Kali Kushner
Kali Kushner's before-and-after photos acne treatment photos inspires many.Instagram

People with acne, a skin condition that causes spots and pimples, are often considered "unattractive," but a 22-year-old Instagrammer won the hearts of millions after she shared the story of her acne journey with the world.

Kali Kushner, a student from Ohio, US, became an internet sensation after she shared photos of acne treatment. Her before-and-after Accutane treatment photos are now inspiring many people.

Kushner has been sharing photos of her treatment on @myfacestory Instagram account for almost two years now and has gained more than 29,000 followers until now.

"I honestly didn't start the account with any idea or goal of getting noticed. I was just trying to keep track of my progress as I went through my six-month prescription of Accutane," Kushner told Cosmopolitan.

"I had always had some minor acne in high school, but one month in 2014, it went full-force crazy, covering my entire face," she said. "I tried literally everything: the oil cleansing method, which is where you wash your face with oil, the caveman method, which is where you don't put anything on your face at all, plus every cream, potion, and antibiotic that my dermatologist prescribed me, but nothing worked."

After a year, she worked with a dermatologist to get on Accutane and that started clearing her skin. The treatment worked in her favour, but it also made her skin dry and she felt achy all day. She also posted unfiltered photos of her acne and soon she started receiving emotional messages and comments from the Instagram users.

"It's been crazy to see so much support from complete strangers," she said. "I just took Accutane and a bunch of selfies, but now I realise that the reason people are so dedicated to following my story is because nobody actually posts stuff like this."

"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."

The treatment helped Kushner get a normal skin and now she is off Accutane, but the drug has its side effects, so consider a dermatologist before starting it. 

 

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

 

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

 

9 month results using the @banishacnescars starter kit!! Wow how time has flown ?, never thought I'd get to the point where I didn't even think about my scarring anymore. It used to control my life. I would constantly feel self conscious about how my skin looked & would slather on layers of makeup for confidence. Gotta do wat u gotta do right ?? BUT NOW- I feel soo freaking good and confident about my skin that I haven't worn any makeup since MAY. I was a daily face beater so it honestly was really hard at first because I felt like I wasn't fully dressed without my face on. Now my skin looks amazing, EVEN BETTER without makeup- so I just don't bother with it anymore!! Thnx banish ? (I've tried reintroducing certain makeup brands for when I want to wear it on special events and even if they are non toxic they seem to still break me out in lil pimps- so I'll let you guys know as soon as I find something good ?) Alsooooo since I stopped wearing makeup, started using all non toxic products, and changed my diet/lifestyle I have not gotten ONE cyst in months, or even that cyst-like-tingly feeling *knocks on wood* I honestly can't believe how big of a difference this is- I barely have any scarring left, patience is key y'all!!! ❤️??

A post shared by Kali Kushner (@myfacestory) on Jul 24, 2017 at 5:18am PDT

 

In February of this year my cystic acne began to return completely (1 year post accutane) - when I visited several dermatologists they told me not to change my diet at all & to continue eating "whatever I wanted" & that all I needed was a second round of Accutane. I was told dairy WAS NOT connected to cystic acne. The pic on the right is me today after disregarding their input and changing my diet almost 4 months ago, I just have one question - Y u lie to me fam??? I made changes slowly starting with cutting out ALL dairy, refined carbs, and refined sugar. Then I started focusing on a high protein / low GI / low inflammation diet. It's been quite a journey to figure out what my body does & does not like AND I'm still figuring it out. But while I am; I'm going to start sharing more things that I eat & make me feel good in hopes that it could help someone else in a similar situation. Anyways now I feel great, energized and at ease- I think my skin is a clear reflection of that & im happy and with where this journey has taken me ?

A post shared by Kali Kushner (@myfacestory) on Jun 30, 2017 at 4:50pm PDT