I have a lot of zits, and I'm really self-conscious about them. I went to a dermatologist and I'm about to go back, but the stuff the dermatologist gave me didn't help before, and (he said) it would take a couple of months to clear up. How can I feel more confident and think that it's not just the zits that people see on me? —Nicole, 16, Austin, Texas

OK — I totally feel you, sister — I also had a major zit problem and thought it would never go away. I tried everything: every antibiotic, every lotion and I even went on Accutane twice. (Accutane is a very controversial pill that most doctors use only as a last resort for acne that doesn't respond to any other treatment.)

Here's the only thing that ended up working for me: eating the right foods and drinking enough water. Whenever I'd read about drinking enough water and stuff in magazines, I'd just be like, yeah, whatever, blah, blah, blah. But the fact is, now that I drink two tall Poland Spring bottles of water and I've cut the sweets and junk out of my diet (I eat lots of fish and veggies), my life has changed!

You might not love vegetables and salmon — but I'm telling you, Nicole, once you see the effect they have on your skin, you will learn to live with them. Before you spend tons of time and money at the derm, just try changing your diet for a few months and see if you notice a difference.

But your question has a lot more to do with just your skin: You need to feel more proud of yourself. What are you good at? (Don't say nothing!) If you're not sure, you need to try out different clubs and activities — whether you do it at your school or in your community.

For me? It was all about singing. Turned out that I was a really good singer, and so my successes in that arena (whether I had a solo in choir or the lead in the school play) made me feel like I was more than just what I looked like. It gave me something to feel very proud of.

Find that thing for yourself. Everyone's got a talent. It's now your job to try different things that interest you to find out what yours is. Good luck!

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Questions may be sent directly to Atoosa Rubenstein at: dearseventeen@hearst.com. Atoosa Rubenstein, the founding editor of CosmoGirl! magazine, is the editor in chief of Seventeen magazine. © Hearst Communications, Inc. Distributed by King Features Syndicate Inc.