When One Battle With Acne in a Lifetime Isn’t Enough
Navigating the humbling reality of menopausal pimples
When my face came up on the screen, I thought there was something on the camera lens.
I’d overslept and rushed into my home office to join a Zoom meeting before doing anything other than a cursory glance in the mirror.
I cleaned the lens. The spot was still there. Then I noticed the spot stayed put as I moved my head.
Oh my god — the spot was on my face.
I had a huge, angry pimple right in the center of one of my laugh lines.
As if my menopausal hot flashes, wrinkles, and brain fog weren’t enough.
Now I had acne?
Battling breakouts… again
The last time I had acne I was 14 years old. It was bad enough that my mom took me to a dermatologist. I flipped out when the doctor wanted to draw blood.
The test was required for prescription acne medication, but my fear of needles was greater than my desire for clear skin. I left the office with over-the-counter salicylic acid.
It didn’t help.
Once I got an after-school job, most of my spending money went to acne treatments. Television…
