Fed-up women spend more than a month and a half of every year suffering from bad skin days, according to new research.
Every month the average woman has to live with spots, redness and dry or greasy skin for a total of four days.
That's over six weeks - 48 days - of every year plagued by nightmare skin.
But flawed skin could be bad news for employers as nine per cent admit to calling in sick to work to avoid facing colleagues while suffering from spots.
Another 13 per cent would also try to get out of a business meeting if they were suffering from bad skin.
A spokesman for top skincare brand Eau Thermale Avène, which carried out the poll, said: ''Having troublesome skin, whatever the condition can be really worrying for women.'
''When it starts affecting a person's confidence and their day to day life, it's time to act. Our skin is the body's largest organ, so it's vital we look after it. We have a wide range of products for every skin type.'
''Having a thorough skin care regime is something women should start as soon as possible; it will pay off dividends in the long term. Cleansing, toning and using a moisturiser with an SPF is an absolute must as exposure to the sun is the biggest cause of premature ageing.''
But the poll of 2,000 women revealed that it's not just our work life that suffers as more than a quarter are so self conscious about the state of their skin, they shy away from talking to people altogether.
Almost 12 per cent have even called off a date because they couldn't bear the thought of a guy seeing their bad skin.
Researchers found that 44 per cent of all adult women are worried about their state of their skin, with spots or acne the main cause for 31 per cent of respondents.
Almost a quarter suffer from wrinkles while another eight per cent have to live with redness and flushes.
But bad skin is no laughing matter for some women as a quarter are left feeling embarrassed by their breakouts and more than one in five claim they are depressed because of their appearance.
A third also say they suffer from little or no confidence while 38 per cent feel ugly if they have bad skin.
And a staggering 36 per cent of women are left feeling so self-conscious about their skin that they reckon their quality of life would improve dramatically if their skin got better.
A spokesman for Eau Thermale Avène added: ''Our range of skincare products offer solutions for all skincare dramas so there's no longer any need to suffer with bad skin.''
The poll found that some people have the right to be concerned about their bad skin though as 37 per cent say they are less likely to concentrate on what someone was saying if they had a spot.
And 16 per cent say they would take someone less seriously if they had spots or acne.
