I have been looking forward to this weekend for a month. For one thing, it’s Dope-A-Ween, and I’m looking forward to seeing some of the people I met when I was in DC this past spring. For another, I’m meeting Airman Doors, USAF for the first time IRL. (OK, that’s the REAL reason I’m looking forward to this weekend. :))
Yesterday, I was at work when I felt a lump on my upper lip. Puzzled, I went to the bathroom and found a four-pound zit staring at me. Aw, shit, I thought. Just what I need. Now, it’s very muggy in Houston, and that doesn’t help my skin. I can usually expect a mild breakout. But this fucker takes the cake.
This morning, I looked in the mirror, and not only had Hortensia (as I’ve come to call it) grown another six pounds, she took the rest of my lip with it. I looked like I’d gone the distance with a four-year-old and lost.
So, I did what the nice first-aid website told me to do. I used Motrin for the swelling and pain and hot compresses to try to bring Hortensia closer to the surface. [TMI alert]While I had a hot compress on my face, Hortensia exploded into the towel, ruining my appetite. So it’s now three pounds, but my lip is still pretty swollen.[/TMI alert]
Which brings me to the subject of my rant. I am thirty years old, dammit, and I still have acne. I’m not a bad person. I wash my face well each day and avoid the sun. So what is it about Mother Nature that makes her hate my guts to the point where my skin breaks out like a teenager’s? And why the fuck did this have to happen THIS weekend? Now I’m gonna get off the plane, and Airman is gonna look at me and barf.
I know this is whiny, but I just want reassurance.
Honey, Airman is gonna come sailing off of that plane and be so verklempt over the excitement of being within 10 feet of you that the Leviathan Engorgement that is this zit won’t even register on the nice man’s radar. He’s an AIRMAN. He knows radar.
It will not matter. This face to face is about several thousand important things coalescing simultaneously and becoming pure light, pure bliss.
Stress not, my little parakeet. This will be the Mother of all Weekends. True love prevails.
Um, Robin, I don’t want to get too mushy and make everyone else barf, so I’ll just say that I have intimate experience with huge exploding monster zits.
Believe me, that’s the very last thing I’ll be worried about. There is nary a thing that could ruin this weekend, except if the Davemobile can’t be fixed. Then I’ll be a little annoyed. But I’ll get past that. See you in a few.
Other people don’t notice our flaws the way we do. Dave’s gonna be so excited about seeing you, a blemish here or there won’t matter at all–and besides, he’s a guy. Since when have guys ever noticed anything?
Don’t worry about your face. I’m 37 and my face breaks out worse than when I was in high school (yes, I know you were looking for reassurance, hang on, I’m getting to it) and it hasn’t affected my ability to get laid at all.
Have faith in your dear Airman. He’s already smitten with you, and I’m sure he knows that zits happen, what with him being a member of this fighting-against-ignorance board and all.
The face to face isn’t going to be ruined by zits. When I met my bf IRL, I had The Mother Of All Flus, and he still loves me. It’s about spending time together, and you’re going to have a bliss-filled time. Cartooniverse is right.
Don’t worry about it. As Geobabe said, they’re never as bad to other people as-- does a double-take and drops her soda – holy fluirking mother of god, what IS THAT THING ON YOUR LIP!?!?!
No no, I’m just kidding. I’ll bet by the end of the weekend it’s nothing but a wee scab and a bad memory. I’m 34 and I still get the occasional zit. Sigh.
Don’t feel so bad. I went through a serious acne breakout and after those deep mother fuckers finally were able to pop, they ended up all nasty and I got scabs from them (about 5 or 6 total on my face – my back was even worse.)
Well, you know how scabs work, once they really start healing they start to itch. I am a night scratcher, big time.
I woke up with blood on my pillow many mornings from my scratching at them during my sleep. I would pick at them because they itched so much (same with my back) during the day, they itched that much. Not even hydrocortizone (extra strength) worked.
Well, four months later all is starting to heal but I will still have to go in and get micro-derabrasion to rid my face and back of the scar tissue.
Oh and yes, I have been pretty much hiding from most of life. So don’t feel bad that one zit got in the way, it could be worse and you could have spent four months with horrific looking shit on your face that scares virtually any little kid you see while you sit at home and pray no one sees you.
I’m 33, my hormones went wacko on me. They still are but thankfully the acne isn’t as strong as it was several months back.
First things first. Change you pillow case right away, this will minimise some of the germies that come in Direct contact with you face. Also you might want to cut back on the dairy too, becuase some of the hormones they give the cows can make you skin brake out. Also remember, it’s what’s on the inside that counts anyway.
Hortensia has grown again. I am planning to go to the urgent care center today to have it looked at and drained and so I can start antibiotics. I see no reason for a hole in my lip.
I read in a medical text book that was published before antibiotics, carbuncles (really large zits that involve multiple pores) in the middle third of the face were often fatal.
Didn’t manhattan say that exploding zits stories belong in MPSIMS? I was just lucky to have found this one. Care to provide more details?
Here’s my $.02 worth, FWIW - - like all free advice.
You might have roseacea. I, too, am in my 30’s and used to get large, painful zits around my lip-line and cheeks. They turned out to be a symptom of roseacea.
A dermatologist can prescribe some cream. She’ll also tell you to cut back on caffeine, alcohol, sun, hot baths and showers, exertion that causes your face to flush, etc. Hooey. I read some stuff on the web and found that a big trigger for roseacea is perfumed things. I switched from shaving cream and a safety razor to an electric razor (FWIW, I’m male) and haven’t had a problem with it since. In fact, I even quit using the cream.
Have fun this weekend! And ditto what others (and, most importantly, what A. Doors) have said: this is not a big deal.
[Amusing liar hat on] Sure. Tell everyone what your parting words to me were when we spent a fun-fillied weekend together!!! SURE ! GO AHEAD !!! Like I don’t have feelings too!! \\SOB///
What Cranky said to me was,
[Amusing liar hat off]
<--------Doubled over with laughter. Oh GOD I hope this hits Cranky’s computer on a good day.
MsRobyn, I stand by my initial assertion. However, in the interest of romance and fun memories, you MIGHT want to have some t-shirts silkscreened up real fast for you and Airman that say,
I just got back from the urgent care center, and the doctor saw no reason to drain it since it’s been draining on its own. He did put me on Keflex for the next ten days and Vicodin for the pain and told me to keep up with the hot compresses. (Note to self: Make this guy your personal physician :D)
Thanks to the miracle of antibiotics and narcotics, not only will Hortensia go away, but I won’t care while it happens.
Ivorybill, I have been evaluated for rosacea and the dermatologist thought it was just plain old acne. Gave me Retin-A, which sorta helped, but not enough. When I see my doctor for follow-up in a couple weeks, we will be discussing better acne control.
lee, under normal circumstances, I’d be happy to oblige, but it is lunchtime and I am trying to eat. Maybe in a later post.
(and if a mod thinks this thread isn’t sufficiently Pit-worthy, feel free to move it. Thanks!)
