Scothoward, it might be a fungal infection. I would suggest:

A) Get Retin-A/ Steiva-A at regular strength i.e. .05 ...use it at night on clean skin (i.e. wash your skin with natural sea salt and water only). You could also try skin needling with copper serum in the morning if you have any indents/ rolling scars. See www.clearskincare.com.au .

B) Eat lots of natural, organic, non-GMO, healthy, unprocessed wholefoods, fruit, vegetables, green leafy vegetables, coriander, continental parsley, strawberries, superfoods and drink lots of natural spring water/ fresh fruit/ vegetable juices...also exercise often and get natural sunlight daily, just don't burn.

C) Make sure your pillow case is changed regularly and washed in 100% tea tree oil or 100% lavender oil.

D) If the above doesn't help, get an anti-fungal cream/ gel and see if it goes away after you use it (Or even better try 100% Australian Tea Tree Oil, that should get rid of any pathogens/ bacteria/ fungus etc). You hould see improvement within a week.

E) Use hyaluronic acid from ClearSkinCare.com.au as a light but effective moisteriser.

If the above doesn't help, see a dermotologist and ask them what is causing your skin issue. It doesn't look severe, it looks like a mild issue, so it should be very easy to cure.

Best,

AS

I think it would be best to see a dermatologist, we can only guess at best. It could be some sort of a fungal infection like aquasea suggested, or perhaps clogged pores or epidermoid cysts or something else. It may be scarring, but that kind of scarring isn't very typical on the cheeks.

Hi all,

I saw a dermatologist and he did feel like it was scars from acne. Since it is mild, he gave me a prescription for retin-a micro and suggested daily use for 3-6 months to see if it will help eliminate them or at least, soften them.

Hopefully this helps anyone with the same condition!

Thanks - keep us posted. I have perhaps something similar around my chin from years of acne. A reputable doctor who specializes in scar treatment said it's because as we age we lose "support". The acne has accelerated the loss of collagen/fat. Great, isn't it? Keep us posted on the Retin-a.

i think they are comedones.

i have bumps too.just raised bumps which are mostly skin-colored or a lil' reddish (sometimes) and yes they are noticeable unless one is far away.

sometimes those pop into zits or acne etc and the general routine of acne/pimple follows.

are u sure they are scars?

I honestly don't think they are scars (not that I'm a dermatologist or anything), but since the bumps look identical this is not very indicative of scarring. But I do think either way a retinoid could help you.

I think your best deal,firstly, would be to dramatically improve the blood circulation in the area.

If you massage them for a considerable time and you wont be able to see any difference(like they are being softer,and being able to squeeze them)

then this must be something else.

Look also at sebaceous prominence.

So it's been about two months on Retin a Micro 0.04%. I do think the bumps have gotten a bit better, but nothing drastic. Attached are some better photos.

I read about comedones and although the description seems to fit, shouldn't they eventually get better if they are not in fact scars? Do you think these are maybe hypertrophic scars? It seems like hypertrophic scars are not usually flesh coloured though.

In any case, I'm gonna keep using the retin-a. Perhaps asking to bump it to 0.1% in a month or two may help more.

Let me know what you think!

they are clogged pores and comedones.

what cleanser do u use?

they are clogged pores and comedones.

what cleanser do u use?

I dont normally use a cleanser - just wash with water. I do use a mild scrub once a week though.

u mean a physical scrub?

just water.

i'll give u my take on caveman regimen.

(urs is modified caveman regimen)

-

u mean a physical scrub?

just water.

i'll give u my take on caveman regimen.

(urs is modified caveman regimen)

- http://www.acne.org/messageboard/blog/6942/entry-26424-my-take-on-caveman-regimentopical/

Is there a cleanser you recommend? I also have a tub of Aztec Healing Clay - should I maybe use that once a week?

reviews should be considered after u've figured out a product that fulfills all ur criteria.

they should be -

• a mild bha(salicylic acid 1% or less to start with - since u dnt have severe flaky skin problems u'll nt need high concentration ones but increasing the strength as u get used to the ingredients is still an option),
• paraben free,
• no oil(if its a cream cleanser),
• no comedogenic ingredients,
• no SLS,
• less/no fragnance,
• depending on the texture of ur skin u can choose a cream bases or foaming cleanser,
• pH balanced(around 5.5 or lil' less - i don't prefer really low pH ones just like the high pH ones),
• devoid of unnecessary harsh chemicals, no physical scrubing particles(specially if skin is sensitive).