Ever since I entered puberty - maybe even before then, honestly - acne has made itself at home on my skin. It's rare that I wake up in the morning without a newly surfaced spot, taking the form of a blackhead, whitehead, nodule, pustule, or even a cyst. The spots aren't confined to only my face, either...I'm one of those unfortunate souls who breaks out virtually anywhere. Name any part of the body, and I'd bet money that I've at least had one breakout there. On a normal daily basis, though, I am usually broken out across my face, chest, arms, and back.

I've tried everything to combat the acne. I've gone to a dermatologist, taken antibiotics, and used a medical-grade sulfur wash. I've tried chemical products with salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide and all-natural products that don't contain more than three ingredients. All the varying types of washes, exfoliants, toners, moisturizers, and face masks I've tried are useless against my skin. I practice decent skincare, as well: I always take off my makeup before sleeping, rinse my body after exercising, drink a ton (and I mean a TON) of water throughout the day...nothing helps.

Trying to deal with the acne has been awful (and painful) enough, but the way people look at me when I'm breaking out particularly badly is almost worse. I constantly got made fun of in middle AND high school, with other students labeling me the classic "pizza face," claiming I don't shower, or even brazenly coming up to me and asking, "Oh my god, what's that on your face?!" The plain-faced bullying dwindled as I got older, but the ignorant remarks and rude questions persisted. When people see the red, swollen spots all over my face, chest, or back, I know they still recoil on the inside and assume I'm some sort of gross creature who does something to deserve it.

The stigma around acne is something I'm faced with almost every single day, from almost every single outlet. Skincare commercials always guarantee their products will "cure" any type of breakout or skin issue out there...advertised by young, bubbly girls with no acne in sight, of course. Makeup is branded by how many imperfections it can cover, and I don't think I've ever seen a model - whether on catwalks, in magazines or online campaigns - with a single spot of acne. The stigma is so ingrained in society that I see it often in my own friends, who panic over a single breakout and call themselves so disgusting and ugly...leading me to quietly wonder what they think of me, someone who is covered in acne spots and scars.

That being said, though, everyone has a right to complain about their skin issues, whether it's one spot of acne or thirteen. Because the bottom line is: no one is perfect. Specifically, no one's SKIN is perfect. I don't know anyone who doesn't wake up with a breakout every now and then or with another skin "problem" like texture, wrinkles, psoriasis, or rosacea. I say "problem" in quotations because I often wonder to myself why they're considered "problems" at all. Having some sort of skin imperfection - whether it's a constant issue or just a once-in-a-while unpleasantry - is all too common. Kids, teenagers, young adults, older adults...skin problems happen to everyone.

Yet, acne and other skin imperfections are constantly and harshly shamed in practically every sector of our society. The skincare and makeup industries are fueled by trying to hide these issues. Individuals with imperfect skin are never cast in campaigns; and if they are, their skin is airbrushed or photoshopped until it looks impossibly smooth and clear. In movies and television, the classic "outcast" characters are marked by loads of acne or other issues, branded as the "ugly" or "unfortunate" comic relief. Even in real life between peers at school, friends, and even family, having skin problems is either publicly shamed and made fun of, or it's considered such an offensive topic that everyone just pretends it doesn't exist.

This stigma, in correlation with my own personal mental health problems, has greatly contributed to my lifelong struggles with self-image and self-esteem. I hated myself for having acne throughout middle and high school, spending what seemed like hours flipping through advertisements and models' Instagram pages and asking myself, "Why can't I look like them?!" I would spend more time than I'd like to admit locked in the bathroom, picking at all of my pimples and breaking down in tears when my skin just became even redder and more irritated. I STILL do it, to be honest. But, I'm tired of it, and I'm ready to stop hating my skin. And I think everyone else is, too.

So here is my plea to society: Stop shaming acne. Stop shaming wrinkles. Stop shaming redness, uneven texture, psoriasis, rosacea, or any other skin "issues." Instead of making fun of the person with rashes or assuming the person with bad acne is dirty and never showers - look around you. Look at yourself, too. Take a second to realize that these imperfections are incredibly common and can happen to everyone, under no fault of their own. Even if you're the type of person who only breaks out once in a while, it still happens, and it's nothing to be ashamed of or upset over. We are all so much more than our outside appearance and the attributes that society hates. Screw letting the media or others decide what the epitome of beauty is, anyway - what do they know?

As society begins to reject overly photoshopped models and other dishonest human ideals, I am hopeful that the stigma around skin issues will eventually shrink to one that is much less hurtful and mentally traumatic. There are so many people taking to social media to tell their story and post refreshingly unedited selfies, showing every wrinkle, zit, or rash: take Hailey Wait, Leia Immanuel, or Peter DeVito for example. Even celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, Justin Bieber, and Lili Reinhart are joining the movement and opening up about their skin "flaws" and the dishonest media techniques that hide them.

So, the next time you freak out when your makeup won't cover your scars or you spot a zit in a recent selfie, take a second to breathe and remember that it happens to everyone. When you wake up with more breakouts, redness, wrinkles, or anything else troubling, remember that you are still a beautiful, incredibly valuable human being. Don't let friends or family members talk bad about their appearance or shame themselves because of skin conditions; remind them how common it is and how stupid society's beauty ideals are, anyway.

Imperfections are reality - it's time we start treating them that way.