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Having 'recovered' from cystic acne albeit being left with scars, I now only seem to get blackheads. I use 5% benzoyl peroxide on my skin and its as if it stops the pimples from forming but leaves the blackheads.
Should I remove the blackheads myself? They're on my cheeks and are a bit raised. I'm just worried that they will get bigger and infected and then cause a scar.
If you obsessively pick at your blackheads where your skin will bleed, it may look swollen and inflammed like a cyst. But no, blackheads on their own won't. Nodular/cystic acne forms much deeper in the follicle than normal blackheads and whiteheads do. If you're that concerned about skin damage and scarring, you shouldn't pick at them and apply either salicylic acid, sulfur, or retinoids or go to a profesional for extraction.
If you obsessively pick at your blackheads where your skin will bleed, it may look swollen and inflammed like a cyst. But no, blackheads on their own won't. Nodular/cystic acne forms much deeper in the follicle than normal blackheads and whiteheads do. If you're that concerned about skin damage and scarring, you shouldn't pick at them and apply either salicylic acid, sulfur, or retinoids or go to a profesional for extraction.
Actually, when I used to squeeze my blackheads they would turn into a small whitehead sometimes.
I get extractions performed now, even though my skin is pretty clear to the point I wouldn't even call my acne mild. Anyways, I sometimes get a pimple that develops right where one of the extractions was performed. So you never know.
Yes, it is possible.
If the professional doesn't disinfect the area after extraction, a whitehead will likely form because your white blood cells will rush to the pore to kill the remaining bacteria. If you've ever had acne resistant to treatment (particularly your strain of P. acnes), you should bring up the idea of disinfection to your professional if you hadn't already. Otherwise a small whitehead after extraction isn't anything to be concerned about.
If the professional doesn't disinfect the area after extraction, a whitehead will likely form because your white blood cells will rush to the pore to kill the remaining bacteria. If you've ever had acne resistant to treatment (particularly your strain of P. acnes), you should bring up the idea of disinfection to your professional if you hadn't already. Otherwise a small whitehead after extraction isn't anything to be concerned about.
Yes that's right. They do disinfect and they zap the areas as well. Technically, little white bumps (those clusters of white blood cells) aren't really classified as "white heads" or pimples, but they do form sometimes after extractions.
Even with disinfection and zapping, I sometimes have a pimple form but it usually goes away.
If the professional doesn't disinfect the area after extraction, a whitehead will likely form because your white blood cells will rush to the pore to kill the remaining bacteria. If you've ever had acne resistant to treatment (particularly your strain of P. acnes), you should bring up the idea of disinfection to your professional if you hadn't already. Otherwise a small whitehead after extraction isn't anything to be concerned about.
Yes that's right. They do disinfect and they zap the areas as well. Technically, little white bumps (those clusters of white blood cells) aren't really classified as "white heads" or pimples, but they do form sometimes after extractions.
Even with disinfection and zapping, I sometimes have a pimple form but it usually goes away.
With proper extraction it's nothing to worry about. Of course if (and that's a big 'if') it does start it get inflamed, red and tender in that area, it's probably one of three possibilities: you're infected with another kind of bacteria, you're allergic to the disinfectant or you're inadvertently rubbing that spot too much, the last being the most likely.