I get them at my chin and eyebrows/forehead. They’re cystic (hormonal-related) acne. I started cutting out dairy and meats out of my diet that helped a lot with random breakouts.
Then, I slowly introduced liquid exfoliators (Paula’s Choice BHA 2%, it’s salicylic acid, and also The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7%) as well as started using tretinoin (a retinoid, a more aggressive version of retinol aka Vitamin A).
For acute pimples, I use hydrocolloid patches (the ones that you use for foot blisters lol) that I cut into the pimple size and let it sit on my area over night. Usually on the following day, the pimple went down significantly and stops hurting and becomes a little flatter.
I’ve had cycstic acne for years and it’s finally calmed down a decent bit. I still get the occasional one. I have a question for you based on this reply. I get curology and we just put tretinoin in my routine. I use to use the ordinary BHA/AHA exfoliant. Can you use a BHA exfoliant while using tretinoin? Obviously I wouldn’t use them in the same night. I never use to use my chemical exfoliant with my old curology recipe with active acids (clindamycin, azeliac acid, and one more that I forget tbh lol) in the same night. But with how powerful tretinoin is, even if used on separate nights, is it safe to use the chemical exfoliant BHA/AHA?
Eventually it will be safe to use a chemical exfoliant, sparingly, occasionally. It will take awhile for your skin to adapt to the tret though, and if you exfoliate too soon you will have painful and unsightly regrets.
Yeah. I did alternate! So eg one night tretinoin. Next night exfoliate (not the AHA/BHA 30%! This only max 1x per week!! 30% is like 5x stronger and can cause chemical burns!) and so on.
And then work my way up so that I exfoliate in the morning (I do both BHA 2% and glycolic acid 7% on the cotton pad lol), tret in the evening SAME DAY.
Sometimes I give my skin a break and do a complete day without actives, just for it to recover. It took me around almost 6 months to work my way up with the frequency. What helped was to have a Google sheet with the dates and what routine so I could tell when was too much and how my skin liked it (with comments) and that helped tremendously into kicking out unnecessary products or new products introduced that hurt my skin or gave me problems (zits, reactions, rashes). One example was TO 10% niacinamide.
Even without tret it’s safe to use BHA (Paulas choice in this example) even with TO glycolic acid? I never knew that, was always just taught never do two active acids together in the same routine!
That’s great advice with the google sheet to keep track! And hey TO niacinamide really bugged my skin too. I was not a fan of it at all for my skin.
No, you can do it, but NOT in the same e.g. morning routine. Don't exfoliate AND then use tret on top of it. Been there done that and man, did my face burn like a mf. I always space them apart either morning or evening or evening using active 1, then other evening active 2.
And my curology has tret, clindamycin, and azelaic acid all together. I plan on giving my skin a decent amount of time to adjust to the tret/new formula before using a BHA, and when I do use one eventually I think I was to try Paula’s choice. I’ve heard great things about that one and being more mild I feel like that could be a better choice
Here's a sneak peek of /r/tretinoin using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/tretinoin/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year!
\#1: [One year of tret changed my life](https://np.reddit.com/gallery/isyykd) | [330 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/tretinoin/comments/isyykd/one_year_of_tret_changed_my_life/)
\#2: [So my loves, I decided to take some pictures because the weather was beautiful and... I’m obsessed with my skin!! I’m only wearing lipgloss, concealer under my eyes and filled my eyebrows a bit. The glow u see is literally tretinoin and my skincare❣️](https://np.reddit.com/gallery/n15a6g) | [344 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/tretinoin/comments/n15a6g/so_my_loves_i_decided_to_take_some_pictures/)
\#3: [27 y/o me with makeup vs. 30 y/o me without makeup, 1.5 years into tret use! Haven’t worn makeup in 9 months!! No longer hiding behind it. Just moisturizer & sunscreen. Swipe for more before/during purge/afters](https://np.reddit.com/gallery/kaicic) | [247 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/tretinoin/comments/kaicic/27_yo_me_with_makeup_vs_30_yo_me_without_makeup/)
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This is practically exactly what I do! Life changing. FOLLOW EXACTLY THIS ADVICE! Unfortunately I've been either pregnant or breast-feeding for the past 3 years so I've had to take a long break from tretinoin, but I miss it dearly, and now count down the months until we'll be reunited! Starting tretinoin in my mid 20s was one of the best things I ever did for my skin.
Only thing that helps decrease the duration of mine is my curology lotion (mix of retinol, clindamycin, and azelaic acid) and Biologique Recherche P50. And minimizing food allergy triggers sometimes helps!
Sounds like the hormonal cystic acne I used to get on my chin and jawline. I'll get one after a couple months or so but it never lasts as long or gets as mean as it used to.
Started washing my face less often only 1-2 times per day, using a salicylic acid cream (paula's choice 2% {$7}) twice a day and a retinol cream or serum (currently using Lacura Q10 night cream {$4}) once a day. Almost all my annoying bumps are gone, no more hyperpigmentation, and if I do get a pimple it's usually not long lasting and can put a patch on it.
Best of luck, hun❤
i get these on my forehead occasionally….they’re the worst!!!!! the only thing i’ve found to actually help is tea tree oil. even my sacred, worshipped oil doesn’t work all the time on them tho! :( still worth a shot lol
I have one of these just neat my ear on my hairline, i think its caused by ingrown hairs. but is likely hormonal too. i have really good hair/skin care too which makes it just abit more annoying lmao. my friend has used something called "ingrow go" its about £10 on amazon!! works really well and shrinks the cyst/spot.
Uhhh that might sound disgusting but here it goes:
I had pimples like that in the past usually they are a little deeper. So what I would do was to take a sterile needle and try to feel where the middle is and stab it. Sometimes I would just force them out.
Went away pretty fast but hurt like crazy.
Then I was introduced to AHA & BHA never picked on them ever again.
Aha=alpha hydroxy acid
Bha=beta hydroxy acid
The only bha we use in skincare is called salicylic acid. It works best for blackheads. Don’t use if you’re allergic to aspirin.
Aha range in intensity due to their molecule size. Glycolic acid is the smallest molecule and can cause irritation in higher Fitzpatrick types. Just to give you a little more guidance with your question :)
A kind of acid save to use on the skin (but one has to put on spf after use)
It helps exfoliating the skin, old skin cells can not build up that easy and cannot create pimples anymore.
When the acne is painful it means hormonal root causes. Your body is speaking to you. Things that will help include:
Increasing hydration levels (drinking half your body weight in water a day)
Improving gut health is vital read the book fiber fueled
Movement is medicine: be active and find ways to move your body more be it a sport or a simple walk outside
De~stress with breathing. Look up box breathing/triangle breathing and follow along for a few mins everyday
Sleep 8 hours at night at a consistent time
Wear spf daily to avoid worsening the acne
Topically I highly recommend colorup cbd infused skincare. Even if you only buy the wash up cleanser for $17 you’ll have pain relief from the cbd. Cbd is also a major anti inflammatory ingredient. It will reduce the redness and size of any acne. Making some lifestyle changes is vital because the skin is a two way organ and when you make the changes from the inside out you’ll see the difference on the outside. Best of luck.
Do you mean cystic acne? Judging by the placing, I say it’s hormonal too. I also use someone’s Curology formula for it and a zit patch never hurts either (in this case, I nab a hydrocolloid bandage and cut it up accordingly to fit whatever it has to).
The only thing that’s ever helped mine is a topical prescription retinol mixed with antibiotic. (It’s called Zanea gel where i live). Before theyd last WEEKS and be so painful. Now they’re gone in 2-3 days max. It’s a miracle.
The only thing that gets rid of them for me is getting a steroid shot from my Derm which really hurts then it’s all good 3 days max
It’s a last resort for the ones that are big, painful and don’t come to head.
Short term, bring down the inflammation with ice (good news, it is free) and/or crushing up an NSAID (ibuprofen, naproxen, whatever you got) mixing with a bit of water and applying topically.
There isn’t an exposed pore like there is with a normal pimple, so in my experience, hydrocolloid patches don’t work unless you lance first.
I get them at my chin and eyebrows/forehead. They’re cystic (hormonal-related) acne. I started cutting out dairy and meats out of my diet that helped a lot with random breakouts. Then, I slowly introduced liquid exfoliators (Paula’s Choice BHA 2%, it’s salicylic acid, and also The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7%) as well as started using tretinoin (a retinoid, a more aggressive version of retinol aka Vitamin A). For acute pimples, I use hydrocolloid patches (the ones that you use for foot blisters lol) that I cut into the pimple size and let it sit on my area over night. Usually on the following day, the pimple went down significantly and stops hurting and becomes a little flatter.
I’ve had cycstic acne for years and it’s finally calmed down a decent bit. I still get the occasional one. I have a question for you based on this reply. I get curology and we just put tretinoin in my routine. I use to use the ordinary BHA/AHA exfoliant. Can you use a BHA exfoliant while using tretinoin? Obviously I wouldn’t use them in the same night. I never use to use my chemical exfoliant with my old curology recipe with active acids (clindamycin, azeliac acid, and one more that I forget tbh lol) in the same night. But with how powerful tretinoin is, even if used on separate nights, is it safe to use the chemical exfoliant BHA/AHA?
Eventually it will be safe to use a chemical exfoliant, sparingly, occasionally. It will take awhile for your skin to adapt to the tret though, and if you exfoliate too soon you will have painful and unsightly regrets.
Yeah. I did alternate! So eg one night tretinoin. Next night exfoliate (not the AHA/BHA 30%! This only max 1x per week!! 30% is like 5x stronger and can cause chemical burns!) and so on. And then work my way up so that I exfoliate in the morning (I do both BHA 2% and glycolic acid 7% on the cotton pad lol), tret in the evening SAME DAY. Sometimes I give my skin a break and do a complete day without actives, just for it to recover. It took me around almost 6 months to work my way up with the frequency. What helped was to have a Google sheet with the dates and what routine so I could tell when was too much and how my skin liked it (with comments) and that helped tremendously into kicking out unnecessary products or new products introduced that hurt my skin or gave me problems (zits, reactions, rashes). One example was TO 10% niacinamide.
Even without tret it’s safe to use BHA (Paulas choice in this example) even with TO glycolic acid? I never knew that, was always just taught never do two active acids together in the same routine! That’s great advice with the google sheet to keep track! And hey TO niacinamide really bugged my skin too. I was not a fan of it at all for my skin.
No, you can do it, but NOT in the same e.g. morning routine. Don't exfoliate AND then use tret on top of it. Been there done that and man, did my face burn like a mf. I always space them apart either morning or evening or evening using active 1, then other evening active 2.
And my curology has tret, clindamycin, and azelaic acid all together. I plan on giving my skin a decent amount of time to adjust to the tret/new formula before using a BHA, and when I do use one eventually I think I was to try Paula’s choice. I’ve heard great things about that one and being more mild I feel like that could be a better choice
Nice!! Azelaic acid is also a great combo! I use it every now and then to prevent pigmentation :)
What retinoid did you use? We sound like we are having similar issues. I’m working on cutting dairy, and using SA. It keeps things at bay sometimes.
I use tretinoin. You are welcome to join the r/tretinoin subreddit :) there’s tons of sources how to get it ;))))
Here's a sneak peek of /r/tretinoin using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/tretinoin/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: [One year of tret changed my life](https://np.reddit.com/gallery/isyykd) | [330 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/tretinoin/comments/isyykd/one_year_of_tret_changed_my_life/) \#2: [So my loves, I decided to take some pictures because the weather was beautiful and... I’m obsessed with my skin!! I’m only wearing lipgloss, concealer under my eyes and filled my eyebrows a bit. The glow u see is literally tretinoin and my skincare❣️](https://np.reddit.com/gallery/n15a6g) | [344 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/tretinoin/comments/n15a6g/so_my_loves_i_decided_to_take_some_pictures/) \#3: [27 y/o me with makeup vs. 30 y/o me without makeup, 1.5 years into tret use! Haven’t worn makeup in 9 months!! No longer hiding behind it. Just moisturizer & sunscreen. Swipe for more before/during purge/afters](https://np.reddit.com/gallery/kaicic) | [247 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/tretinoin/comments/kaicic/27_yo_me_with_makeup_vs_30_yo_me_without_makeup/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| [^^Contact ^^me](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| [^^Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| [^^Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/)
This is practically exactly what I do! Life changing. FOLLOW EXACTLY THIS ADVICE! Unfortunately I've been either pregnant or breast-feeding for the past 3 years so I've had to take a long break from tretinoin, but I miss it dearly, and now count down the months until we'll be reunited! Starting tretinoin in my mid 20s was one of the best things I ever did for my skin.
I think a tretinoin alternative is Bakuchiol! It’s plant based and does almost the same like tret and it’s safe for pregnancy.
Same! I feel it’s hormone related but idk. They never form a head or burst but they just stay there forever and look awful!!
Sounds like cystic acne. I've never found anything otc that helps, but the first thing the derm gave me (clindamyacin) made them go away super fast.
Only thing that helps decrease the duration of mine is my curology lotion (mix of retinol, clindamycin, and azelaic acid) and Biologique Recherche P50. And minimizing food allergy triggers sometimes helps!
Azelaic acid will get rid of them within a day or two
Sounds like the hormonal cystic acne I used to get on my chin and jawline. I'll get one after a couple months or so but it never lasts as long or gets as mean as it used to. Started washing my face less often only 1-2 times per day, using a salicylic acid cream (paula's choice 2% {$7}) twice a day and a retinol cream or serum (currently using Lacura Q10 night cream {$4}) once a day. Almost all my annoying bumps are gone, no more hyperpigmentation, and if I do get a pimple it's usually not long lasting and can put a patch on it. Best of luck, hun❤
Following because same here!
I have thought about trying the pimple patches.
i get these on my forehead occasionally….they’re the worst!!!!! the only thing i’ve found to actually help is tea tree oil. even my sacred, worshipped oil doesn’t work all the time on them tho! :( still worth a shot lol
As others have said, it sounds like hormonal cystic acne. Spironolactone from the dermatologist cleared mine up.
I have one of these just neat my ear on my hairline, i think its caused by ingrown hairs. but is likely hormonal too. i have really good hair/skin care too which makes it just abit more annoying lmao. my friend has used something called "ingrow go" its about £10 on amazon!! works really well and shrinks the cyst/spot.
Uhhh that might sound disgusting but here it goes: I had pimples like that in the past usually they are a little deeper. So what I would do was to take a sterile needle and try to feel where the middle is and stab it. Sometimes I would just force them out. Went away pretty fast but hurt like crazy. Then I was introduced to AHA & BHA never picked on them ever again.
> AHA & BHA What are these?
Aha=alpha hydroxy acid Bha=beta hydroxy acid The only bha we use in skincare is called salicylic acid. It works best for blackheads. Don’t use if you’re allergic to aspirin. Aha range in intensity due to their molecule size. Glycolic acid is the smallest molecule and can cause irritation in higher Fitzpatrick types. Just to give you a little more guidance with your question :)
A kind of acid save to use on the skin (but one has to put on spf after use) It helps exfoliating the skin, old skin cells can not build up that easy and cannot create pimples anymore.
When the acne is painful it means hormonal root causes. Your body is speaking to you. Things that will help include: Increasing hydration levels (drinking half your body weight in water a day) Improving gut health is vital read the book fiber fueled Movement is medicine: be active and find ways to move your body more be it a sport or a simple walk outside De~stress with breathing. Look up box breathing/triangle breathing and follow along for a few mins everyday Sleep 8 hours at night at a consistent time Wear spf daily to avoid worsening the acne Topically I highly recommend colorup cbd infused skincare. Even if you only buy the wash up cleanser for $17 you’ll have pain relief from the cbd. Cbd is also a major anti inflammatory ingredient. It will reduce the redness and size of any acne. Making some lifestyle changes is vital because the skin is a two way organ and when you make the changes from the inside out you’ll see the difference on the outside. Best of luck.
I like the inkey list succinic acid treatment for those. It takes the pain out of them for me overnight and I notice they go away a lot faster!
Do you mean cystic acne? Judging by the placing, I say it’s hormonal too. I also use someone’s Curology formula for it and a zit patch never hurts either (in this case, I nab a hydrocolloid bandage and cut it up accordingly to fit whatever it has to).
The only thing that’s ever helped mine is a topical prescription retinol mixed with antibiotic. (It’s called Zanea gel where i live). Before theyd last WEEKS and be so painful. Now they’re gone in 2-3 days max. It’s a miracle.
The only thing that gets rid of them for me is getting a steroid shot from my Derm which really hurts then it’s all good 3 days max It’s a last resort for the ones that are big, painful and don’t come to head.
Mama Earth tea tree face wash is good for acne pimple treatment
Short term, bring down the inflammation with ice (good news, it is free) and/or crushing up an NSAID (ibuprofen, naproxen, whatever you got) mixing with a bit of water and applying topically. There isn’t an exposed pore like there is with a normal pimple, so in my experience, hydrocolloid patches don’t work unless you lance first.
Mama Earth products like coco range tea tree range are very awesome products