​Out, Spot, Out

Growing older also demands growing wiser — especially when adult acne strikes. Mary Lim outlines several strategies to keep the skin zit-free

- Mary Lim

SOCIAL MEDIA NEARLY had us fooled. Kendall Jenner very nearly stole the thunder at this year’s Golden Globes red carpet not for her dress but with the acne on her cheeks and chin. The Internet had a field day as followers chose to diss (or defend) the catwalk princess. She would have none of that, and subsequently called on others to “never let that sh** stop you!”

Singer-songwriter Lorde has also taken to Instagram to share about her struggle with acne. “Do you wash your face? It’s like, yes, I wash my face, I’m just genetically cursed,” she laughed.

Other famous faces who have publicly flaunted their zit-hit miens include Chrissy Teigen, who garnered more than 16,000 likes with her “period skin”, and Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley, who tried “everything” to improve acne until she learnt it was related to her polycystic ovary syndrome.

No matter how these personalities and influencers try to upsell on self-acceptance and confidence, regular folks such as you and I are apt to remain skeptical. It is one thing to battle pimples during puberty; it is another to spend most of your adulthood caked in concealer. Females have been handed the shorter end of the stick — adult acne is more common in women than men, so goes a report in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. The same study also reveals that breakouts appear on the lower third of the face, jawline and neck, suggesting that they are due to hormonal fluctuations.