Pimples....Unavoidable but Fortunately Treatable Evils

Everybody called her “Miss Pimply”. She was Radha di of our colony. A student of high school, she was among the senior most members of our colony’s kids group.

Being in junior class I was really bad at fathoming the real context of several words. ‘Pimply’ was one such word. I don’t know if I belonged to the dumb generation that lacked this capacity or the children of today are smarter as they know lot more than what we did.

Anyways, the word ‘Miss Pimply’ had become synonymous with Radhi Di. She was very good at all sports. She would easily beat boys in their feats.  Defeating her was no piece of cake for even the strongest contenders.

As a child I was always eager to explore and execute silly things. Whenever I heard Bhaiyyas calling Radha Di as ‘Miss Pimply’ my curious mind began to wonder what this word actually meant.

Once when my curiosity could not be contained I approached one of the Bhaiyya’s of our colony to gain knowledge about the word they often used for Radha Di. He said, “Pimply means beautiful, just like a queen you can say”.

Aah! Finally I got the answer. So, it was a compliment that everybody showered on Radha di. This was what my miniscule mind registered. But even though it was a compliment I never saw Radha Di responding very positively towards the word. May be she was too modest and took all compliments in her stride.

It was my birthday party. All my friends arrived in their best outfits. Radha Di too looked different with light make-up on face. She looked pretty. I wanted to compliment her as I always admired her. So, as she approached me to wish I with a glee said, “You look Miss Pimply”. The very innocent comment bereft of any malicious intention seemed to change her expression. If not wrong I could sense it was sadness that overtook her smile and her eyes looked wet .My mother hearing my words gave me a curt look.

I couldn’t make out why my compliment disturbed her. After the party was over, my mother made me realize about my faulty expression. She explained to me about the actual meaning and harshness of the word that I so innocently hurled at Radha Di. After knowing the truth I was taken over by guilt and apologized to Radha Di the very next day.

Well, this is how I learnt about the word “Pimple”. I came to know that this six-letter word that perfectly and contradictorily rhymes with the word dimple is no compliment. Unlike its rhyming companion dimple that increases the face value of an individual, pimple has devastating effect on an individual’s personality and also on his life.

 Although I was lucky enough to have a good skin with rarely any skin problem, there were many who were not so fortunate.

At different stages of my life I met different people juggling with skin problems. I came to know that life with pimples is not easy, it has the capacity to impact your daily lives.

The horrifying stories of those suffering from acne made me realize that I was really fortunate. My friend, my cousin and some others who were close to me went a hell time due to this anti-skin problem.

Pimples generally occur at adolescent stage. Several studies have shown that it occurs most frequently between the ages 12 and 20. The likelihood of developing acne or pimples is highest during adolescence due to elevated hormone levels.

Now this hormonal play that takes place in teenage and causes unwanted skin problems becomes social misfortune for many. It often makes people feel embarrassed about their appearance and at times even leads to low self-esteem. They develop inferiority complex which hinders their overall development.

Adolescence is the time when every individual is most concerned about his looks, skin, dressing and overall appearance.

Everyone desires to look attractive and anything hindering their presentability becomes a matter of chief concern. One such horrendous enemy of most teenagers are pimples and other similar unwanted eruptions on skin.

My school friend Maneka had  a fair complexion and sharp features. She was pretty but the pimples on her face marred her beauty. No matter how well she dressed, how well she spoke and behaved, everyone first met her pimples and then her.

Whether moving in the school bus or sitting in the classroom or attending tution classes or any other gathering her pimples never went unnoticed. While some just looked at these unwanted pimples with disgust, others sympathised with her and showed their unwanted concern by asking a volley of questions. How it happened? When it happened? What she was doing for it and so on.

Maneka often got irritated with such unnecessary concerns of people. She hated people talking about her pimples.

Over a period of time I noticed a change in her which was most unlikely of her character. To term it appropriately I would call it social withdrawal syndrome.

She became reclusive and preferred to stay back, avoiding situations that required confrontation with people. She feared negative appraisal by others as it filled her with the feeling of unworthiness and bitterness. At times she even missed some important classes that ultimately affected her academic performance.

Studies have proved that acne, pimples and other related skin problems have substantial psychological and social impacts on teenagers.

Adolescence is the stage where individuals begin to develop their personality. This time peer acceptance is very important. Unfortunately various studies have revealed that there are strong links between physical appearance and attractiveness and peer status.

My friend who was also in her growing stage went through the undesired phase. However, after some quality efforts she managed to get rid of pimple problem and with time gained back the much-needed confidence.

My cousin was of marriageable age. Her parents were looking for a suitable bridegroom for her. Everything was perfect, her looks, height, education and family background. But one problem ruined all other positive aspects.

Often she had these big pimples appearing on her skin that disqualified her for the most crucial test. The unwanted eruptions occurred more sincerely when some suitor was coming to see her. It seemed as if they conspired against her.

The very appearance of the pimples made the special guests very conveniently turn down her proposal. Every time she faced rejection she was very disappointed. She felt dejected and was annoyed with herself.

But thankfully she had a loving and supportive family. They helped her to cope with the problem. She consulted with some good dermatologists and after quality (and expensive) treatment there was significant improvement.

Finally, she qualified the selection test and is now happily married.

Researches have proved that some problems are very common amongst the patients with skin problem like lethargy, mood disturbance, behavioural problems, feeling of unworthiness etc. These are the psychological impacts that if ignored for long can result in major problems. Hence these should be carefully dealt with.

Once there was an article on newspaper that stated a man divorced his wife because of her pimples. Well, that headline was scary.. a marriage broke just for pimples?  I never realised the potency of pimples ever-before.

While working in a firm in Delhi, I often took a private bus to my office. There was a girl who also boarded the same bus. She had severe pimple problem. All the fellow passengers who came to notice her discussed about her. Some were so loud that they made her feel uncomfortable.

I wonder how insensitive some people can be. Don’t they understand that their thoughtless words are making someone feel bad? Well, maybe they belong to the category of individuals who lack the rationale of a mature and sensible being.

I am sure there are many people with pimples who face similar unwanted situations in their daily lives.

Call it insensitivity of nature or human, the truth is that appearance matters for sure. It is the first thing that one notices about you.

Having a flawless, glowing skin is good but those with skin problems like pimple should know that it is no misfortune. It can be easily dealt with. Patients with skin problems must remain patient and learn how to combat the factors that bother them or cause unnecessary problems in their lives.

If one takes proper care of skin then things can be different. There are several home-made remedies as well as clinically proven products in the market that work wonders for the skin.

And for all those who find it funny making fun of others looks and master the art of passing rude comments or taunts must learn to become little more sensitive towards others feelings.

Misconceptions and Myths about Pimples

Some consider pimples as ‘unavoidable evil’ and some as ‘part of growing up’. There are some misconceptions about pimples that often lead to worsening of situation.

To get rid of pimple pop it

Some believe that squeezing pimples can help get rid of them. The fact is that when you do so with your fingernails or even an extractor it can leave open, visible wounds that are prone to infections and also result in deep scars.

Pimples are inevitable part of Growing up Process

It is an old wives saying ‘Acne is a sign of adolescence and will wear out with time’, hence it should be allowed to run its course.

It is always better to treat the problem at the very onset. If left untreated for long then permanent damage to the skin is possible. This could be extremely difficult and expensive to repair.

Acne is an Adolescent problem

Only adolescents are prone to acne and pimples. True, teenagers are more susceptible to these skin problems due to hormonal changes but even some adults face this type of skin problems.

There are several other misconceptions about the pimples like sun exposure can cure, oily food aggravates acne, washing the face often can be helpful and so on…

The worst type of thing I heard about is that individuals with pimple problems should be married. Can marriage help get rid of pimples?

Well, this great suggestion was offered to one of my friends by a doctor whom she visited concerning her acute acne problem. I am no skin expert but the very suggestion coming from a specialist sounded weird.

Finally, I would like to conclude my discussion by saying that no problem is big if you decide to combat it. So, everybody out there who are facing pimples and other skin problems take care of yourself and love yourself. 

This article has been written for a contest sponsored by Garnier Pure Active Neem
bit.ly/GPABlogLinkIndiBloggerActivity and bit.ly/GarnierPureActiveNeemWebsite