Nothing ruins a morning more than waking up to a teeny tiny volcano growing out of your face. This has been my experience every single morning for the past week. As someone who has been blessed enough to have relatively clear skin throughout puberty, I can honestly say that I’m currently dealing with the most stubborn pimple of my life.

About a week ago, (eight days to be exact, but who’s counting?) I had that pre-pimple feeling – you know when it’s painful to the touch but you can’t really see it yet. I rushed to extinguish said pimple. Despite my typically very effective efforts, it wasn’t long before my zit decided to make itself known, right on the tip of my nose for everyone to see. I’ve been walking around the halls looking like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for eight whole days now, people. No amount of makeup, medicine or prayer seem to conceal it.

It wasn’t until today that I have finally decided to give up. Who cares if I have a zit? What authority do any of my pizza-faced peers have to judge my pizza face? In high school, blemished faces like my own are a dime a dozen. This could be a result of stress, poor eating habits or lack of hygiene which, whether it personally applies to you or not, are staple teenage characteristics which are proven in our generally acne-ridden faces.
So, why should I worry about my acne making me stand out in a way that is unflattering while in reality, having it actually makes me blend in with everyone else struggling with the same thing. We as teenagers are united in our struggles, acne being one of many. We should not be ashamed of something that is completely out of our control as well as completely natural.