Why I Love Wearing Pimple Patches in Public

Pimple patches are probably on my face right now, regardless of when you're reading this. No matter what time of day it is or where I am, you'll probably find at least one small, circular hydrocolloid bandage on my face. They tend to be thick and noticeable, so people typically stick them onto their faces before bed. For me, though, pimple patches are a 24/7 situation.

Not only do I wear them to sleep, but I also put them on during daylight hours. Beyond wearing them to work on a daily basis, pimple patches have accompanied me to a Korean spa, backstage at New York Fashion Week, and to a bougie beachside resort. And if I get married next year like a psychic recently told me, I'll most likely have an acne sticker somewhere on my face while standing at the altar. Basically nowhere is off-limits for public pimple patching, as I like to call it, and nowhere should be. (A line similar to this will probably be in my wedding vows, too.)

Luckily, strangers have never asked me about my public pimple patching. I have no idea if they think I have cuts or burns all over my cheeks, and I don't care if they do. Most of the time, my friends don't even realize I have them on because my eye makeup distracts them. In fact, I've even inspired them to become braver with their public pimple patching. My friend Sarah texted me a couple weeks ago that she walked out with a pimple patch on for the first time, and I felt like a proud mom.

My affinity for public pimple patching runs about as deep as my love of corgis, yellow eyeliner, and printed jumpsuits. (To quote Julie Andrews, these are a few of my favorite things.) Needless to say, I didn't necessarily need my love of public pimple patching to be validated, but recently it was. While backstage at KCON LA, I spotted Hongseok from Korean pop group Pentagon with a bunch stuck along his jawline. Honestly, I was probably more excited to see acne stickers in public than being in the same room as one of my favorite K-pop groups.

K-pop stars are known for their immaculate, glass-like skin, so spotting one in the wild treating their breakouts was unexpectedly refreshing. Let's be real, even thin, clear pimple patches like the Cosrx Clear Fit Master Patch and Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Invisible+ can easily be recognize. And once you notice it, you immediately know that behind that little sticker is a pimple. It's like there's suddenly a neon pink sign over your head that says, "I have acne." This is probably why some people aren't as big of fans of public pimple patching as I am.

I have no intention of hiding my cystic acne, though. It's not a secret — at least not anymore. In fact, public pimple patching has helped me accept my cystic acne. For most of my life, I was tricked into thinking that I needed to conceal it and view it as an imperfection, despite the fact that acne is one of the most common skin conditions in the United States, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. So I Hannah Montana'd my acne. I slathered on foundation and concealer in hopes of fooling everyone into thinking I had smooth, spot-free skin, and it worked. People would tell me how amazing my skin looked. At the end of the day, I'd wash off my makeup, remember that my skin was (and still is) dotted with cystic pimples, and I'd cry. I'd beat myself up over it, too, feeling like I was living a lie.

Although I've been public pimple patching for a good year now, I didn't realize that it was helping me come to terms with my skin until recently. I subconsciously substituted acne patches for concealer, in hopes of allowing my breakouts to heal in a more efficient way. This thought process makes sense as pimple patches help absorb excess fluid, like oil and pus, without drying out skin whereas foundation can just irritate them more and further clog pores. Plus, they keep me from touching my face. I have a bad habit of popping my pimples, but I don't even think about picking at them when they're covered up. I still wear base makeup every day, but it has a different purpose. Instead of painstakingly using makeup as camouflage, I apply foundation to give my colorful makeup an even, luminous canvas — not necessarily a spotless one. Visible signs of acne don't make my rainbow makeup any less fun to look at, I've come to realize.

At nearly 27, I never thought I'd still be on an acne-acceptance journey, but here I am. Apparently, my skin likes to do its own thing as much as I do. Fortunately, it likes public pimple patching, too.

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