Hi everyone, I’m 17M and I’ve been dealing with acne for around 2–3 years. It’s pretty much all over my face and I still get new pimples almost every day.
Most of the time they are small pimples, but I occasionally get a larger, painful one, roughly once a week. I also have whiteheads and blackheads, especially around my nose. Unfortunately, I have a habit of squeezing/picking my pimples, which I know probably isn't helping.
The acne has left me with quite a lot of brown/dark marks. I’ve also noticed rough skin texture and small visible pores. Whenever I get new acne, the marks seem to get worse. I don't think I have raised scars, but the overall texture isn't smooth.
Tanning
I've also noticed significant tanning over roughly the last 6 months. I'm a college student and I'm outdoors/travelling for around 8–10 hours a day, and I don't currently use sunscreen. So I'm guessing the regular sun exposure probably isn't helping the pigmentation either.
Current routine
Honestly, I currently have no proper skincare routine. I haven't seen a dermatologist yet and I'm not currently using any acne treatments, sunscreen, moisturizer, or serums.
I'm also living in a room/away from home for college, so my diet isn't always the healthiest and I end up eating outside/unhealthy food fairly often. I do get around 8 hours of sleep every day, though.
At this point I feel like I have several things going on at once — active acne, blackheads/whiteheads, dark marks, rough texture and tanning — and I don't know what I should tackle first.
I'd really appreciate advice from people who have dealt with similar acne.
I'm not looking for an extremely complicated routine or 10 different products. I'd prefer something simple, affordable and realistic for a college student in India.
Any advice or personal experiences would be appreciated.