Hey guys,
I'm new to this forum but have been lurking the site for years. So, a brief history:
I've had a long history of eczema during my childhood, didn't have any acne during high school, and then started breaking out in these little under-the-skin bumps all over my face when I was about 19. I'm now 23 and have literally tried EVERYTHING under the sun. I've tried: Differin, Doryx, Minocycline, Retin-A, Tazorac, Finacea, Acanya gel, Clindamycin, Ziana, Salicylic Acid, Duac, Atralin, Yaz, Ortho-Tri Cyclen Lo, etc. NOTHING worked for my skin until I took Accutane in June 2011. I only took about 4 months of it due to insurance issues but it cleared me up BEAUTIFULLY. (1st month: 30 mg--rest of the three months: 40 mg)
I had clear skin for a little less than a year until I started breaking out in these under-the-skin bumps again but only on my forehead and temples in May 2012. I somehow and miraculously cleared it up with a combination of ingesting ACV and using mandelic acid. My skin was pretty clear until about three weeks ago. My forehead and temples have ERUPTED in these under-the-skin bumps again. These bumps do not look like acne at all. They are only apparent under harsh lighting and at certain angles. The bumps are very tiny and rarely ever come to a head. They just keep getting worse and I've literally become depressed about this. I do not ever want to go out and all I do is research this online. It's so depressing after having clear skin.
I have attached some photos. PLEASE offer some advice if you know what I am referring to.
Thank you.
Hi,
when I was taking accutane I had exactly the same on my face and chest area for about a month. They did go away though. I do not know what it was but I thought it might have been a reaction to accutane of some sort (it was nothing like acne I was trying to get rid of taking accutane).
It could be a few things:
1. Cosmetic acne, caused by foundations and hair care products.
2. Millaria like 13yearsofacne pointed out -- living in a hot, humid climate can prolong these bumps for a while, though normally they would disappear in a few days.
3. Folliculitis, which can be bacterial, fungal, viral or non-infectious. A dermatologist would be able to diagnose and treat this the best.
4. Milia, which can appear anywhere on the face in adults.
5. A combination of normal, rough/bumpy skin texture and old scars with a minor rash.
It could be a few things:
1. Cosmetic acne, caused by foundations and hair care products.
2. Millaria like 13yearsofacne pointed out -- living in a hot, humid climate can prolong these bumps for a while, though normally they would disappear in a few days.
3. Folliculitis, which can be bacterial, fungal, viral or non-infectious. A dermatologist would be able to diagnose and treat this the best.
4. Milia, which can appear anywhere on the face in adults.
5. A combination of normal, rough/bumpy skin texture and old scars with a minor rash.
Thank you so much, Michelle.
I'm positive it is not cosmetic acne nor milaria. I live in New York and it is very cold here right now. I have looked into folliculitis. I mentioned it at my previous dermatologist appointment but she barely looked at my skin, said it was acne, and sent me on my way with more topicals. If it is folliculitis, how do I know if it is bacterial or fungal? And what are the treatments for folliculitis?
I have looked into milia and am pretty sure it is not milia. Milia seems more on the surface, white in color, and usually occurs beneath the eye. I do not think this is my condition.
It could be a few things:
1. Cosmetic acne, caused by foundations and hair care products.
2. Millaria like 13yearsofacne pointed out -- living in a hot, humid climate can prolong these bumps for a while, though normally they would disappear in a few days.
3. Folliculitis, which can be bacterial, fungal, viral or non-infectious. A dermatologist would be able to diagnose and treat this the best.
4. Milia, which can appear anywhere on the face in adults.
5. A combination of normal, rough/bumpy skin texture and old scars with a minor rash.
Thank you so much, Michelle.
I'm positive it is not cosmetic acne nor milaria. I live in New York and it is very cold here right now. I have looked into folliculitis. I mentioned it at my previous dermatologist appointment but she barely looked at my skin, said it was acne, and sent me on my way with more topicals. If it is folliculitis, how do I know if it is bacterial or fungal? And what are the treatments for folliculitis?
I have looked into milia and am pretty sure it is not milia. Milia seems more on the surface, white in color, and usually occurs beneath the eye. I do not think this is my condition.
You're welcome! 
So your dermatologist thought it was acne and prescribed you more topicals? Considering your acne history there could be some acne there, too, so I can see why she thought that. How long have you been using topicals on that area?
Folliculitis typically causes some inflammation in the form of pustules but sometimes it isn't inflamed or can hide among general redness like seborrehic dermatitis. I brought it up in the post because to me the bumps looked a little reddish, possibly because of the picture quality, lighting and my monitor. A biopsy/culture is sometimes used to confirm if it is bacterial or fungal; otherwise if an antibiotic is tried as a treatment and fails, a dermatologist may then think it's fungal or just looks at the rash's location.
If folliculitis is fungal, the dermatologist uses anti-fungals like topical or oral ketoconazole, salicylic acid with or without benzoic acid and other treatments (more treatments here: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1091037-treatment ). If bacterial, the dermatologist would prescribe antibiotics.
Now that I think about it, has your dermatologist ever prescribed to you or talked to you about sulfur and sodium sulfacetamide? Both ingredients aren't commonly prescribed for dermatologists typically favor retinoids and antibacterials. If it is in fact mild acne, you could ask your dermatologist about that.
And another thing: do you wear hairbands a lot there? I noticed you have your hair pulled back in the photos.
Also be sure to wear SPF of at least 30 (more than that since you look fair-skinned), as sun damage can cause rough skin and make pores look bigger due to elastin loss.
When I had fungal folliculitis it looked a lot like your pictures. I got clear by washing with Nizoral shampoo twice day. If you want to try it, make sure you leave it on for 3-5 minutes before you rinse.
My derm also thought it was acne, and gave me a bunch of stuff that didn't work, but thanks to this website I was able to get clear and stay clear for about 5 years now!
When I had fungal folliculitis it looked a lot like your pictures. I got clear by washing with Nizoral shampoo twice day. If you want to try it, make sure you leave it on for 3-5 minutes before you rinse.
My derm also thought it was acne, and gave me a bunch of stuff that didn't work, but thanks to this website I was able to get clear and stay clear for about 5 years now!
thanks akko. did you still moisturize afterwards?