The first time I had a clue about the cause of my acne, the diagnosis came in a rather funny way. I had visited our doctor a year ago because I was feeling feverish, and while sitting in front of him, he looked at me and said, “Do you shave your chin?” I said yes. By that time, I was growing hair on my chin, and I was shaving on a daily basis.
That was the first time I ever heard the condition called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
I started reading about it. I learnt that the condition usually appears at puberty and that if the sufferer eventually lives an inactive lifestyle afterwards, it would worsen.
That was exactly what happened to me.
Years after puberty, I lived a sedentary lifestyle due to reasons beyond my control, so, unknown to me, that worsened the condition, a condition I never even knew I had.
People with PCOS often have irregular menstrual cycles and missed periods, but mine is regular as clockwork. PCOS sufferers may also have cysts on the ovaries, yet scans showed my ovaries were cyst-free.
If cysts were found on my ovaries and I ever had irregular periods, those would have been PCOS symptoms that could never be missed.
It is emotionally draining.
I had gone for facials one day, and when it was time for extraction, I started crying. Yes, it was painful, but that day, I allowed self-pity.
I will find time to discuss Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, but for now, just know that it is a common hormonal disorder in reproductive-aged women, characterised by high androgen levels, irregular periods, and small cysts on the ovaries. The high androgen levels (male hormones) explain the growth of hair on my chin.
Now, let us get to the main gist.
In 2024, I took a bold step to start taking proper care of my face. So, I went on Instagram to search for where I could get good dermatological clinics in Lagos. I eventually found one in Lekki.
On my first visit, I was intimidated by all the treatments. I was to go through different chemical peels, and there were also creams with different actives that I was to buy and apply on my face. Everything was expensive, but I was determined to go through the treatment.
I was seeing improvement, and I was hopeful, but along the line, I was still having major breakouts, especially around the time of my monthly flow.
On one of my clinic days, the aesthetic nurse who was to attend to me invited another person to speak with me.
That was when I was told that I needed to be put on oral medication because I kept having breakouts.
A note was given to me to go for a liver function test before the oral medication could be administered.
Although explanations were given about the reason for checking the state of my liver before taking the oral medication, what was going on in my mind was that I would never compromise the health of my liver just for my face to be smooth.
That was the last time I stepped into the clinic.
In September last year, my acne became boil-like, and I was having difficulty washing my face because the pain was just too much.
At some point, I was almost tempted to go to the clinic again, but I resisted the urge.
Over a year ago, I stumbled on a young woman’s video on TikTok, where she was telling people who had failed JAMB exams to come and learn herbal medicine from her, since their scores would not get them admission into any university.
I almost laughed my head off.
I started following her.
Being on her page alone is therapeutic because she would always say funny things, even if you are sad, you would just forget your sorrows.
I love the fact that all her herbs are NAFDAC-certified and also that patients must always bring a medical diagnosis before herbs are sold to them.
For me, she seems to have the Midas touch because there are just too many positive reviews about her herbs.
At some point, I started seeing her talk about a herbal facial cleanser for people with acne. She also advertised herbs for hormonal imbalance.
So, in February, I took a bold step and ordered the herbs for hormonal imbalance and the herbal face wash.
I was expecting herbs infused in alcohol, but I got herbs that were gentle on my system. In fact, they did not even have a laxative effect on me at all.
Before I finished drinking the herbs, my face had cleared significantly, so much so that by the time my mother saw me, she started dancing!
Apart from the dark spots left on my face, which are gradually disappearing, you would have thought I lied that I ever had an acne-ravaged face.
On this note, I present to you Akanbi Aishat Oluwatoyin, the CEO of Aish Naturaleaf Herbal, a Nigerian herbal wellness brand, the young woman whose herbs brought back my confidence.
She was born into a family of herbal practitioners and was introduced to traditional plant-based healing at a young age. Beyond family influence, she developed a personal passion for herbal medicine and began assisting with treatments early in life. By the age of 14, she was already attending to clients under supervision.
She focuses on plant-based wellness solutions, particularly in reproductive and hormonal health support. Her mission is to demonstrate that roots and herbs still have relevance in modern health conversations when handled responsibly and professionally.
This is not in any way a ploy to bring down medical science. If I had agreed to take that medication, I would have seen results too.
What we do here is to bridge the gap between medical and herbal science.
Most of the pharmaceutical products currently dispensed by physicians have a long history of use as herbal remedies, and a large percentage of drugs considered “basic and essential” by the World Health Organisation are exclusively of flowering plant origin.
Let us give herbal medicine a chance to thrive.
I have one more announcement.
It is my birthday!
I have already given myself a gift, a smooth face.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
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