vyvan84

Not sure if this has already been posted but I find it helpful if I feel a bump and wanted to pick/squeeze is cover it in a thick ointment and think about how it is helping the spot a lot more than picking and you don't see the blemish. Alas for the cysts that I get just get into a frenzy because I know its going to take ages to get that crap to the surface so still working on that one lol

I have the same strategy. Putting something on my face makes me feel relieved.

1. Morning: I put my Spot treatment concealer right in the bathroom. So after I wash my face, I immediately put it on my acne. OK, then I cannot mess it up by picking up my acne since I do not want to ruin my make up.

2. Night: I have a yellow spot cream, which is quite mind. I don't know it can do anything beneficial for my skin but at least, I am sure it do no harm since I use it quite a long time. After washing my face, I immediately put it on. Hence, my face is now covered with a yellow mask. Again, when I put a single finger on my face, I have to put down due to fatty cream.

3. I give the pimple extractor to my Mom. Anything I need it, I have to ask her for it. The first question I require her to ask me "Which pimples you wanna pick?". Then if I can point out the visible whitehead, she will give it to me and monitor me closely. She will prevent me from doing harm to my skin if I start messing up my skin.

However, if you have picking habit, I suggest to have an extractor in hand. At least it is much better than using your 2 fingers.

I have the same problem. I use Triacneal, at first, it helps a lot to make the clogged pores underneath my skin out onto the surface, but just as a whitehead which I can easily extract. But to my surprise, later I got cyst which I never have. At first I thought it's due to my picking, but now I think Tretinion also contribute to it.

Since I stop using it, even though I still cannot give up the picking habit, I do not get cyst anymore. At least, I just have papules size.

I was in the same shoes. It started in November and it is called clogged pores, normally caused by make up/skin care. But the bad news is leaving clogged pores there for long, they will turn to be inflamed and become pimples someday.

I had hundreds of whiteheads under the surface that people cannot see it. But when I cleanse my face, I feel like every single of my pores are filled with those junk.

When I see 3 pimples rising clogged pores, I see doctors and ask for a cure that does not harm my skin. I don't mind a time consuming solution, as long as it do not make me inflamed.

However, up to now, i find there are only 2 options for it:

1. Waiting for it getting inflamed one by one. Doctors give me BP & Clindamycin treatment to treat it. That's all. You never get "Very bad/severe status" at one time, but you are never clear. Moreover, it continuously grow if you keep your make up & skincare routine.

2. Extract it. You will come to very bad/severe time (just like me) while you cannot use any make up. Skincare just very simple & mild. However, it can heal in some weeks after all the whiteheads out of their shelter under my skin.

After struggling with Option 1 for 1 month, I go option 2 with the help of Glycolic Acid & tretinion. All my face sucks, very red and irritated.

Well, I have to say I'm still very depressed with my skin now after 3 weeks with option 2, but some part of my face already healed is perfect. No matter light is, my skin is completely clear, just like it used to be. And the good news is when I cleanse my face, I feel my skin again, not the clogged junk anymore.

Some get inflamed, some just "purging" on to my skin as a dry whiteheads. However, never ever extract them without seeing a clear "white eye". I made a lot of mistakes by extracting them too soon, which cause the small little bumps to be the big boys ((

The non-inflamed just give me small red marks which go away by 2 weeks but the big boys inflamed costs me at least 2 months to push the scars away.

But again, do not irritate your skin, use little and slow. I am now giving up all the treatment for a while after I "bomb" it with BP & Tretinion. I only take drugs (multi-vitamin and Chinese herbal remedy). I do not see new whiteheads coming about 1 week now but who knows, fingers cross !!!

Maybe my story can help you somehow:


I know exactly that my acne is due to cosmetics allergy. I used to have very clear skin (even though I am still acne-prone), but later since I start switching my skincare set & turn to "more expensive" BB cream, after 4 months, I see the bad results.

The most mistake I made was I didn't quit make up and skincare until I find the whiteheads spread 50% of my face. Whenever I wash my face, I feel like millions of pimples are going to attack my face very soon with the millions of whiteheads. I cannot pop it, I cannot do anything. I just wait to see it inflamed (you are luckier since it is not inflamed). The worst thing is that the number of whiteheads is somehow double everyday.

I went to see my doctor and she prescribed me Clindamycin and BP 10%. I used it for 2 weeks. I quit Clindamycin drugs after 2 weeks since I do not see any results, just the side effect, but I still keep BP on the the inflamed pimples.

I turned to Avene Triacnial Treatment which is a Tretinoin & Glycolid acid treatment, together with Avene Soapless Cleanser from week 3.

Well, at that time, I quit all make-up and skincare (very hard decision). My skin start broke out like hell within the next 2 weeks with small inflamed pimples, but at the same time, a lot of non-inflamed whiteheads just pop on my skin, and I can easily extract it with a whitehead extractor. I do the research and know that Tretinoin is a very good treatment for whiteheads, so I think it works. Until end of week 5, I do not new whiteheads everyday anymore.

However, I have made another mistakes when applying the treatment too frequently. My skin become dry & irritated, which caused 7 big pustules which whiteheads never cause. (maximum size normally is just papules)

So I turn to Cetaphil cleanser now and stop the treatment for 1 week. My skin is calming gradually and I am now on the week 7. I count about 30 comedos still on my face but I hope there is no inflamed pimples anymore, so I can extract all the whiteheads after the next 2-3 weeks. I have scars but I don't fear of it, since if no pimples happens anymore, normally my scars go away within 3=6 weeks.

So maybe you should try:

1. Tretinoin treatment. Maybe you can try BP. Actually I do not know the whiteheads is popped out of the skins thanks to Tretinoin & Glycolid acid or BP (since I already used BP for 2 weeks before whiteheads easily come onto the surface of my skin).

2. Don't irritate your skin with many harsh chemicals. Rotate the treatment, take it slow. If not, you will end up with papules, or even cyst.

3. Use a mind cleanser.

4. Make a diary of what you use to treat & how your skin react

Keep us posted about your skin, you will feel more encouraged )