Woman nicknamed ‘pizza face’ claims CANNABIS has ‘cured her severe acne’

A WOMAN cruelly called “pizza face” during her eight-year battle with acne claims taking cannabis tablets cleared her spots up.

Emily McClarron was so self-conscious she didn’t want to leave the house.

For years she tried everything from antibiotics to homemade face washes, but it wasn’t until she started taking cannabidiol (CBD) capsules that she says she saw a difference.

The 25-year-old, from Essex, turned to the controversial treatment after her doctor recommended she try a course of Roaccutane – a powerful acne treatment that can cause some nasty side effects.

“The cannabis capsules make me feel more relaxed and stress was a huge trigger for my skin-breakouts,” Emily said.

“I read online that cannabis oil can help relieve inflammation, provide pain relief and reduce anxiety.

“There may not be many conclusive scientific studies on it, but it’s certainly worked for me.”

Some studies have found cannabidiol can help relieve the symptoms of skin conditions like eczema, but there is little evidence to suggest it can cure acne.

When persistent, angry spots first erupted on her cheeks and chin at 17, Emily began a tireless trawl through every skin treatment she could find.

“It was awful. I tried everything, but nothing seemed to help,” she said.

“I’d try and cover up the spots with make-up and just felt so down and depressed about how I looked. All I would see when I looked in the mirror was the acne.”

Back and forth to her doctor over the years, Emily, who has been dating plasterer Connor Lepine, 27, for nine years, was prescribed everything from antibiotics to gels in a bid reduce her breakouts.

But nothing seemed to work.

“I had bad reactions to everything,” she said.

“I had a rash all over my body and my face swelled up like I had been stung by a wasp.

“With one gel I even felt like the top layer of skin had burnt off. I begged my doctor to refer me to a dermatologist, hoping they would be able to suggest something else.

“I was at my wits’ end. My skin was so bad, strangers asked me ‘What’s wrong with your skin?’, called me a ‘spotty freak’ and ‘pizza face’ which hurt a lot.”

Finally referred to a specialist earlier this year, after eight years of suffering, Emily was offered the powerful acne drug Roaccutane.

“I knew I didn’t want the drug as, even though it works for a lot of people, it does come with a lot of bad side-effect warnings, including depression and mood changes,” Emily, who works as a stock controller, said.

“I was already really down, because of my skin and didn’t want to risk feeling any worse.”

“My fella would ask me to go out to the pub, or for dinner, but I wouldn’t want to leave the house.

“My anxiety got worse, as I was so insecure about how I looked. Connor would tell me I looked gorgeous, but I didn’t believe it.”

Feeling helpless, Emily turned to her kitchen cupboard and started making her own skin care products.

“I didn’t want to put a really strong drug into my body, but didn’t know what else to do,” she said.

“So, I started researching how to treat acne online and read that honey and turmeric can help. I was honestly at the point where I would have tried anything.”

Mixing the two ingredients together, Emily started using her concoction as a face mask, then making a face wash from honey, jojoba oil, evening primrose oil and lavender oil.

Three months ago Emily discovered CBD capsules and began taking one 10mg tablet every day.

Emily’s tablets contain CBD oil, a component found in the cannabis plant that doesn’t make people high.

Soon Emily started to notice her stress levels dropped and so did her breakouts.

“Since I started taking the capsules, combined with homemade skin products, people have told me how amazing my skin looks,” she said.

“When I tell them it’s down to cannabis capsules, they do ask if it’s legal, which of course it is.

“Before this, if I was feeling anxious, I’d have a really bad break-out if, but the tablets have made me feel much calmer, so I am not getting the terrible acne I was.

“The cannabis hasn’t cured me, but it has helped take control of my severe acne once and for all.”

Now Emily is even looking into selling her homemade skin products to help others, and already sells cannabis oil capsules across the UK.

“Now my skin is 99 per cent better,” she said.

“I still have some scarring, but now I have been able to have treatment to help them, and even finally feel confident to go out without make-up on, which I never did before.

“I have got to the point where I don’t care what people think, I feel so happy with the way I am.”

One of the main ingredients in medical marijuana, cannabidiol, is also used in cannabis oil to treat a range of issues including mental health, sleep problems, low appetite, epilepsy, Alzheimer's and palliative care.

It is also said to help prevent the signs of ageing and protect against eczema and psoriasis.

Last year the World Health Organisation declared CBD safe to use with no risk of addiction.

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