‘Pimples are in’ – the rise of the acne positivity movement

The Guadian ^ | September 18, 2018 | Laura Barton

[EdnaMode]

t was on a family holiday that Kali Kushner discovered, abruptly, just how others viewed her skin. “At the end of the day I washed off my makeup,” she recalls. “My nephew said: ‘Why is your face so dirty?’ It took me a minute to realise he saw my foundation as a ‘clean face’ and acne as dirt.”

Soon after, Kushner, 23, from Cincinnati, Ohio, began documenting her struggle with acne on the Instagram account @myfacestory – her experience with the drug Accutane, dermarolling, makeup, scarring, hyperpigmentation, alongside all the ways people have responded to her acne, from her husband, who has been steadfastly supportive, to the traffic police officer who assumed she was a junkie. To her surprise, people began following. Today, with more than 50,000 followers, she makes up part of the growing acne positivity movement.

After years of oppressive aesthetic perfection, acne positivity is a drive for people to be more open about their skin problems, from the occasional spot to full-blown cystic acne. It joins recent moves to celebrate the many and varied appearances of our skin – from vitiligo to freckles and stretch marks – but also seeks to educate those who still believe that acne is a problem for the unwashed and unhealthy.

[EdnaMode]

There is nothing positive about acne. Nothing.

[doorgunner69]

Logical follow-on to the Grunge era.

[Rebelbase]

[gubamyster]

If I was still in High School:

Great. They can take the “cool” girls & I’ll take the ones with clear skin.

[TADSLOS]

Dang. Beat me to it...

[Celerity]

Ever see the movie “How to get ahead in advertising”?

I recommend it. It’s HILARIOUS and it’s about this exact thing.

[JPG]

I remember an ‘add’ in Mad Magazine, way back when, for a pimple cream for teens. It wasn’t to get rid of pimples, it was to give you pimples. It was designed for teens that had clear skin, but felt left out, and wanted to fit in better with their pimply friends.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Acne used to be a much worse problem than it is now. Some young folks got it really, really bad. I don't see those extreme cases much anymore. It must be devastating to one's self confidence because it usually strikes during high school years when people are most sensitive about their appearance. Thank God they have better treatments now.
 

[SpaceBar]

Bacteria is the new black.

[arthurus]

Quit eating bread and pasta. Quit eating sugar. No acne for most.

[lowbridge]

Where was this sentiment when i was in high school?

[griffin]

being gay is in
government sponsored theft is in
looting is in
being a victim is in
Islime is in
having uncontrolled acne is in
What next? Leprosy?

[dljordan]

“Acne used to be a much worse problem than it is now. Some young folks got it really, really bad. I don’t see those extreme cases much anymore.”

I went through high school in the 60s and it was bad for some people. really bad. I don’t see that now.

[softengine]

Cystic acne is not the product of bread, pasta or any other food. Don’t get me wrong, calling acne the new cool thing is asinine. But no, bread does not cause it. Hormonal.

[ThanhPhero]

I have been going back and forth to Việt Nam since 2003. Back then I saw no one there with acne, not even a little. As the country has become richer and people eat more packaged foods and more American and European style foods acne has appeared, more in the cities than in the towns, but it is becoming a normal part of growing up. Among the Việt Kiều on this side of the ocean I have seen the same process operating. The kids in the households that stuck to Vietnamese fare did not get pimples. As their kitchens Americanized more and more of them have been afflicted.

[doorgunner69]

What's next?

AIDS and hepatitis.

[arthurus]

I managed to convince all three of my daughters to stop with the bread and pasta and sugar when they started to show their first bumps. That ended it. Maybe the Good Fairy smiled on them but I do believe the diet change did the trick.

[olivia3boys]

Acne is caused by testosterone. Yes there are terrific prescription treatments now. Very rare to see it these days where I live.

[arthurus]

All those girls have testosterone flooding their systems? Down here in Florida acne is not a male specific malady. I have seen it shortstopped with diet changes too many times to discount that remedy and that includes my three girls.

[CtBigPat]

This is actually a thing: Zits toy