Girl’s before-and-after acne photos encourage others to not be ashamed

A 17-year-old girl has been sharing photos of her acne scars in the hope of encouraging others with the skin condition not to "lose hope."

Hailey Wait suffers from cystic acne, causing the skin on her face to flare up and break out in painful red spots. The teenager said that lately, her acne has started to clear up due to changes in her skin care routine and adopting a more positive attitude. The years of painful acne left Hailey with facial scarring, but she has said that she's not ashamed of it. "Cystic acne is painful, physically, and even though I still get breakouts, most of the spots I have left are just scars," she wrote. "I’m okay with that." https://www.instagram.com/p/BdX7_X0B6oE/?hl=en&taken-by=pigss Hailey's Instagram is filled with selfies, photoshoots, and candid snaps  - and in none of them does Hailey attempt to hide her scars. In a recent post comparing the difference one and a half months made to her face, Hailey said that she is "proud" of how far her skin has come.

"Honestly as soon as I cut foundation out of my makeup routine and stopped giving a damn what people thought of my appearance and once I started caring more about my overall happiness and wellbeing, it started to improve drastically."

Hailey has claimed that "bringing more positivity" into her life has caused her acne to reduce. However, she also cites her skincare routine, and the cutting out of foundation, as reasons behind why her breakouts are now not as intense. She uses Micellar water, Neutrogena's ultra gentle daily cleanser, and Aztec Secret's Indian healing clay. She also encourages taking lots of baths - "it does a lot for your stress levels and mood."