Acne affects us all, from the minute you hit puberty late into adulthood. Pimples are gross, uncomfortable, and are a pain to get rid of sometimes. Some people have obnoxiously clear skin, while others have not-so-clear skin. There’s a good mix of skin types and people out there, so why do we perceive acne as this negative, alien being that grows on our faces?

My skin is something I’ve always taken care of since I began to break out, which I believe started when I was 12. My mother drilled it into my brain that I had to wash my face constantly, wear hypoallergenic makeup that wouldn’t break out my sensitive skin, and that acne was an awful thing that I shouldn’t ever have to deal with. Well, she was partly right: acne is something we shouldn’t have to deal with, and I do have sensitive skin that breaks out easily. However, a couple weeks ago, I had a terrible inflammatory breakout that looked almost like bruises: the pimples on my face were red, swollen, and stung. It was the worst breakout ever, and it made both of us cry because all of our hard work to keep my face clear felt like it was all for nothing.

I went to the doctor because I honestly thought it was a rash on my face, so I was put on tons of medication to get rid of it. I finally went to the dermatologist and was put on a regime that cleared it up within a couple of days (thankfully). But, I still had to walk around without any makeup on for almost two weeks with bruise-like acne all over my face. To say the least, it completely shattered my self-confidence and I cried literally every night because I thought I would never have my perfect skin again.

After crying and feeling gross, I really started to think about it. Imagine the thousands of people with acne ten times worse than mine who deal with it for years, or almost their whole lives. Imagine how they feel? Then it hit me: what if they don’t feel anything at all? What if they’re the people who have the most self-confidence, or they’re the people who hold themselves the highest because our society automatically shoots them down for little bumps on their face that EVERYBODY gets. When I say everybody, I mean everybody. You can’t talk to one person who hasn’t had a pimple in their lives (except maybe my grandmother). So why are people so obsessed with it? Why do we have to pick on people for the way their skin looks? Why do we cringe when someone walking down the street has acne? Why do we pity people for it?

Here’s my take on acne: stop treating it like a disease. Yes, I freaked out over my small little breakout and was overdramatic about the whole situation. But I take medication to stop acne that’s been working for six years, so a breakout as bad as that wasn’t normal. On top of that, it was stinging, incredibly red, and painful to touch, so I wanted to get rid of it ASAP. If you really are concerned with the way your skin looks, visit a dermatologist, take care of your skin, but do not judge other people based on what their skin looks like. Acne is completely normal, so don’t freak out if you get a couple of pimples from time to time. Acne is a human thing, so quit treating it like it’s a disease from outer space.

To all the people who don’t feel confident because of what their skin looks like: you are so beautiful! Don’t let judgment go to your head because there are much more important things in life than what your skin looks like. So walk around without that makeup on, let your skin breath, and be the best you, whether you have no clue what a pimple is, or have twenty of them. Pimples are normal, so let’s start normalizing them!