perspective and made me wonder, Why was acne (a normal and common experience) making me feel so insecure and shitty about myself? That’s why we rounded up 12 unedited selfies from everyday folks proudly embracing their blemishes—to prove that breakouts (or any other skin struggle, for that matter) don’t have to stop you from being your best, most confident self.

What I experience is actually very common.

I started struggling with acne the moment I hit puberty. As if entering the new world of being a teenager wasn’t daunting enough, I was also worrying about the painful spots on my cheeks. I tried all the topicals, DIY hacks, and diets out there before eventually going on Accutane, which is when I started sharing my skin journey online.

Showing myself makeup-free in a space where it’s so easy to be judged was difficult at first. Eventually, I connected with other people who helped me see that acne is actually very common—and that I wasn’t as alone as I had felt. Even today, I continue to post pictures of my bare skin on social media to spread the message that learning to love every version of yourself is a journey, but a possible one. —Melodie Perez

I couldn’t control my acne, but I could change my mindset.

More than a year ago, I started experiencing severe breakouts. Initially, I thought they would pass, but as the months went by, they worsened into deep, painful cystic acne. Society made me scared to show my “true” face without makeup, and I felt ugly and disgusting. I lost so much of myself.

One day, I decided to change my mindset, so that I could live a happy life. I stopped letting mean voices consume me and began reminding myself that I was still beautiful. I mustered the courage to post makeup- and filter-less selfies on my public Instagram page—something I never imagined doing. Recently, my skin has been doing better and I’ve gained some of my confidence back. But I believe that 70% of the improvement in my self-esteem came from fixing the way I thought about myself. —Kim Tran

I owe it to my younger self to be the person who embraces her skin instead of allowing it to control her life.

My acne journey spans over a decade, and while there have been lows, insecurities, and hurtful comparisons, having a community of people relating to and supporting me has helped me accept my skin.

In a world of filters and a warped version of reality, I wanted to go against the grain by vulnerably posting my bare face online. With all the positivity I received, I was inspired to create a safe space, Don’t Pop That Spot—an Instagram account for folks with similar skin struggles to connect and bond. Through this experience, I saw that so many people are going through the same thing as I am. That gave me the confidence to embrace my acne and be a positive representation of someone who doesn’t let breakouts stop her. Life is simply way too short. —Afia Kufuor

During a bad skin day, I remind myself that I’m capable of moving forward and healing.

After dealing with bumps and acne scars for more than six years, I’m finally embracing them. That was lost time I could have spent creating fun memories, but instead I was preoccupied with my appearance—and I’ve had enough.

I still have bad skin days sometimes, but they happen way less often. I also follow social media accounts that promote unfiltered beauty as a reminder that it’s okay to have “imperfections”—they shouldn’t rob me of my happiness or mental peace. Also, indulging in activities that keep me busy (like working out, reading, and playing video games) helps me press pause whenever life feels overwhelming. —Vlad P.

I’ve reached a place where I’m just neutral about my skin.

Shifting to an “acne-neutrality” mindset has been one of the best things I’ve done for my well-being. There’s so much pressure to stay positive, but the truth is I’ve never really felt that way about my appearance. If I were truly happy with my breakouts, I wouldn’t be trying to get rid of them.

I’ve come to a place where I accept my acne and don’t let it ruin my day. I know I can’t make pimples go away overnight, so I’ve let go of the need to control it and instead focus on what I can do to care for my skin. To achieve this mindset, I had to understand that I am not my mean thoughts. This helped me gain better control over how I think and speak to myself, and I’ve learned to correct negative self-talk when I notice it. Also, I recognized that photos and videos of clear skin are often edited or filtered—and comparing myself to something unreal just didn’t make sense. —Ruby Martinez

Breakouts are normal—and we shouldn’t judge people for that.

In 2018, my skin was the worst it’s ever been. I had to overcome a big insecurity and I did that with lots of patience; eventually, my complexion did improve.

I still break out sometimes but, mentally, I’m in such a better place. I can walk with my head held high after finally embracing my appearance. Through my experience, I’ve learned that acne is more normal than you’d think, so I no longer stress about getting a new blemish—whether it’s a giant cyst or a regular smaller zit. That’s because I remind myself that it’ll go away with time, and I am beautiful regardless. —Licenia P.

Skin texture is one of the last things I notice about a person’s appearance.

Acne might seem like a superficial issue but it’s so much more than just spots. It took me a while, but I came to realize that being beautiful and having “imperfect” skin aren’t mutually exclusive.

I discovered this as I admired people around me. I would think, Woah! They’re gorgeous…and they have acne! Their skin was always the last thing I noticed (and it didn’t negate my awe). So with that perspective, I figured acne must not be the thing that defines my beauty either. —Fara Fola-Alade

I understand that not being represented anywhere can make you feel invisible and isolated.

I decided to share these makeup- and filter-free pictures because I want to let others know that it’s okay not to be “flawless.” So much of what we see online are videos or photos that have been retouched or smoothed out in some way. I don’t condemn creators for using filters (to each their own); however, they do contribute to toxic beauty standards, especially when so many of these filters look very realistic. You have to remember that acne is not permanent and will heal eventually. You don’t have to love your skin, but you can be neutral about it. —Evelyn Aira

Acne, pimples, and pores don’t take away from your beauty.

There were days when I hid my face from people and there were nights when I battled with really negative thoughts about not having that clear, smooth look. After years of self-hating, I finally accepted myself. I realized there is no such thing as “perfect” skin and no singular definition of beauty—it’s all subjective. Acne, pimples, pores, and scars are absolutely not flaws to be ashamed of. —Carmine Rakshana

I can define my own beauty standards.

It’s difficult not to let acne control you because it can take over every area of your life. It made me lose my confidence and develop self-hatred. Learning to love myself took a lot of work and time, but through positive affirmations (and making a conscious effort to tend to my happiness), I was able to appreciate my uniqueness. I also stopped following unrealistic beauty content that triggered self-loathing and found a community of people I related to instead. And that is how I learned to love myself—pimples, spots, pores, scars and all. —Simphiwe Mbatha

I want to challenge the idea that it’s “gross” or “ugly” to have a condition as common as acne.

I used to rely on filters to hide myself from judgment, fearing that my classmates and anyone I knew would think I was ugly. But the moment I put my phone down and looked in the mirror, I was confronted with the reality of my acne.

My insecurity became so overwhelming that I wouldn’t leave the house without foundation or concealer—not even for a five-minute trip to the grocery store! My mental health began to suffer, and I knew something had to change. That’s when I decided to post my first-ever filter-free photo. To my surprise, I was met with so much support. I discovered the acne positivity community—a group of incredible people who embrace and love their skin just as it is, proudly sharing their unedited selves on social media.

As I continued to share my own journey, my confidence grew so much. Slowly but surely, I began to accept my skin in all its states. It’s so important to show that having spots is normal, and there’s no need to hide behind filters: Acne doesn’t define you or take away from your beauty. —Faye Seager

I let go of the pressure to “control” my hormonal breakouts.

I have hyperpigmentation and hormonal acne that flares up around that time of the month. So I’ve realized that these blemishes are often unpredictable—and there’s little I can do to stop them. Once I understood this reality, my relationship with my skin improved so much. I stopped covering each spot with makeup every day, and instead embraced my textured, hyperpigmented, and sensitive complexion. I also became more conscious about not comparing myself to people I saw on the internet. As soon as you realize that every video or picture you scroll past is probably filtered, you’ll see no one truly has the “perfect” skin that we’re often pressured to achieve. —Jonaira South