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Credit: The Sun Newspaper – Deidre Sanders – 25 Out 2023

LOW SELF-ESTEEM | I’m 24 years old and struggle (sofro, luto) with my acne (acne).

DEAR DEIDRE: EVEN though I’m no longer a teenager, I still have severe acne and it’s making my life a misery.

I was called “pizza face” (cara de pizza) at school and it left me with low self-esteem. I’ve never had a girlfriend and fear no woman will ever fancy (interessar, estar a fim) me.

I’m 24 and work as a postman (carteiro). My skin problems started when I was 14.

Since then, I’ve tried skin creams, antibiotics and prescription medication (medicamentos sob prescrição) but nothing works long term.

At school, kids treated me like I had the plague (praga, fosse contagioso), even though I told them acne isn’t infectious (contagiosa), and I felt dirty and ugly.

I’ve never had the confidence to chat a girl up (dar uma cantada, paquerar). Why would anyone want to kiss me when my face is red and covered in lumpy spots (inchaços na pele, espinhas)?

People say the right woman will see beyond my skin but I don’t believe them.

This is making me feel very depressed and hopeless (sem esperanças). Please help.

Acne struggles still haunt (assombram) me,
I tried it all, but nothing works.

DEIDRE SAYS: Being bullied (intimidado) as a teenager can have long-lasting (duradouros) effects.

But I’d wager (apostaria) that it’s your lack of confidence, rather than (em vez de) your skin, that’s making it hard to find love.

Acne often does improve in your mid-twenties (metade dos vinte anos), as it’s linked (ligada, vinculada) with hormones. But a minority of people do suffer as adults.

Ask your GP (médico, clínico geral) if there’s treatment you haven’t tried. And see my support pack, Long For (desejo, anseio) Clear Skin? for more information and people you can talk to.

As for (quanto a) your confidence issues, read Raising Self-esteem for more advice.

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Poll – Have you ever struggled with self-esteem issues or faced bullying?

  1. Yes, I’ve experienced self-esteem issues.
  2. Yes, I’ve faced bullying.
  3. No, I haven’t experienced either (nem um nem outro).
  4. I’ve faced both self-esteem issues and bullying.

Definitions: (Waytogo and Dictionary Cambridge/Collins/Longman/Macmillan/Oxford/Lexico)

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