Bumpy Face Blues

By Bernadine McIntosh

"Oh my goodness!" I gasped as I looked into the mirror. Imagine my surprise at waking up one morning at age twenty something to a face covered with pimples. This was definitely not a good start to my day. " I thought I'd left all of that behind. How in the world did I get all of these pimples overnight", I thought to myself.

I immediately got out my Clinique cleanser and a cotton ball and began frantically scrubbing. But of course we know they don't disappear immediately. "How am I going to go out in public looking like this," I thought, vanity immediately kicking in. "Everyone's going to notice." Make up of course was a no-no because I didn't want to make it even worse. Ever been there? Well I'd been there all through my teen years. I'd paid my dues or so I thought.

Acne is a skin problem that is common to most teenagers. It is a problem that can cause uncertainty and self-consciousness. It feels as if everyone is staring at you, which usually isn't the case. However, if you wake up one morning to a face covered with pimples, or as we Bahamians say a "bumpy" face don't fear. It won't last forever. However, here are a few things you can do to minimize the effect of acne on you.

· Cleanse your face properly morning and evening, especially if you wear makeup.
· Dry your face gently with a clean towel.
· Use a mild acne fighting cream.
· Don't use makeup, if you have pimples. (I'm still crying over this one)
· Don't pick or squeeze the pimples (it's tempting I know, but try to resist)
· Try to eat foods that are not so high in fat.

Remember, if you have a skin problem now don't despair. You'll have beautiful, smooth, unblemished skin one day. This too will pass. You're probably wondering if that's true what am I, a woman in her twenties, doing with pimples. Well, I wish I knew. However I'm definitely going to be more vigilant with my facial care routine from now on.

March/May '02