With finals season rapidly approaching, and therefore a rise in stress levels amongst students causing seemingly endless breakouts, it seems like pimple patches are everywhere. This begs the question of why are they so popular; do they really work that well or are they just an example of brands capitalising on everyday insecurities?
The initial boom in popularity of pimple patches stemmed from the company Starface, with iconic branding including the neon star patches themselves, as well as the case they come in. The popularity of these stars brought about a rapid spread in stylised patches coming in various shapes and sizes, with many people opting for unbranded, cheaper alternatives to the original versions.
Stylised pimple patches can be used as accessories, with fun, colourful, patterned or shaped stickers often preferred to the clear ‘invisible’ spot covers that likely have similar skincare properties. However, unlike clear patches, stylised stickers can be worn as a statement, drawing attention to spots. Celebrities have also begun to move towards this style of spot treatment, opting for visible patches, rather than aiming to hide imperfections entirely. This rise in viewing pimples as fashion and a mainstream accessory has been seen on Millie Bobby Brown, Florence Pugh, and even Djed Spence, who wears the star patches while playing Premier League football.
I’m not saying that I think spot patches are only used for fashion purposes; they have many benefits when it comes to skincare. Hydrocolloids in pimple patches allow them to absorb fluid and therefore reduce spots. Pimple covers are also useful as a physical barrier, to protect spots from the environment, allowing them to heal without further irritation. This coverage also prevents wandering hands from skin picking, as so often happens during times of stress.
I take the shift towards decorative pimple patches making a fashion statement as a way of embracing imperfections, rather than trying to feign perfect skin using clear patches – or worse, concealer.
Image by Yara Amaral on Unsplash.