We were lucky to catch up with Kiara Alles-shah recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kiara, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
I truly believed confidence was luck and I was just unlucky. When my acne was at its worst, I was so consumed by my lack of confidence that I wasn’t able to take accountability for my actions so, luck was the answer I had to settle for as to why I was so ‘different’ from everyone else I compared myself to.
I remember my first ever real skin campaign photoshoot that I modelled for. At the time, it felt like a safe space and technically, it was the beginning of my skin confidence journey however, now that I look back, I’ve realised I wasn’t confident at all throughout that entire shoot because my choice to go to the shoot was conditional. ‘If my skin is clear enough, I’ll go’ is what I told myself one week before the shoot.
Since then, every time my skin flared up again, the first things to go were my confidence and self-esteem. I felt like it was out of my control at the time so, I’d just let it happen. This year (2024) my skin flared up the worst it ever has and I knew I couldn’t go back to that place of no confidence again so, I wrote down every single thing my acne had ever held me back from doing over the last 5 years. I’m talking about the mundane things that people with clear skin get to do on a daily basis without even thinking about it. Being able to physically see some of these simple things like going to the supermarket without makeup for example really put things into perspective for me and that’s when I started having real conversations with real people about what their skin really means to them and what it holds them back from doing and achieving.
That is what developed my confidence. I didn’t just want to be accepted. I wanted to be my own cheerleader and that’s exactly what I am now but I’ve also got 6000 other cheerleaders who use my authenticity to help them become their own cheerleaders! That’s powerful and that will continue to develop over time alongside my confidence.
I have so much confidence now because I chose to reflect. I took all the events from my past that I saw as negative and took at least one positive learning from each one. I reflect on my life to better myself rather than to fit into a specific standard that has been set for me and that’s why my confidence and self-esteem are what I’m known for and now what I do for a living. You can’t make this stuff up lol. Thank you acne!
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
One thing about me, I had NO plan. I fell into my career by accident and now I’m THE Acne Mindset Coach!
I knew acne was my future because despite having my most severe acne breakout at university, I still wanted to know more about why acne = confidence loss. My final year thesis was on ‘The Psychosocial Experiences of University Students with Acne: A Thematic Analysis of Social Identity Processes.’ From the findings alone, I knew what my purpose was.
My content creation journey started with my second post on my Instagram page @healing.with.ki in February 2021. I propped my phone up against my water bottle because I didn’t have a tripod or even know what one was to be honest. I sat on my bed with two of my favourite CeraVe cleansers, posted and crossed my fingers.
I got deep into content creation working with some of my favourite skincare and beauty brands. At the time, it genuinely felt like a dream because acne/skin positivity was still a relatively new concept and I was changing beauty standards one brand deal at a time. However, this also meant I massively struggled with my confidence and showing up. I still create content for brands now but it’s not my passion and it never was.
I launched sKIn Discovery in July 2024. I knew my expertise was in confidence. The first thing I said to my own mindset coach was ‘I just want everyone around me to feel as incredible in their real skin as I do.’ After years of researching and six months of mindset coaching to overcome my limiting beliefs, I unlocked a new level of confidence I didn’t even think was possible. That’s when I realised my acne itself wasn’t the problem, it was how my acne made me feel and what it held me back from doing that was really concerning. One thing I’ve said to my clients and anyone I speak to is if you’ve never had acne, you can never relate and that’s why I created 1:1 Acne Mindset Coaching! It’s all about YOU and YOUR goals. You can have glass clear skin but then what? Who are you as a person?
Within sKIn Discovery, I have my Skin Confidence Club community full of driven women who have skin conditions. It’s basically just a big group chat where we can all finally feel seen and heard. Every Friday, I ask everyone to put their small weekly wins in the chat and that has massively improved everyone’s confidence. Without acknowledging your small wins, a big win means nothing.
I know I’m going to be BIG. I’m already known as the skin confidence girl but I want to be on stages. I want to blow people’s minds because who I am now is exactly what I needed when I couldn’t make sense of my acne. Now I have access to myself every single day so, my mindset is powerful. I can’t wait to help more women take their control back and realise having skin confidence is not luck, it’s a choice.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Taking accountability for my actions – until you start taking accountability for your actions, you’re not working on yourself, you’re working against yourself.
2. Having an inquisitive mind – This is how I turned my ‘negative’ into a ‘positive.’
3. Intense passion – I waited until I had clear skin to start my Instagram page and I massively regret it because, in the end, I built my entire personal brand by going back through my phone and posting pictures and videos of what my acne looked like before I went on accutane and my skin cleared. So, no, I did not wait for clear skin to start my business and if you’re reading this because you have a skin condition or any insecurity, you shouldn’t either. If you’re passionate enough about something, you’ll do it at your worst and at your best.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
My mindset coach.
This might sound like subconscious marketing and that’s because it is. My mindset coach didn’t take me to the level I’m at now, I did.
What my mindset coach did do, was create the trust and foundation for me to build on by shifting my limiting beliefs (e.g., ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘I can’t handle it all’). Without that, I wouldn’t be able to be at the level I’m at now with the ability and knowledge to take myself back to every event in my past that’s played a significant role in my success.
That’s why people are always saying my content is so relatable. That’s also why I’m THE Acne Mindset Coach because I can take myself back to those lonely days or the days when I had 0 confidence. I embody where my clients currently are and where they want to be and finally, do what’s required to get them there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.skindiscovery.co.uk/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healing.with.ki/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiaraallesshah/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@healingwithki
Image Credits
@neotookthat
@fordtography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
