Acne, will it prevent me from joing the Army??

[Grimey Vibes]

I just passed my BARB test today with a score of 67 (All jobs in the army open to me .) I have now looked through the medical form you give to your doctor and it has a section on Determogolical (I can't spell it) and asks about Acne. I went to the doctors for treatment last year and i have tablets (Which are not all that great, but work a little). Does this mean i cannot join the army?? Do i have to be clean for a number of years??

Any help on the matter would be appreciated as it would gut me if i could not join because of what most of the nation go through sometime or other in their life. Has anyone who has/had acne join the armed services??

Thanks

[Worthers Original]

The Army doesn't employ ugly splods so your acne may well mean that your face is too offensive to wear the Queen's uniform.











Actually I don't think it will make much odds.

[Sticky Blue]

Possibly! A friend was refused entry as an RAF firefighter because the respirator couldn't seal aroud her face. She took tablets and plenty of sun and got in.

[wooly22]

Ive seen a few people with bad acne in the army so it might not be a problem, guess its one of those things you do or you dont, lifes a bugger While on the subject of skin, has any one have any allegies and marks on there body as i am now going through the recruitment process, i was wondering whether it would be a problem on the medical examination. The allergy was due to cheap German washing powder and then irritated my skin on my back and chest, any thoughts from you guys would be great

[antphilip]

The main concern will be your shoulders and back as there is a concern with webbing rubbing against it causing a multitude of problems for you.

[Langarotti]

Grimey Vibes,

I have minor acne; while I was at CTC I was given pynoxyl (or something like that) to prevent irritation from cam cream. My acne became particularly bad in the field, though I also have allergies. May have just been woodbury rash though.
It all depends on the severity off the condition, they will probably give you some medication similar to mine. It affects people differently in different ways, you might find you get reactions to it in the field you might not.

[Tab]

One of the problems with this is, that you could turn into a festering mess if you go into a jungle or the desert. The flies and insect just love those running pimples and go straight fo juice, it is a fine nectar for them and you will wind up looking like some thing that has escaped from a Hammer house Of Horror film set. Still you might already look like that and in that case why worry.

[AdamR]

If you have it on your back try and get it cleared up before you start basic (they won't let you in if it's too severe on your back for starters). Even mild acne can turn into a painful rash if you're covering any significant distance with a rucksack/bergen, not so bad in itself but leaves you wide open to infection.

[Grimey Vibes]

Ok, thanks for the replys. I do not have bad acne, its just i get large spots on my face. Thats why i have tablets to keep these down. I get a spot or two on my back, but i dont get them often. I will update you on how it goes.

Thank You

[Guest]

Are you lot for real???? There are people dying and you talk of spots

[Captain_Crusty]

Waiting to get BFT time down and Para Insight Cse: surely an oxymoron?

[Grimey Vibes]

Waiting to get BFT time down and Para Insight Cse: surely an oxymoron?

How is that??

[MikeMcc]

The Army doesn't employ ugly splods so your acne may well mean that your face is too offensive to wear the Queen's uniform.

They employed me!

[Captain_Crusty]

Waiting to get BFT time down and Para Insight Cse: surely an oxymoron?

How is that??

The sort of person who needs to get his BFT time down (given that you are considered 'fit' by the system if you can run round the course in ten and a half minutes) is probably not the sort of person the paras are going to be looking for.

I'm not saying that it is not possible to get yourself fit enough to be a para; it is more that if you have allowed yourself to get into the physical state where you struggle with your BFT, you probably do not have the right ethos for the paras.

[Grimey Vibes]

mmm, i would like you to know i am a qualified Fitness Instructor. I do not struggle to get around the course, i just couldn't do it under 9.18, i can now however. How could you be more wrong about i am not what the Paras are looking for?? The Staff Sgt and Sgt at AFCO are really pleased with my effort and determination to be a Para, that i have worked hard to get my run time down. You don't know my attitude or mental attitude towards my aim of being a Paratrooper, in fact i doubt you have even read one of my posts before that since you are new, so just don't undermine my effort i have put it over these past months.