[personal] how do I learn to give myself credit for healing and progress, instead of feeling defeated because my skin isn't perfect?

Beauty Tips For Body Care
One of the things I've come to notice in beginning a skin care regimen is that I have no real frame of reference for what to actually expect, or what "good skin" or even decent skin REALLY looks like.I am always shocked when I look at photos from even a few weeks ago, finding it hard to believe that my skin ever looked that much worse than it does now, yet still there is SUCH a disconnect in there as far as feeling good about the improvements. the first month of committed skincare was a stark difference, which boosted my confidence a lot and made me feel hopeful, but due to a lack of existing self esteem i stopped being able to feel good like that.I just this morning looked at myself in the mirror and took note of the remaining pigmented spots that have yet to fade in the few months i've been working at it, and the rough patches where it's not flawlessly smooth. that's ALL i could take away - any progress is ignored, and i just notice the bad about both older comparison pics AND today's skin condition.on the off chance that i do feel a glimmer of confidence, i second guess it a little while later and come crashing down. this is arguably worse!also, do other people even notice things like this when they look at each other? without being able to establish an accurate frame of reference, I can't see the warped perspective changing… When I look at people who i feel have beautiful skin, I look at it differently than I look at myself. I feel like I don't hyper-focus on any little blemishes or imperfections THEY might have, instead telling myself that they are surely poreless and without flaws. that assumption makes it even harder to feel okay!! i worry that unless i end up with completely and utterly flawless porcelain skin, i'll never feel good about it and i'll never feel like i've achieved anything.overall im afraid i won't be able to identify it if/when my skin becomes "good" and will still find ways to look at it hatefully and with contempt. after spending over a decade thus far convinced i'll always have what i view as hideous, unsightly skin, i'm afraid of being self conscious forever and unable to break free of that perception.I guess having problematic skin has been a part of my identity for so long that it's now an incredibly complicated and challenging process to feel any differently.if you experience this or anything like it please feel free to share your story here, i'd love to try and support you any way i can! thanks for reading, writing this was cathartic.
Girls Blog 2015
Submitted by numemon