It begins when you're a teenager and your body begins to produce the hormone androgen. This causes the over-stimulation of oil glands which in turn block pores and then, hey presto, a spot appears.

There are many "cures" on the market some are good and work, some work only very temporarily and others just have pretty packaging.

If you had acne, it made you feel miserable and you've gotten rid of it, then all credit to you.

But this article goes out to all those people who can't get rid of their acne and who are destined to suffer it for the majority of their schooldays. I know how it feels because I was one of them.

Fact is, the majority of damage that acne does is psychological. Cries of "spotty" and "pizza face" at school don't help and although eradicating the spots on the outside would cure this problem, it won't cure the problem on the inside.

If you suffer from acne, the best thing to do is realise that it's up to you whether you get upset about it or not.

When you can get through the day without feelings of paranoia, if you can build up your self-esteem even though you don't like what you see in the mirror, then you have really conquered acne.

No one can change how you feel on the inside and you and only you control your thoughts and therefore your feelings.

So hold your head up high, realise you are a beautiful (or handsome) person, whether your hormones are playing havoc with you or not, and truly wipe the acne problem from your life!