Class 5 | Chapter 1 | My Body

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Ouch! A pimple!1

Anu is a little girl, not quite in her teens. She enjoys watching beautiful actresses and models wearing pretty clothes with colourful makeup on television as well as in magazines and newspapers.

pages of a magazine.

“What is troubling you, Anu?” asks her mother.

“Ma, I want to be beautiful like these people, but look at me. I have these horrid pimples and I feel so ugly,” says Anu.

“Anu,” explains Ma, “Pimples are a part of growing up. *Hormonal changes in your body often give you pimples. All you need to do is look after them. Pimples do not make you ugly or beautiful. Beauty comes from within. Your kindness, generosity and smile make you beautiful.”

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“How do these people look so nice?” sighs Anu.

“Even they must have had pimples when they were younger. Moreover, they have

“What should I do, Ma?” questions a worried Anu.

“Acne is caused by excess oil, bacteria and dead skin clogging your pores. That is why, it is important to clean your face regularly,” explains her mother.

“Is that why Simi rubs her face so hard?” asks Anu.

“You mustn’t do that. It will make the pimples worse. It will also hurt you,” says her mother.

“Instead, remember:

Wash your face gently with soap and water.

Do not scrub hard.

Do not squeeze pimples.

Do not use creams and lotions suggested by your friends without asking me.”

“Ma, why is it that only girls get pimples?”Anu goes on.

“That’s not true, boys get pimples too. Last year, when Chinni akka’s son, Raju was here, he was being treated by a dermatologist** for his pimples”, she recalls.

“Oh, yes!” says Anu.

“Look after your skin but do not fret over it. We will consult a doctor if required.” Ma says with a smile.

Anu isn’t so troubled any more. She knows how to care for her skin.

*Hormones are special chemicals our body makes to do certain things like ‘grow up’.

**A dermatologist is the doctor you should consult if you have any