Barnacles (disease)
Template:Disease Barnacles are a skin disease that primarily affect teenagers of Bikini Bottom. They are the main focus of the episode "Barnacle Face," in which Template:Data:Links gets one and tries many ways to eliminate it. They are the underwater equivalent to acne, a real-world skin disease in humans that commonly occurs during the phase of puberty.
Signs and symptoms
Barnacles are mini, dark purple arthropods that primarily affect the face. They are formed when dead skin cells and oil from the skin clog hair follicles. If manually attempted to remove them, lime-green pus will spurt out in reaction.
Causes
Barnacles emerge once a fish or other sea creature enters puberty and their body hormones proliferate, seeing as how they only affect teenagers. As with acne, they seem to be caused by clogged hair follicles.
Pearl's were caused by unknowingly using Krabby Patty meat as soap to wash her face.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is made when the patient is going through rapid physical body changes due to puberty and may be affected by the presence of face barnacles.
Treatment
Barnacles seem to be very difficult to remove, as attempts to do so will only result in their duplication. However, many attempts are made to remove Pearl's, such as using a concealer and jackhammering them, to no avail. At best, they can be hidden by face accessories.
Role in episode
Pearl gets a barnacle on her face in front of the Bikini Bottom High School and all her friends start making fun of her as a result, leading her to cry to Template:Data:Links and Template:Data:Links. The latter agrees to try to remove it for her and pulls off many failed attempts, such as using a concealer and jackhammering them, which only leads to the barnacles increasing in prevalence. The gloves come off once it is revealed by the next moment that Pearl has unknowingly been using Krabby Patty meat as face soap because her father is so cheap.
SpongeBob settles on using some of Mr. Krabs' fancy diamonds to hide the barnacles on Pearl's face. Satisfied, Pearl thanks him as she goes off to the dance and her friends are impressed with her new look, although Mr. Krabs is not happy that she stole his diamonds.
Trivia
- Barnacles are also sentient beings within the SpongeBob SquarePants universe, as a talking male barnacle briefly appears on SpongeBob's house in "Unreal Estate."
- Pearl also gets barnacles on her feet later in "Married to Money."