I was 14 when the spots arrived, turning a boy who got admiring glances on the bus into an unlovable outsider. But were my problems more than skin deep?
In 1996, Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet came out and, as a 12-year-old blond boy with pale blue eyes and clear skin, I got plenty of attention as a wannabe Leonardo DiCaprio. I still remember my London Underground travelcard photo, styled to resemble the 90s heartthrob. I thought I’d look like this for ever.
It wasn’t to last. The spots arrived, gradually at first, then all at once. Blackheads sprouted across the “T-zone” (chin, nose, forehead); pimples appeared; and my skin took on a raw, reddish hue.
