I've been fighting closed comedones on the lower half of my face for almost 10 years now. After going chemical free for a few years, I decided to try and wipe them out with Paula's Choice BHA liquid 2%. Lots of them became inflamed and turned into whiteheads. Most of the residing bumps were removed, but little by little new ones started cropping up again. These are mainly on my chin, next to my mouth, and in my mustache area with hairs growing out of them. I thought that by taking the plunge into chemical exfoliants, I might be able to rid myself of these pesky nuisances, but it seems my pores just keep getting clogged. The neverending process is disheartening to say the least.
Has anybody ever gotten rid of these? They're so damn persistent and are like time bombs just sitting under the skin waiting to inflame into pimples.
I have oily, flaky skin. I'm 25, and still get some hormonal acne, but these things are my main acne-related issue.
Any help would be appreciated.
Have you thought about trying out a prescription retinoid?
I'm 24 and still have trouble with clogged pores. I also still get cysts occasionally and normal pimples too... God my face is just a mess lol. But yeah I'd personally consider perhaps Differin 0.1% or even Retin-A 0.025%.
if you can't get a prescription for whatever reason perhaps AHA'S could be a good idea too, so you know likd Glycolic acid cleansers or even gels
On 3/8/2016 at 7:18 PM, Tyler R said:I've been fighting closed comedones on the lower half of my face for almost 10 years now. After going chemical free for a few years, I decided to try and wipe them out with Paula's Choice BHA liquid 2%. Lots of them became inflamed and turned into whiteheads. Most of the residing bumps were removed, but little by little new ones started cropping up again. These are mainly on my chin, next to my mouth, and in my mustache area with hairs growing out of them. I thought that by taking the plunge into chemical exfoliants, I might be able to rid myself of these pesky nuisances, but it seems my pores just keep getting clogged. The neverending process is disheartening to say the least.
Has anybody ever gotten rid of these? They're so damn persistent and are like time bombs just sitting under the skin waiting to inflame into pimples.
I have oily, flaky skin. I'm 25, and still get some hormonal acne, but these things are my main acne-related issue.
Any help would be appreciated.
Hi there! First thing I want to mention that helped with that area was changing toothpaste. Toothpaste containing SLS and Fluoride can be a huge culprit. Secondly you are on the right track with the chemical exfoliant. The 2% may just not be strong enough. I use Makeup Artists Choice Beta Hydroxy 8% 3 x a week http://www.makeupartistschoice.com/8-Beta-Hydroxy-Serum_p_42.html
I also use Mandelic/Salicylic peels. The 2% does not help my skin enough, I have high turnover of cells and I have to use toner after every wash to get that extra layer of dead skin that is trapping the oil underneath ultimately leading to closed comedones. Comedones are cleared with exfoliation, consistent routine will hopefully get you there.
On 3/22/2016 at 9:14 AM, CarpeMomentum said:Hi there! First thing I want to mention that helped with that area was changing toothpaste. Toothpaste containing SLS and Fluoride can be a huge culprit. Secondly you are on the right track with the chemical exfoliant. The 2% may just not be strong enough. I use Makeup Artists Choice Beta Hydroxy 8% 3 x a week http://www.makeupartistschoice.com/8-Beta-Hydroxy-Serum_p_42.html
I also use Mandelic/Salicylic peels. The 2% does not help my skin enough, I have high turnover of cells and I have to use toner after every wash to get that extra layer of dead skin that is trapping the oil underneath ultimately leading to closed comedones. Comedones are cleared with exfoliation, consistent routine will hopefully get you there.
Thanks for the reply. I've recently incorporated an AHA into my routine. What kind of toner do you use? I've never been a fan of toners; they seem to just dry my skin out too much. I have rosacea and seb derm too, so the alcohol in toners has always made me steer clear of them.
On 3/19/2016 at 1:12 PM, MissSac17 said:Have you thought about trying out a prescription retinoid?
I'm 24 and still have trouble with clogged pores. I also still get cysts occasionally and normal pimples too... God my face is just a mess lol. But yeah I'd personally consider perhaps Differin 0.1% or even Retin-A 0.025%.
if you can't get a prescription for whatever reason perhaps AHA'S could be a good idea too, so you know likd Glycolic acid cleansers or even gels
Thanks for the reply. The problem with both those treatments--I've used them in the past--is that they are so drying. My skin is too fragile to use them, really.
4 hours ago, Tyler R said:Thanks for the reply. I've recently incorporated an AHA into my routine. What kind of toner do you use? I've never been a fan of toners; they seem to just dry my skin out too much. I have rosacea and seb derm too, so the alcohol in toners has always made me steer clear of them. Thanks for the reply. The problem with both those treatments--I've used them in the past--is that they are so drying. My skin is too fragile to use them, really.
If you have really sensitive skin you can use the witch hazel with rose water or one of the natural witch hazel toners with no alcohol. They are great for gently clearing that layer of dead skin that oil and other gunk gets trapped in and then causes comedones. Thayers is the brand, you can get it at any wholefoods or even amazon.com, make sure it;s one of the pure ones, they have one with cucumber too that's calming. You know your skin better than anyone else and need to take precaution. But if you can find a gentle enough toner it can really help! Hope you are having a good Friday
7 minutes ago, CarpeMomentum said:4 hours ago, Tyler R said:Thanks for the reply. I've recently incorporated an AHA into my routine. What kind of toner do you use? I've never been a fan of toners; they seem to just dry my skin out too much. I have rosacea and seb derm too, so the alcohol in toners has always made me steer clear of them. Thanks for the reply. The problem with both those treatments--I've used them in the past--is that they are so drying. My skin is too fragile to use them, really.If you have really sensitive skin you can use the witch hazel with rose water or one of the natural witch hazel toners with no alcohol. They are great for gently clearing that layer of dead skin that oil and other gunk gets trapped in and then causes comedones. Thayers is the brand, you can get it at any wholefoods or even amazon.com, make sure it;s one of the pure ones, they have one with cucumber too that's calming. You know your skin better than anyone else and need to take precaution. But if you can find a gentle enough toner it can really help! Hope you are having a good Friday
Thanks for the suggestions! I think I'm going to experiment with ACV yet again before I try those because I have Seb Derm too.