Infected pimples on chin area

[Dianadote]

Hi! I'm currently on an acne treatment with Epiduo (benzoyl peroxide) and Doxilyn (antibiotics), because I have a lot of acne. I've been using the treatment for a little more than a month. My forehead has cleared up a lot, but my chin area has started to get a lot of infected pimples. They hurt, they're big and red, and whenever they disappear they always come back again. It's always around my chin area, I barely have any other problem areas anymore. Does anyone know what I can do to stop the infected pimples? I can't go a day without like five big pimples, and I have no idea if my treatment will help.. 

[Mndee]

I have the same problem as you do. my Dr prescribed me epiduo as well (in Canada it's called tactupump) I used to have smooth clear skin and then all of a sudden I had terrible acne especially on my chin and on the sides of my nose. epiduo can be painful and burn your skin so you have to be careful with which products you buy and mix with it. I bought the OLEHENRIKSEN line , the green oil control line and it works really well. I bought the facial cleanser, the sauna scrub (my favorite), the counter balance oil control hyderator moisturizer and the toner. My acne has started to really clear up. I also used to take biotin pills for hair growth and then stopped taking those because they cause cystic acne so that helped too cutting out those pills. hope that helps !

[Mndee]

also try seeing your Dr about taking oral antibiotics because if it's an infection under your skin the topical antibiotics might not be doing it. oral antibiotics will push it all out hopefully. Sometimes if I get a really huge cystic pimple I will go to my dermatologist and get a cortisone shot right into my pimple and the pimple will literally disappear within the day.

[Dianadote]

Thanks a lot for your advice! I'll definitely look into it. My dermatologist set me up with that treatment I'm on, and I can't get another appointment with her before I'm done with the treatment, which is in two months. I agree with the hormonal acne thing, I did some research and it's probably hormonal. 

[Chelseaaf]

I have the same exact thing it sucks. It's hormonal acne unfortunately and I feel like it NEVER goes away. But a combo that I've been using with my skin care routine at night is the sunday Riley Luna sleeping oil and the Sunday Riley good genes lactic acid treatment and they have really helped with my problem areas on my chin/mouth area! I recommend it. And your skin might get a bit irritated and itchy and flaky at first because of the retinol in the oil but just give it time. It's great

[concreteroads]

Would agree with @Anonymous that patience is important!

That said, a lot of what you've said sounds like it could be hormonal acne-- cystic (big/angry/red, and mostly under the skin), localized to your chin, and recurrent despite you taking both an antibiotic and using a topical treatment (Epiduo includes not just BP, but a retinoid, and is generally pretty effective-- since the rest of your skin is doing fine, you also don't seem to be irritated by these products). I would definitely go see a dermatologist or even a GP to investigate whether your acne is hormonal, as hormonal acne often has underlying causes (e.g. polycystic ovarian syndrome, PCOS, or a birth control that isn't working out for you) and is also treatable with different types of medication. 

[MegDea]

Have you tried any vitamins for acne? I take puritans pride zinc for acne and every time I try to stop, just cuz the tablets are weird shape and I have a hard time swallowing pills, my acne comes back. Don't know what the magic is in it because I've tried regular zinc and it doesn't help but might be worth a try for you.

[Anonymous]

Hi! I'm currently using Differin (which used to be prescribed but is now OTC) and they claimed that I would have clear skin in 3 months. It's been more like 5 months for me to really see a major difference. I think the main thing is patience with this kind of stuff. After you wait a while and see that nothing is happening, then I would consider seeing a dermatologist or trying a different treatment. Also check to see if you've been using any new products that could be causing this to happen. I hope this helped!