And it has nothing to do with him.
I’ve had times before where I wouldn’t let a guy enter my room until all the lights were turned off and he couldn’t see me. Like, hello? Who am I, Princess Fiona? The man probably thought I turned into an ogre or something. Oh, but no…it was just that damn acne that I had the pleasure of covering with concealer up until this moment.
This has nothing to do with the guy and everything to do with me. He’s the kindest, most accepting human, but man, do I feel like I don’t deserve it when he has to look at my raw, bare face. I remember the first time I went over to his place for a sleepover. Chaos ensued. I looked at myself in the mirror and almost burst into tears. I genuinely considered canceling because I didn’t want him to see my imperfections.
I ran around my bathroom in full panic mode. Do I put on pimple patches? What about creams? Do I just suck up the long-term effects and wear makeup to bed? That’s when I needed this community the most.
Feeling at a total loss, I called my friend for emotional backup. She told me that when she was dating her now husband, she once felt the same way, embarrassed and anxious about him seeing her breakouts. He looked at her and said, “If he doesn’t love you with acne, he won’t love you with wrinkles.”
Damn.
Let me say that again: if he doesn’t love you with acne, he won’t love you with wrinkles.
It’s always going to feel hard being vulnerable around your seemingly perfect new partner. But I promise, if they are the right person for you, they’re not thinking about your blemishes. They will just be happy to fall asleep next to you, to roll over in the middle of the night and kiss you…not to analyze your skin with a magnifying glass.
You’ve got this, and I believe in you. Remember: you are still a babe.
Blemish Babe Tip:
Something I love is the Glymed+ Sulfur Clay Mask as a spot treatment. When I have those extra red spots, I’ll put a thin layer over my skin. It dulls the redness, acts as a spot treatment, and doesn’t dry me out (since it’s clay-based). It helps me feel a little less exposed (and a lot more confident).