Help! What is this how do I get rid of it?!!!

[kenkr01]

I’ve had this for about 6 years on my chin It recently appeared on my cheek also I’ve checked to see if it was a dairy sensitivity but it wasn’t the problem

[AnitaSyne13]

Hi, these look like closed comedones, which in this case, is a fancy term for "whiteheads" and means the follicle is completely blocked. This is very common during teenage years due to excess oil  production/diet/hormones but if you don't treat it at a young age, it will progress and follow you into adulthood because the bacteria and dead skin cells have nowhere to go. Although this forum is great for suggestions, I'd recommend seeing a dermatologist or esthetician for treatment options, if this is your very first time attempting to treat it. A licensed professional will evaluate your skin, ask questions about your lifestyle (diet, activities, skin care regimen, age, genetics etc) and determine what's best for you, based on that evaluation. Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, causing you to sweat? Do you live in a city that's humid? Do you use a heavy facial moisturizer/spf? These are some things to ask yourself when trying to narrow down the cause. You can start by cleansing your face with a non-scented micellar water or gentle non-scented face wash (ask a Sephora cast member for a recommendation) to clean bacteria and environmental stress at the beginning and at the end of the day, tea tree oil or witch hazel which are gentle and natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatories and a non-scented gel moisturizer that won't clog pores (I love the Burt's Bee's gel moisturizer with Royal Jelly) to retain your skin's moisture while using toners and acids. Switching your pillow case as often as  possible, tilting your head back when rinsing your hair in the shower so the oils from your head don't run down your face and limiting your dairy/sugar/carb intake are also very important. Believe it or not, your diet has so much to do with your skin quality/texture. A dermatologist or esthetician can also perform safe extractions, meaning, they remove the "plug" causing the blemish or microdermabrasion which cleans out those pores/follicles. This is something that can be done to jumpstart your treatment and periodically (once a month) to keep your face clear. Glycolic acid, salicylic acid and azelaic acids are generally used to promote cell turnover and get rid of the dead skin cells; I would definitely consult with a professional about where to start because acids can be very strong and cause severe drying and even burn the skin if used improperly. Using an SPF while using these acids is VERY important as it makes your skin extremely sensitive to sun exposure. You can speak with a virtual dermatologist on curology.com, submit photos and purchase a monthly subscription for a personalized 1-3 step treatment to get you started, until you can see a professional. Avoid products that have coconut oil in them, as they can clog the pores, check your makeup and current face products for ingredients that will irritate or cause acne on cosDNA.com by typing in the name of the product as it appears on the package and looking for the number 3,4,5 and higher under the "acne" and "irritant" column. Discontinue any products that have a high rating. Skin care is a journey and a struggle at times; remember, sometimes the skin gets worse before it gets better (this is called the "purging" phase) because everything needs to come up and out of the skin to the surface so, it can be an emotional battle as well. You can always come to this forum for support! Good luck!

[makeitup305]

hi  ! From the picture it looks to be closed comedones, which are clogged closed pores that can be caused by your skincare or hormones. I urge you to read this article https://www.selfDOTcom/story/how-to-treat-closed-comedones (can't post active links here), which goes pretty in depth as to what they are and how to treat them. To give you a TL;DR, what you want to do is NOT PICK AT THEM because they will get inflamed and can later scar. You want to exfoliate regularly with chemical exfoliants (not a walnut scrub or something similar) in order to get rid of the buildup of dead skin cells and oil. Ingredients such as glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and benzoyl peroxide are good for exfoliating your skin. I suggest staying away from alcohol because, even though it makes your skin matte temporarily, it can be very drying and actually make the situation worse. I'm not a dermatologist, so take the following recommendations with that in mind.

1. Wash your face morning and night and make sure you're washing your pillowcase regularly. A basic cleanser like Cetaphil or CeraVe is fine. You don't need that many actives in your cleanser since it's getting washed off right way. 
2. Use a toner. You can try the OLEHENRIKSEN Balancing Force™ Oil Control Toner 6.5 oz/ 193 mL SEPHORA COLLECTION ClearSkinDays Brightening Toner 3.2oz/100mL
3. Use a hydrating or balancing serum or moisturizer. Both of these lines have serums and moisturizers as well. I would start with using a moisturizer that doesn't contain actives so that your skin doesn't dry out to much from the exfoliants while you're first starting out. More actives isn't always better, especially in the beginning.
4. Use the SEPHORA COLLECTION - Clear Skin Days by Sephora Collection Brightening Peel Pads or a mask once or twice a week.
5. USE SPF! Acne can leave dark spots on your skin so using SPF is important, not just for anti-aging and cancer but to make sure those spots fade faster.

[Gabby99k]

I don't really know what exactly you're referring to. Your skin just looks bumpy and you have some slight hyper pigmentation from acne scars it looks like. You could just start using an exfoliating acid and it would probably help both of those issues. 

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner 8 oz/ 240 mL

[kenkr01]

Thanks I’m currently using that now I just have a hard time remembering to use it at night 😂

[makeitup305]

@kenkr01 if you're using this, don't use it every other day, would be my recommendation. Start with a 1-2 times a week and build up to maybe every other day. This isn't a substitute to a cleanser and you probably would need a good moisturizer, and definitely SPF! Acids remove a very thin layer of skin so if you don't use SPF you're exposing baby fresh new skin to harsh UV rays and can cause dark spots on your skin.