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Anyone Else Have A Stubborn Spot?

MemberMember
7
(@rosalie324)

Posted : 08/27/2013 10:12 pm

Okay, so has anyone else had to deal with this? My regimen has shown some positive results, but there are just some spots that will not budge!

For instance, I have stopped breaking out on the left half of my mouth and chin, but my right half continues to break out frequently. There's usually always 1-2 active papules (they are small, but annoying) in that area. Why would one side of my mouth/chin improve/clear up while the other side continues to haunt me? Also, the tiny papaules on my forehead have begun to subside a bit, but theres a small patch of about 7-8 (only visible if you're 3 inches from my face) that will not budge. And I always seem to have an under-the-skin zit on my hairline, which obviously isn't visible, but it hurts.

I'm always very careful about putting my topical medications on evenly, and I wash my face for the same amount of time on all parts of my face. I just don't get it. I have stopped using fluoride toothpaste, so if and when I drool at night (yes i know, embarrassing) that can't be causing a reaction. I'm so confused, annoyed, and frustrated by these stubborn spots!

Can anyone relate or provide some sort of explanation to why this is happening? I'm honestly at a loss...

Any and all replies, stories, and advice are much appreciated! Xo ~Rosalie

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MemberMember
2
(@rolileisztner)

Posted : 08/28/2013 12:35 am

same here i have most spots, marks concentrated in middle of sides face :(

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MemberMember
12
(@salinas)

Posted : 08/28/2013 6:31 am

I am afraid we all have them.

That's why I have such mixed feelings about skin picking. I am a terrible skin picker, I cannot stop squeezing my clogged pores, sometimes seriously damaging my skin (couldn't leave the house until it healed). But i am convinced that for some spots it has been the only solution, as some clogged skin areas are extremely stubborn. What I have noticed is that I have hardened plugs in many pores, and because that sebum did become solid and got stuck deep inside the pores (maybe because of all the drying topicals I used in the past) they did not come to the surface using retinoids, or extremely slowly.

A clogged pore, or clogged skin area, can only grow back to normal, smooth skin, when all the junk clogging it got out.

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MemberMember
1
(@jordanm98)

Posted : 08/28/2013 10:24 am

I asked my derm about why my acne mirrors in some spots and is more random in others. Keep in mind that not everyone's acne mirrors, but she said that mirrored breakouts are an almost sure sign of a hormonal breakout, however non-mirrored acne could be either external or internal. So I feel your pain! It's sometimes really comforting to know what caused certain breakouts so you know what changes to make in the future. Try to think back to anything you could have possibly not done symmetrically within the past few weeks. Other than that, it could just be natural fluctuations in oil production that occur across the face. It's normal and expected, but perhaps yours are just more dramatic.

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MemberMember
7
(@rosalie324)

Posted : 08/28/2013 10:25 am

I am afraid we all have them.

That's why I have such mixed feelings about skin picking. I am a terrible skin picker, I cannot stop squeezing my clogged pores, sometimes seriously damaging my skin (couldn't leave the house until it healed). But i am convinced that for some spots it has been the only solution, as some clogged skin areas are extremely stubborn. What I have noticed is that I have hardened plugs in many pores, and because that sebum did become solid and got stuck deep inside the pores (maybe because of all the drying topicals I used in the past) they did not come to the surface using retinoids, or extremely slowly.

A clogged pore, or clogged skin area, can only grow back to normal, smooth skin, when all the junk clogging it got out.

Thanks guys for the responses! I definitely pick at the right side of my mouth... It's just so tempting because they're normally easy to pop and I get get rid of the pressure. If I stopped popping, do you think I would stop breaking out there? I never pop on my forehead anymore (except for one aggressive popping experience last week), so I don't understand why the tiny papules aren't retreating. They're stubborn little boogers, they are.

I used to have a tiny cluster of clogged pores on my jawline, but they cleared up once I started my regimen 6 weeks ago... So, it worked for those, just not on my forehead! Gahhh, why must this be such a frustrating process? I could honestly pull my hair out!

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MemberMember
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(@jordanm98)

Posted : 08/28/2013 10:27 am

Not picking definitely reduces the intensity of acne(: I say go for it.

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MemberMember
7
(@rosalie324)

Posted : 08/28/2013 8:36 pm

And the battle begins... I shalt not pickith my face for days of thrice and see whats the outcometh may be. <--- Sorry, I had to make it sound dramatic.

No picking. Three days. Let's go!

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MemberMember
12
(@salinas)

Posted : 08/29/2013 9:33 am

If I stopped popping, do you think I would stop breaking out there? I never pop on my forehead anymore (except for one aggressive popping experience last week), so I don't understand why the tiny papules aren't retreating. They're stubborn little boogers, they are.

I not believe popping and breaking out are much related. It's all about too much sebum production in your skin, now or in the past. If you acne is age/hormones related, I guess all you can do is trying to control it until you grow out of it.

I do think you use too many products BTW. I became a firm believer of using as little products as possible on my skin, and only wash (or better said splash) my face with water for just seconds.

I have learned my face is extremely sensitive for washing too much and drying products: if it's too dry, my skin starts to produce oil to (over) compensate. And I do believe this causes clogged pores and can cause breakouts. Skin is a delicate balance, many of us are our worst enemies with what we all do with and put on our face. It's not the oil ON your face that causes acne, it's the too much sebum IN your pores or skin. Removing the oil on your skin, will only stimulate your skin to produce more of it.

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MemberMember
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(@rosalie324)

Posted : 08/29/2013 10:39 am

If I stopped popping, do you think I would stop breaking out there? I never pop on my forehead anymore (except for one aggressive popping experience last week), so I don't understand why the tiny papules aren't retreating. They're stubborn little boogers, they are.

I not believe popping and breaking out are much related. It's all about too much sebum production in your skin, now or in the past. If you acne is age/hormones related, I guess all you can do is trying to control it until you grow out of it.

I do think you use too many products BTW. I became a firm believer of using as little products as possible on my skin, and only wash (or better said splash) my face with water for just seconds.

I have learned my face is extremely sensitive for washing too much and drying products: if it's too dry, my skin starts to produce oil to (over) compensate. And I do believe this causes clogged pores and can cause breakouts. Skin is a delicate balance, many of us are our worst enemies with what we all do with and put on our face. It's not the oil ON your face that causes acne, it's the too much sebum IN your pores or skin. Removing the oil on your skin, will only stimulate your skin to produce more of it.

All my products/ my regimen is dermatologist and esthetician approved. I used to just wash my face with my cleanser, but that left my face too dry and taut. Then, I added in a moisturizer and for a while that was my skin care routine. That didn't get me anywhere with my acne. I saw the dermatologist and she prescribed the Aczone and Avar e. Both are topical antibiotics of sorts. Aczone helps treat existing acne and dry out my skin a bit, while the Avar e is an antibacterial agent that penetrates my skin to kill the P. acnes. Compared to most people's regimens, mine is extremely gentle because of my sensitive skin.

I am taking supplements to try and balance my hormones. I also take Zinc which has helped my body to stop producing excess amounts of sebum. So, I'm not only working from the outside, I'm working to find balance on the inside with diet and vitamins.

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MemberMember
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(@ripon10)

Posted : 08/29/2013 11:05 am

Are you changing your pillowcase nightly and keeping your hands off your face? Sometimes the side you sleep on breaks out more.

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MemberMember
7
(@rosalie324)

Posted : 08/29/2013 2:50 pm

Are you changing your pillowcase nightly and keeping your hands off your face? Sometimes the side you sleep on breaks out more.

I change my pillowcase at least twice a week... I also changed to fluoride free toothpaste to see if maybe skin has a reaction to that. I'm a stomach sleeper so I'm not sure what side gets more action during the night haha I also shower every night, so I know that my hair's oils (or products) are causing me to breakout. It's just rather confusing why some places refuse to improve while others have shown progress.

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