Tender Bumps, Fungal Acne? :(

[paytower4562]

 

 

 

 I have these horrible round and wide bumps and they’re so tender. They sometimes have puss and sebum underneath them and when I squeeze them really hard it comes out, but some of them don’t and are just tender and painful to squeeze. The one in the middle that’s red I squeezed and it just bled, pussed a little and bruised. They haven’t gone away no matter what I do and I don’t know what they are. I don’t think they’re fungal acne because they’re not that small or uniform. I want them gone pls help 😞

[WinglessOne]

@paytower4562  That kinda looks and sounds like cystic acne. Don’t try to pop any more of those bumps! Squeezing them will likely drive all the crud in them further into/around your skin beneath the surface, leading to more breakouts. You really shouldn’t try to pop any type of acne yourself, but especially not cystic acne. 

Unfortunately, cystic acne doesn’t respond well to many OTC products. You mentioned not wanting to see a derm for cost issues but honestly, that’s your best option for this kind of acne. A derm can diagnose the type of acne you have; it might not be cystic after all. If you do see a derm, ask them any other skin related questions you might have; get your money’s worth out of them! 

[ather]

@paytower4562  What are you using using for skin care? I’ve struggled with bad acne and it would always come back in the same place over and over. I’ve switched my skin care to basics and then started adding products one by one. I’ve recently tried SEPHORA COLLECTION Clarifying Peel Pads 60 Pads and I’ve noticed a huge difference in my skin. I haven’t had any acne since I added it to my routine. I’ve also beef double cleansing and I believe it’s helped as well. I know when I used a lot of products my skin was not happy so when I minimize my products I’ve seen better results. 

[Redtroop]

@ather I saw that you mentioned these peel pads before. Do you think they are worth using if you already use other products with salicylic acid? I looked and it seems that's the main ingredient in them. I'm curious if you would share what else you use in your routine? I agree in keeping it simple but am struggling a lot with very similar breakouts as @paytower4562 I'm also considering going to the derm from utter frustration. 

[ather]

@Redtroop  I’m not sure if you’ve used salicylic acid if it would work. My routine is pretty basic. I use a wipe usually SEPHORA COLLECTION Cleansing & Exfoliating Wipes Hemp  usually watermelon or coconut. Then I use Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel 7.5 oz/ 225 mL  then I use SK-II Facial Treatment Essence  then I use the SEPHORA COLLECTION Clarifying Peel Pads 60 Pads  I use The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane, Signs of Aging Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL  2-3 times a week. I’ve been loving Tatcha The Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing Moisturizer 1.7 oz / 50 mL  as my moisturizer. 

i had a really bad spell of big puss filled acne and I basically went down to just a cleanser and the sk-ll and a light moisturizer until it was gone. I went to my dr and she tried me on every medication possible and nothing seemed to help me. I also started washing my brushes and my spounges more and tried a less is more makeup. I’ve been dealing with adult acne for the last 10 years and my face has never been this clear. 

[Redtroop]

@ather Thanks so much. I'll check out those products. My skin has never been this bad. When the quarantine began is when it started so I thought it was stress related. But I also went off some hormones that may have helped my skin. So I'm thinking this is hormonal. I posted yesterday about using a resurfacing mask that has AHA and BHA. Any experience with using anything like that? I'm nervous but have heard good things about the one I got (peach & lily)

[ather]

@Redtroop  I also bought a pore vacuum hoping it would help clean the gunk out of my skin. But my skin was too sensitive to it too. I came home from work yesterday and my husband had all these marks on his face and I guess he Tried to use it on himself and he now has bruises all over his face 😂

[Redtroop]

@ather Oh no!! 😳🤣 Funny I've been making my boyfriend take better care of his skin...well more like I'm taking care of his skin. I have a rose hip oil I don't use any longer so I use it on him! Also make him use a face scrub. Can't ever see him using anything on his own like your husband did haha!

[ather]

@Redtroop  I should also mention I’ve switched to no dairy and less sugar. We eat out maybe once a week. Not even. I think those may have all been factors in my skin. Since I’ve stopped having tons of dairy and sugar my skin has been way better. My friend also made that change and noticed a huge difference. I’ve used Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Night Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL  I really liked it when I first started using it. I also have #Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial™ 25% AHA + 2% BHA Mask 1.69 oz/ 50 mL  my skin reacted bad to it my face turns to a tomato and burns sooo bad. I try to only use it 1-2 times a month. I probably won’t re purchase them. I’m in Canada so babyfacial isn’t available here anyways. And the TLC I stopped seeing results over a long period using it. I have SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion Toner 5.4 oz  and it has AHA in it so I’m trying to be careful with products and what I’m using. 

[paytower4562]

I use a cetaphil face wash, the ordinary glycolic toner, clean and clear oil free moisturizer and Mario badescu buffering lotion or tea tree oil for problem spots. I can’t tell if it’s a reaction to the products I’m using, I’m considering going to a dermatologist but it’s really expensive.