The one thing that can be said for acne is that it's pretty democratic. It doesn't care how much money you have in the bank or how great your skincare routine is, it can still strike at any time. So why bother hiding it?
With celebrities like Justin Bieber and even New Zealand's own Lorde being open about their skin issues, a new movement is gaining traction on social media: one that invites everyone to celebrate their skin exactly how it is, pimples and all.
Bloggers are using their social media platforms to empower others struggling with acne.
One of those bloggers, US-based Kali Kushner, has used her Instagram account to document her experience with acne and all the treatments she's undergone for it.
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Advertise with NZME.With more than 50,000 followers, Kushner has shifted from trying to hide her acne to a more positive approach of embracing it. Surprisingly, her followers' response to the shift was overwhelmingly positive.
While her Instagram account started as a way for her to track her own journey, for herself, it quickly developed into a platform to inspire others to accept their own skin issues.
She is far from the only one using social media like Instagram to propagate this idea of self-acceptance. The #nofilter movement is growing and there's an anti-Photoshop sentiment developing, with more people wanting to see natural looks online, as a new generation grows fatigued by this relentless pursuit of perfection.
A column in the Guardian points to Kushner as one of the examples of this growing acne positivity movement, a reaction to the oppression of traditional standards of beauty.
The origins of this movement are not entirely clear. According to the Guardian, some trace the beginning of the acne positivity movement to UK blogger Em Ford's 2015 YouTube video "You Look Disgusting".
What followed has been a steady rise of people, famous and otherwise, "coming out" fresh faced and embracing the acne.
Even Justin Bieber posted on his Instagram story proclaimed "pimples are in".
Pimples have since graced runways at fashion shows and you're not really a proper female celebrity these days if you don't post a "make up free" selfie on Instagram.
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Advertise with NZME.Teen Vogue even has the "Acne Awards" now, to further cement the status of zits as officially cool.
The acne positivity movement is attempting to clear the erroneous view that acne is a problem that only affects the lower social economic status, an issue of the unwashed.
It most definitely isn't. It is also not an issue that stays in those terrifying years of teenagehood. It is estimated that about 25 percent of women over 30 all over the globe still have acne.
It seems society is ready to stop hiding behind makeup and come out as perfectly imperfect.
