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Can I model with…Honest answers

Can I model with acne?

Last verified

The short answer

Yes, you can apply. Agencies ask for makeup-free digitals so they can see your skin as it is, and what they describe looking for is healthy condition, not an unmarked face. Parts work (especially hands) is the exception, because the skin is the product.

The receipts

What agencies and guidelines say

  1. 01
    Premier Model Management lists "Skin, hair and overall condition" among what it assesses, and describes the bar as healthy.[1]
  2. 02
    Kim Dawson asks for digitals with "no filters, makeup, hats, or sunglasses", and Ford for a "clean face with absolutely no makeup": agencies expect to see real skin.[3][12]
  3. 03
    Parts Models asks hand models for "Flawless, smooth skin with evenly shaped nails": for parts work, skin is judged far more closely.[14]
  4. 04
    The American Academy of Dermatology advises giving an acne product 6–8 weeks before judging it, and adding one product at a time.[44]
  5. 05
    The AAD's 2024 acne guideline gives benzoyl peroxide a strong recommendation.[43]
  6. 06
    Adapalene 0.1% (Differin Gel) has been approved for over-the-counter acne use in the US since 2016.[46]
  7. 07
    The AAD says to see a dermatologist if acne hasn't improved after 6–8 weeks, if you have deep nodules or cysts, or if it is scarring.[45]

What to do

If you want to apply

  1. 01Send digitals anyway. Don't wait for clear skin, and don't filter or retouch them.
  2. 02If you want to work on it: one active at a time, daily SPF 30+, and 6–8 weeks before you judge it.
  3. 03If acne is painful, deep, scarring or affecting your mood, a dermatologist can prescribe things we can't recommend.

Your score

Skin is not part of the model-readiness score at all. We don't judge faces, and our AI never rates skin; it only notices whether a photo is filtered or too dark to be used as a digital.

Questions

Asked, answered.

Should I cover acne with makeup in my digitals?
Agencies ask for no makeup. Some photographers' guides allow a very light touch, but a filtered or heavily made-up digital works against you more than a breakout does.

More: Can I model if I wear glasses?

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