Indiana teen almost left blind by acne treatment

A brave teenager has vowed to finally embrace her acne after her skin medication almost left her blind.

Emma O’Mahoney, 19, from Bloomington, Indiana, learned to embrace her blemishes after the treatment she was prescribed for her painful cystic acne left her with severe low vision and just hours away from going completely blind.

The student suffered her first breakout aged 12 and began layering on foundation to hide her skin from her classmates who would make fun of her.

Desperate to hide her spots, Emma researched natural home remedies for clear skin online and even tried taping raw garlic to her skin in a desperate quest to get rid of her blemishes.

By the time she was 17, Emma was on three different medications for her acne – one of which, doxycycline, is thought to have impaired her eyesight, leaving her unable to drive, read normal size text or walk outside at night without a cane.

She has since amassed a huge online following thanks to her newfound positive attitude towards her spots

Brave Emma OíMahoney used to cake her skin in makeup (left, in 2016) but has since amassed a huge online following thanks to her newfound positive attitude towards her spots

The teen (pictured in hospital in 2016) learned to embrace her blemishes after the treatment she was prescribed for her painful cystic acne left her with severe low vision and just hours away from going completely blind

The teen (pictured in hospital in 2016) learned to embrace her blemishes after the treatment she was prescribed for her painful cystic acne left her with severe low vision and just hours away from going completely blind

Sight problems linked to hypertension, including loss of sight, are known side effects of doxycycline. 

Today, Emma lacks almost all peripheral vision and can’t see anything out of the lower half of her right eye and describes everything as ‘constantly moving and blurry’.

But despite her ordeal Emma is now sharing her journey on Instagram after ditching foundation and pills in favour of homeopathic treatments.

‘My first “pimple” happened in fifth grade,’ Emma recalled. ‘It was awful. My friend announced it to the entire class. So when I started to have real acne, my self-esteem tanked and I was willing to do anything to get rid of it.

Emma in 2011

Emma in 2012

Emma (pictured in 2011, left and 2012, right) was self-conscious after getting her first pimple aged 12 and used to hide away under layers of foundation and concealer

After struggling with acne for seven years, Emma (pictured in 2013) has tried cutting out high sugar foods and dairy, but says ditching foundation has had the biggest effect on her skin

After struggling with acne for seven years, Emma (pictured in 2013) has tried cutting out high sugar foods and dairy, but says ditching foundation has had the biggest effect on her skin

Emma (pictured in 2014, with makeup on) was on three different medications for her acne - one of which, doxycycline, is thought to have impaired her eyesight, leaving her unable to drive, read normal size text or walk outside at night without a cane

Emma (pictured in 2014, with makeup on) was on three different medications for her acne – one of which, doxycycline, is thought to have impaired her eyesight, leaving her unable to drive, read normal size text or walk outside at night without a cane

‘One time I read that raw garlic can help get rid of breakouts if you rub it on the affected areas. So I thought, “Hey! If rubbing it is good, taping it on must be better!”

‘The garlic literally burned my skin so I was left with a blister on top of one of my already painful cystic spots. Most people were kind about my acne, but it was definitely something people used to hurt me.’

Speaking about her hospital ordeal, Emma recalled:  ‘I was on about three different medications for my acne at the time I lost my eyesight. The one believed to have caused this was doxycycline.

Emma in 2017 with a face mask on. She has been left visually impaired after her hospital ordeal but has learned to poke fun at herself and embrace her acne

Emma in 2017 with a face mask on. She has been left visually impaired after her hospital ordeal but has learned to poke fun at herself and embrace her acne

Speaking about how she learned to embrace her blemishes, Emma said: 'I started to get tired of constantly obsessing over the foundation, spending my savings on concealer, and not being able to hug people without worrying my makeup would be smudged'

Speaking about how she learned to embrace her blemishes, Emma said: ‘I started to get tired of constantly obsessing over the foundation, spending my savings on concealer, and not being able to hug people without worrying my makeup would be smudged’

Emma soon began posting about her acne on Instagram and Snapchat with her friends, who would laugh about their 'treatment fails' together

Emma soon began posting about her acne on Instagram and Snapchat with her friends, who would laugh about their ‘treatment fails’ together

‘It created Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, a build-up of spinal fluid in the brain. When I was finally diagnosed in the ER [emergency room], the doctors said I was a day away from being completely blind. 

‘[Now] I can’t read normal text, drive, walk anywhere in the night without a cane and that’s all because of a medication I used to make me “pretty”.’  

After struggling with acne for seven years, Emma has tried cutting out high sugar foods and dairy, but says ditching foundation has had the biggest effect on her skin.

Speaking about how she learned to embrace her blemishes, she said: ‘I started to get tired of constantly obsessing over the foundation, spending my savings on concealer, and not being able to hug people without worrying my makeup would be smudged.’

Emma said: 'Acne sucks, but it's normal and not worth your self-confidence. Life is short and fragile, do you really want to spend it obsessing over your skin?'

Emma said: ‘Acne sucks, but it’s normal and not worth your self-confidence. Life is short and fragile, do you really want to spend it obsessing over your skin?’

The brave teen has been documenting her acne struggles on social media in a bid to spread her positive outlook with others who may be struggling from skin problems

Emma this year

The brave teen has been documenting her acne struggles on social media in a bid to spread her positive outlook with others who may be struggling from skin problems

However she soon began posting about her acne on Instagram and Snapchat with her friends, who would laugh about their ‘treatment fails’ together.

Emma added:  ‘Acne sucks, but it’s normal and not worth your self-confidence. Life is short and fragile, do you really want to spend it obsessing over your skin?

‘It’s a cliché, but beauty really does come from within. Acne doesn’t make you ugly, it makes you human.’ 

For more information see instagram.com/emmamyhoney 



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