When I was a teenager and into my mid-20s. I even told someone "I feel bad leaving my apartment because then people have to look at my face" I think she thought I was kidding but I was dead serious. Then when I was about 25 I made a comment to some friends "I just wish I wasn't ugly" (which was really my passive, cowardly way of bringing up this insecurity, but hey, I had horrendous communication skills) and she's like ":| you're not ugly, you just look like an average white girl" (she's chinese). And tbh that meant a lot to me lol. All I wanted was for someone to say that I wasn't ugly. I can deal with being average or plain or whatever.

It didn't magically change my whole self-esteem and transform me into a confident, attractive person, but it did impact me. And by my late 20s I started to actually feel good about myself. I could look in the mirror and I was happy. But I still struggle and avoid mirrors sometimes. But yeah, it used to impact me and definitely influenced my social anxiety. But tbh self-esteem is more than looks.