The culprit continues to fill with puss and grow. Something must be wrong. Starts out as a regular small zit, and within a few hours degenerates into a full blown puss factory, growing larger and larger. What can it be? Why do I get 1 every 2-3 weeks?

Nothing works on them.

Benzoyl peroxide: they continue growing

Antibiotic: they continue growing

Antifungal: they continue growing

Tee tree oil: They continue growing

What infection agent can bring so much puss in a pore?

I am glad I do not have them all over my face as before, but it is still a huge blow to my confidence.

New pictures

Nobody has the same issue?

here's a reply read this please--

Sorry to take so long to reply,I don't know the chemical,only what man made foods to avoid,I have helped several people over the years who have the same intolerance as me,the products that cause a huge cystic spot are found in(I live in the uk,so different countries different brands) are ramen,pot noodles,instant soup,noodles,rice,gravy/coffee/tea granules basically anything that you add boiling water to,to get an instant meal/sauce,a favourite of take aways,restaurants etc, and I am not sure but some prescription tablets contain these chemicals which are made in a laboratory.

I know 100% these cause my cystic cysts,please reply to let me know your views,thank you.

Should I pop it to drain all the puss out? Why did this appear? How can I prevent?

I only have this huge thing. The rest of my face is not inflammed and rather clear.

Could only enjoy only 15 days of clear skin.

Updated pics of the culprit. Doesn't seem to grow anymore. Red base and a gross whitish-yellowish center (not visible with this light).

Should I pop this?

May I ask, are you taking probiotics at all?

I ask because I often have patients who are very strict on diet, getting all the right vitamins and minerals and flushing out there toxins with fibre and all, but also flushing out the good bacteria in there gut with the heavy spices, teas, antibiotics, accutane , acidic foods or whatever it may be or simply not getting enough through there 'no dairy' efforts.

Probiotics do work wonders and should keep these large pimples under control as well as inflammation down.

Having probiotics will largely reduce this overreaction all together.

For now, as a topical treatment, use aloe Vera till it comes to a head. (This may take a day)

You will have to pop and drain this one, then put BP immediately over the broken puffed up skin (only on the head, not the redness around)

Wait a minute, wipe off the BP and (puss or white liquid or blood most likely dried out from the inside with it) and reapply a dap of BP.

After 15 minutes with it left on, wash off and put aloe Vera on it immediately (this is a night method btw)

Leave for the whole night and inflammation and bump should be gone by the morning.

Broken skin will take a day to two days tops to heal with constant application of aloe vera.

Thanks a lot for this! I have just popped it. You were right, liberating! It wasn't hard at all. Took a couple of Q-tips and the white center was removed immediately, I pushed a little with cotton after that, and blood came out. I guess the infection was drained out.

I don't have BP at hand but I've got topical erythromycin. I've applied some right on the top and it was quite stingy. Good sign?

I've put a little bit around as well, just in case some of the bacteria found its way to the nearest pore. Gonna wait 15 min and reapply.

Now that this one is gone, I'm hoping I can prevent further break outs.

I'm taking probiotics, you're right there too. 1 tablet a day, after my evening meal. It has helped in my clearing up effort. But I'm still getting one of those huge puss-filled pimples every month or twice a month. Should I up my probiotic intake?

Yes, anything that will dry out that skin.

The idea is to only put the topical cream on the head so that everything is sucked out and dried out through there ONLY.

Creating another 'hole' (so to speak) for the gunk to be sucked out is not wise. My patients get the wrong idea sometimes and end up with more pimples when they apply their topical creams to red areas even when there is no infection there. Use a bit of apple cider vinigar or something antibacterial to clean the redness area but nothing else. Everything you need to apply must only be done on the head.

The rest will heal well if you get that right!

Definitely up your intake of probiotics. It seems you are doing great!

They do say too much of a good thing can start to give negative effects, but with probiotics, you can really only get better and better. They are incredibly good for the body and skin!

Your doing well! Hope you stay nice and clear!

Thanks! Too late for the antibiotics around it. Had applied it before. Next time I'll know it. What you write makes sense.

It terms of probiotics, are there some strains to avoid? I'm reading that some may actually favor breakouts.

The one I'm using says gluten free and lactose free. Is that good as well, given I'm trying to avoid dairy and gluten?

All strands of probiotics can differ in effectiveness due to the way they behave, rate at which they multiply or carry out their function and so forth, however there is no supporting evidence to say that a particular strand is actually harmful or which strands are more beneficial over another.

Then again, probiotics are a very recent discovery and although we are beginning to see it as the super supplement of our generation, we can't rule out the possibility that there could be harmful strands we don't know about, yet just label as 'probiotics' and sell to unsuspecting consumers.

Inner health plus, 'dairy free' type or gluten and lactose free type probiotics are the way to go for now!

It looks like a pimple to me, but if it's really painful it might be a cyst? I would definitely pop these! If they have a head then it's almost like your body has done 99% of the work and brought everything to the surface but needs that 1% help to actually get rid of it! Out of curiosity how long do these take to heal by themselves? If it's less than a week, it's probably not worth picking because a scab would last that long anyway.

Also, I'm no expert here so correct me if I'm wrong but I thought BP worked in preventing acne, I didn't realise it was supposed to be applied to 'picked' areas :S I personally put distilled witch hazel on anything I've picked and overnight I use neosporin + pain relief cream which prevents infection and reduces inflammation.

It is definitely used to prevent acne and I wouldn't say to put it on 'picked areas'. When you have popped the pimple and there is a hole left of broken skin, it is very likely (80% of the time) that not all the gunk and bacteria is out. There is also a chance of scarring.

I noted the method of 'spotting' the hole of broken skin with BP by my friend who is a dermatologist who used it to both dry out to kill off and literally suck out the bacteria and remaining junk while also treating the scar and damaged skin left by making the skin grow quicker then it needs to and respond faster.

Because BP is used to promote quick shedding of skin, he noticed that when applied directly to the 'holes' left behind after a pop, the skin heals much much quicker and there are rarely any signs of scarring.

I found it very interesting and so when I prescribe BP to 'walk-ins', I tell them about the method and it seems to be extremely effective!

I tell them to do this for a day or two with constant application to the area and then after, to crush a zinc tablet, add some water and apply directly on the area or use aloevera for extremely fast healing.

That makes a lot of sense really! I've tried putting BP on a really big spot before and managed to burn the skin quite badly, but I haven't tried a small amount on a small spot so I might have to try it in future...thanks for the tip

Also, personally I've found with aloe vera that it really soothes on application but then tightens/ dries out the skin quite a lot. It has healed some scabs quickly but I only use it when I'm not using concealer because it makes the spot too flakey to cover!

When you pop a pimple or cyst that has come to a head, it helps to sterilize a needle and prick the white part. Then very gently use the flat end of the needle to press out the pus. This way there is less damage to surrounding skin due to squeezing. Even squeezing with q-tips can be too much for inflammed skin. Afterwards wash gently to make sure the surrounding area is clean (pus is very inflamming for skin) and apply some BP...not a lot, just a smear. The BP will kill any remaining acne bacteria. BP should be used on a regular basis to prevent further breakouts. I don't care for topical BP because it is too strong but BP cleanser (see below) works very well and accomplishes the same thing with less irritation. If you get whoppers once or twice a month it is probably because you are sensitivity to androgens and something like spironolactone will help. Spiro is pretty mild stuff, well researched and not a hormone (like birthcontrol pills). It blocks androgens...they're still in your body but the skin is much less affected by them. This kind of sensitivity can produce chronic whoppers when there isn't any other acne happening. I know because I dealt with the same thing. Once you are free of these whoppers you will feel so much better! I also think that monthly microdermabrasions really help to clear out clogged pores and help prevent these kinds of acne lesions.

I also think that probiotics really help. The best kinds are refrigerated and I personally like Megaflora.

I am keeping to the probiotics! Thanks for all the help.

Also started a course of vitamin with mixed results so far. Selenium and Vitamin E.

I have a mild breakout on my chin (directly following shaving, so those might be ingrown hair).

Rest of my skin is pretty clear, except two very tiny whiteheads which I am heavily treating with erythromycin before they become something else.

Feeling a cyst might be on its way though. We will see.

It's pretty hot these days, and sweating does not help keeping a clear skin!

I wish I could have good skin, eat what I want, do what I want, go in the sun.

After so many years batlling these pimples!

Gosh! I have a new one starting right now. Will try to stop it with a combo of different products. Hesitating which to use first. Benzoyl peroxide, or Erythromycin. Have tee tree oil too.......

When you pop a pimple or cyst that has come to a head, it helps to sterilize a needle and prick the white part. Then very gently use the flat end of the needle to press out the pus. This way there is less damage to surrounding skin due to squeezing. Even squeezing with q-tips can be too much for inflammed skin. Afterwards wash gently to make sure the surrounding area is clean (pus is very inflamming for skin) and apply some BP...not a lot, just a smear. The BP will kill any remaining acne bacteria. BP should be used on a regular basis to prevent further breakouts. I don't care for topical BP because it is too strong but BP cleanser (see below) works very well and accomplishes the same thing with less irritation. If you get whoppers once or twice a month it is probably because you are sensitivity to androgens and something like spironolactone will help. Spiro is pretty mild stuff, well researched and not a hormone (like birthcontrol pills). It blocks androgens...they're still in your body but the skin is much less affected by them. This kind of sensitivity can produce chronic whoppers when there isn't any other acne happening. I know because I dealt with the same thing. Once you are free of these whoppers you will feel so much better! I also think that monthly microdermabrasions really help to clear out clogged pores and help prevent these kinds of acne lesions.

 

I also think that probiotics really help. The best kinds are refrigerated and I personally like Megaflora.

Still getting those.... But trying to sauna them out. Big breakout after the first session. Hope it means pores are emptying themselves.

Sorry to hear you are still battling cysts. Personally my cysts did not go away until I was doing the meds combo below and my skin finally cleared of all pimples when I followed a diet similar to cultures that don't get acne. I think a combo of BP cleanser + Cleocin-T (or similiar topical antibiotic) + microdermabrasions to open the pores and let the meds in, and following a diet of whole foods versus processed foods and avoiding dairy, sugars, alcohol, caffeine, and oils (including fish oil) will go a long way in stopping the cysts. In fact I think the diet would be a good way to start since cultures that don't have acne eat that way. This kind of diet takes awhile to kick in...about 4-6 weeks...but you should notice a change. It is hard to follow, especially avoiding oils but it's worth it. When cooking you can add a teeny amount of olive oil but that's the only oil you should use...and use it extremely sparingly.

Sorry to hear you are still battling cysts. Personally my cysts did not go away until I was doing the meds combo below and my skin finally cleared of all pimples when I followed a diet similar to cultures that don't get acne. I think a combo of BP cleanser + Cleocin-T (or similiar topical antibiotic) + microdermabrasions to open the pores and let the meds in, and following a diet of whole foods versus processed foods and avoiding dairy, sugars, alcohol, caffeine, and oils (including fish oil) will go a long way in stopping the cysts. In fact I think the diet would be a good way to start since cultures that don't have acne eat that way. This kind of diet takes awhile to kick in...about 4-6 weeks...but you should notice a change. It is hard to follow, especially avoiding oils but it's worth it. When cooking you can add a teeny amount of olive oil but that's the only oil you should use...and use it extremely sparingly.

The question then becomes... What can you eat to maintain weight?

Battle2011. Personally I've tried Probiotics, Spirulina, Antibiotics, fasting diets etc etc. None of it works. There is a way to beat acne using stress control, low sugar diet, self esteem building etc if you have the patience and motivation to do so, which I did. If not, the easiest way is to follow Dan's Regimen and wait at least a month to see long term results. It will change your life, believe me.