Hi guys,
Short story of my issue...
had this issue for years (around 6-7 i think). have red pimples on my face that become inflamed at certain points. this makes shaving a problem as i find that if i leave it more than a week the growing facial hair starts to irritate however if i shave this will irritate the pimples even though i try not to shave over the pimples more than once and i use a electric beard shaver that will go no closer than 0.5mm.
i bought a tube of bensorol (i think its called) which contains 5% benzoyl peroxide, i used it once every night coating the area of pimples until the tube was out (for around a month). i noticed an improvement, it has now been a month after the treatment and my face is worse. after a bit of searching i discover that this is a regular problem with peroxide users. im not sure the answer for me is to go back on the peroxide if it is just going to come back every time i stop using. i don't want to be dependent on the product as im not sure that it is actually good for the skin on long term use.
have attached a few pictures taken this morning straight out of the shower.
i have always put it down to acne and have tried several treatments however im starting to question now if it is acne as the pimples never get a head and just remain red and sometimes painful.
after some research i have looked into a condition called 'keratosis pilaris'. do you think this is what i have?
also should i start using a product containing 'salicylic acid'?
please help and give your advice
Hi Jamos316,
It's not keratosis pilaris. That looks much different. If you only have this issue in your beard area, it's possible it's folliculitis - ingrown hairs that lead to a bacterial infection. It's fairly common among guys who shave.
The ingrown hairs are caused by a hair coiling or otherwise getting stuck beneath the surface of the skin and getting trapped in the follicle. Salicylic acid could help, as well as glycolic acid, as those help keep the skin exfoliated and may help the hair reach the surface of the skin. Also, when shaving, you'll have to go "with the grain", as going against causes the opening of the follicle to sort of bend, making it more likely for the hair to become stuck.
Hope that helps. Good luck!