This girl’s before-and-after acne selfies are going viral for an important reason

Karen Fratti
Updated
This girl’s before-and-after acne selfies are going viral for an important reason
This girl’s before-and-after acne selfies are going viral for an important reason

It’s kind of strange that we almost never see people with pimples — let alone acne — in the media; especially when the vast majority of us deal with zits and breakouts on a regular basis. This lack of representation is why Kali Kushner’s before-and-after acne selfies have gone viral on Instagram.

According to Cosmopolitan, the 22-year-old’s posts about taking Accutane have a dedicated following. Kushner thinks it’s because the stigma of acne is so strong that people find it refreshing to see someone being so open about their struggle with skincare.

Kushner told the outlet, “Acne is so hush-hush and shamed in society, and having clear skin is the epitome of beauty, so if you dare have a zit or a breakout — and if you dare to take a picture of it —it’s almost like something’s wrong with you, which is so false.”

So. Much. Yes.

I repeat for the uberth time: your skin does not define you. Stop using it as an excuse. Stop wishing and wanting. Start doing. Only you have the power to make that change. You control your own happiness, life is what u make itttt. If you see everything as garbage then everything will be garbagey, but if become your own lighthouse -a positive ray of energy, then you will shine so bright *swipe for fun good times*

A post shared by Kali Kushner (@myfacestory) on Sep 8, 2017 at 6:48am PDT

Kushner added, “I just took Accutane and a bunch of selfies, but now I realize that the reason people are so dedicated to following my story is because nobody actually posts stuff like this.”

Here are some more shots from her Insta feed.

Now is the time more than ever to empower each other as women!! You are beautiful, and strong, and important, and capable of ANYTHING! ⭐️Don't discredit yourself or let anyone decide your worth- you decide your worth & the world is your oyster!! Let's work together to spread love and kindness- leave a comment below complimenting the person above you ❤️❤️ Do it!!

A post shared by Kali Kushner (@myfacestory) on Jan 24, 2017 at 6:03pm PST

Feeling soo excited bc today is the first day of my veryyy last year of school AND I'm not wearing any makeup for classes this year! Above are my 10 month results since I've been using the @banishacnescars starter kit! I can't believe I've been using their products for almost a whole year ❤️ the difference is really insane to me! I didn't think my acne scars would ever fully go away, but here I am 10 months later with massive progress and hope! I do still have some acne scars but for the most part the texture is pretty darn smooth compared to where I was at a few months ago. Less inflammation, less breakouts & my skin is constantly glowing oh yeah and happy eclipsing today!! Don't forget to protect ur eyeballz

A post shared by Kali Kushner (@myfacestory) on Aug 21, 2017 at 6:01am PDT

I made this quick b4 & after to show you guys the immediate effects of dermarolling from last night! Left is directly after rolling & right is from the next morning. As you can see on the left, right after rolling texture is drastically emphasized but the redness subsides rather quickly, leaving you with glowy, smooth skin & an even skin tone. If you want to see the live video of me sticking tiny needles into my skin it's up on the @banishacnescars facebook page! Also celebrating because I've been vegan for one day (on day 2) but hey it's something! I'm trying it out to see if it'll reduce bodily inflammation, specifically the inflammation in my shoulders & upper back (something I've struggled with for a lonnnngggg time). Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't but there's no harm in just trying! I've also come to realize a lot of the mass farming practices used in the US are not humane & I don't want to contribute to that cause it ain't coot. (Of course there's always local / ethical farms BUT i still want to try veganism just to see if it works for me!) If you have any good bloggers to follow, recipes, places to shop/eat, please leave suggestions in the comments I'd greatly appreciate it!!! Also what's your fav vegan source of protein/ should I take any supplements that I'll be missing (I heard b12)? Thanks soooo much in advanced!!!!!!

A post shared by Kali Kushner (@myfacestory) on Aug 25, 2017 at 5:49am PDT

Guys here are my 3 month thoughts since I've cut dairy from my diet. If you're suffering from cystic acne, JUST TRY IT. Since cutting ALL dairy, I haven't had any raging deep cystic spots! Zero you guys, zilch, nada & zero spots that have left scars. Of course I'm still getting little pimples here and there (so it isn't a cure all) but nothing like before when I was beginning to relapse after accutane. (For anyone new here, I took accutane for six months stayed completely clear for a year & then my cysts started to come back) Left pictures are before I cut dairy 3 months ago and right picture is from the other day on snapchat. It's worth a shot, I thought there was no way in hell that I could give up mac n cheese, mozzarella sticks, fettuccini alfredo, or just a simple pairing of wine and cheese but y'all- there's so many dairy free substitutes that you can find at the grocery or make at home! I kept making excuses because I didn't want to change my ways: like it's soo expensive, I just can't do it I love cheese, I'll never be able to eat anything, it'll be hard to find something when I go out with friends & family. All very untrue!! I thought I didn't need to change my diet, and that it wasn't fair how other people could eat like crap and have completely clear skin. Well guess what we all process things differently & on top of that sometimes life isn't fair and u just gotta suck it up! Anyways to me it has been worth the change to have peace of mind that I won't be dealing with those huge monsters anymore (also skin is a lot less inflamed so scars are harder to see) #dairyfree #cleaneating

A post shared by Kali Kushner (@myfacestory) on May 26, 2017 at 5:02am PDT

In addition to posting these pics, Kushner also writes lengthy posts in the captions about what products she’s using, what works, why she likes certain treatments, and also just general musings about being a self-confident woman.

In a recent post she wrote, “I repeat for the uberth time: your skin does not define you. Stop using it as an excuse. Stop wishing and wanting. Start doing. Only you have the power to make that change. You control your own happiness, life is what u make itttt.” For some of us, that can be a hard thing to remember, so if you need a daily reminder, you should probably follow Kushner on the ‘Gram to get your dose of goodness.