Jen's Column / Zits Part II

I’ve discovered the common denominator. The one thing that brings us all together. No, it’s not love. It’s not the quest for world peace. It’s not even a really good bottle of wine.

It’s zits.

You wouldn’t believe how many phone calls, e-mails and impromptu conversations I’ve received since last week’s column on my gargantuan chin zits — which are, I’m proud to report, nearly gone, thank you very much.

As early as last Wednesday evening — while tackling hills during a borderline sadistic Running Room clinic — my fellow runner Joy told me about the “zit zapper.” The zapper is a $200 cell-phone sized tool that shoots heat into your zit, supposedly speeding your pimples away. Joy learned of the zit zapper through her daughter, who’s planning a wedding and saving money in the budget for any last-minute eruptions.

Isn’t technology marvelous?

It was the low-tech remedies that really intrigued me, though. A reader named Jennifer told me to “try Windex. It works in the movies!” Another Jennifer (there are a lot of us out here, people) recommended Colgate toothpaste. “Seriously,” she wrote. “Cover your pimples in Colgate and they’ll be better almost overnight.”

Michelle wrote the key is to keep a hot washcloth on your zits as often as possible. Maggie, on the other hand, recommended ice — because, she explained, “hot towels just give me blotches, so we might as well try cold, right?”

Stacie wrote that rubbing mashed garlic on a pimple works every time — while Sarah recommended a cinnamon/lemon juice mixture. And hey — if nothing else, you’ll have a unique perfume.

Julie Jones (yes — the Julie Jones of KWWK 96.5 fame) called to remind me to wipe my face after running to make sure my pores weren’t clogged with sweat. (Julie, by the way, is a hotbed of information. I first met her when she called to tell me how to use bleach in my washing machine after I admitted in a column that I didn’t know.)

Incidentally, it was also Julie who told me that getting the occasional zit doesn’t improve with age. In fact, she noted, it gets worse. “Pretty soon you’ll get pimples on your back end and hair on your chin,” she said without the least sign of remorse.

She wasn’t the only one who shared this bleak news — delivered with a cruel dose of laughter. No, the true camaraderie last week came in the form of “It doesn’t get any better — but that’s OK! We’re all in this together!”

A reader named Wendy wrote, “I’m 42 and still having to deal with [zits] at times…. Doesn’t my body know it’s time to grow up?”

Chris wrote, “I'm 40 and have a nasty one on my left cheek that keeps coming back. It's like having a second nose the thing is so big.”

Jessica told me to be thankful that I have only two pimples instead of four. And Katherine told me I should be grateful that I don’t have shingles all over my head. Indeed.

By far the best message, however, was from a reader named Angie who not only sympathized — but attached a picture of her own zit, which, like mine, was displayed prominently on her chin. That’s sisterhood, people. When you don’t only commiserate, but send photographic evidence as well.

I was so impressed that I suggested we take our zits out for a playdate. We’re getting them together next week. Maybe I’ll pack a little garlic for the trip.