DUBAI: Twenty-one-year-old British expat Louisa Northcote, has launched a social media campaign to encourage open discussion among people struggling with the physical and emotional effects of acne.
Viral pictures
Louisa who is studying fashion buying and merchandising at the London College of Fashion posted a picture of herself on Instagram without makeup, which led to her becoming a champion of the cause. “I posted a picture of my face with the #Freethepimple, soon enough the pictures went viral and people with acne from all over the world started uploading their pictures using the hashtag.”
Louisa, a former student of Dubai College, has been suffering from acne for over eight years and says it took a mental toll on her and completely destroyed her self-confidence as a teenager. “Almost every friend in school, my cousins, aunts and family and friends had more or less ‘clear’ skin, but for me it was a dream to see myself with a scar-free face. I detested going out to gatherings because I felt my acne would be the topic of all conversations.”
Rejection
Since Louisa was a child model, modelling agencies also started to reject her due to pimples. “They would tell me to go visit a doctor and come back when my skin cleared up. At some level the world needs to understand that skin can react in a million ways and can take its own sweet time to heal, there is very little that I can do.
“I was 16 when the acne got really bad, but to be fair to them, have you ever seen a magazine or a billboard cover model with bad skin? This is the perception I wish to change,” she added.
According to Louisa, the response to her campaign has been phenomenal. “After uploading my picture I was waiting to get trolled and comments on my skin, but I got supporters and fellow acne fighters from Dubai, UK, Croatia and even Australia,” she added.
DID YOU KNOW?
Approximately 85% of people between the ages of 12 and 25 develop severe acne that can lead to depression.
YOU SPEAK
Have you or anyone you know suffered from acne?
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