3 replies to this topic

[Melanietif]

my son has always had a problem with acne since he was a teenager, he is now 28 and still has the problem. About a year and half ago I was sitting next to my son and I noticed a very large black head in his ear, next to the hole leading to the ear drum. I tried to push the stuff out with a ink pen, bobbie pin, etc, just could not get it to budge. His wife said he had been trying to get it out and could not either. So a month ago, I noticed it was still there, but so much bigger than it was a year and half ago. My boyfriend began trying to extract it. He could not get it out either. He said there was layers of skin over the black area, he used a needle to pick through the skin, but still could not get the actual plug to come out. I went to the pharmacy and the pharmacist gave me this salve like stuff that was black and smelled like tire. I got back home and my boyfriend was still operating on this huge blackhead. Finally got a paper clip, and stuck it in the pore and finally got the plug out. I could not believe what I saw. A very large sack of a black substance. It was really a sack. The pore started closing immediately. My son said that black head had been there for about 3 years. I was wondering if anyone has every seen anything like this? What is the sack called and why did the stuff form into a sack? I Hope there is some dermatologist reading this and will reply. Could this be some sort of a staph infection in the skin?
Melanie Burns

[Alona]

I'm sure it was the body's reaction to keep the infection in that one pore. Has your son gone to a dermatologist? 3 years is a very long time.

[Melanietif]

I'm sure it was the body's reaction to keep the infection in that one pore. Has your son gone to a dermatologist? 3 years is a very long time.

He seen a Dermatologist last year for his acne, but it wasn't about the huge blackhead in his ear. He has large cyst like knots on his back, I guess the thing in his ear wasn't really a issue to him, but if he could have seen it, it would have been. Yelk!!!! Anyway, the doctor gave him Tetracycline, which doesn't help alot.

[LionQueen]

Doesn't sound like there was any infection at all. Infections result in redness, swelling, pain, pus, etc.

I think your son just had a clogged pore in his ear that turned black because the plug had been there so long. You guys were far more likely to cause an infection by removing the blackhead with a paper clip .... I recommend not trying that form of surgery again.

Antibiotics are not an effective long-term therapy against acne. I suggest that your son look into Accutane.