I uploaded two pictures below and hopefully the pictures are clear enough for others to see. About three years ago, I started developing these tiny white bumps all over my chin(not milia). I have no idea what they are or how to get rid of them. They are also above my upper lip and in the creases of my nose; but they are worse on my chin. I have been told that they are just whiteheads. However, I have tried exfoliating such as with Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid, Dan's AHA, different types of toners; both natural and brand products. I have tried natural remedies and retinoid. Yet, they keep coming back. I was diagnosed with leaky guy syndrome more than a year ago, and I thought gluten was the cause of the problem. However, I have been gluten free since then and I continue to have these white bumps. I also cut out diary to see if it might help, but no such luck. Recently, someone told me that I might have candida overgrowth because I continue to have stomach issues and that it may be causing my acne. I read somewhere to try Diflucan and Monistat in order to get rid of these bumps. However, I am hesitant to try Diflucan without getting a proper diagnosis that I do in fact have candida overgrowth. I was also told a chemical peel might help, such as Jessner. My skin is so sensitive, I am hesitant to do this as well.
A bit of my acne history, I used to have bad breakouts on my back. My dermatologist at the time said it was fungal, this is why I think these bumps on my face are not bacterial. I used to have a cystic acne along my jawline, but it has gotten better. It is now just a bit red, sometimes itches, and I have acne spots. Overall, I have oily skin, blackheads, and sebaceous filaments all over my nose and cheeks. However, these white bumps are more of a problem.
Does anyone have this type of acne or knows what it is? Does anyone know how to get rid of it? Any help would be appreciated!
Are they only apparent when you pull suck your lips in like that? If so - they are very likely to be simple closed comedones (non-inflamed white heads). They are notoriously difficult to get rid of unfortunately. Tretinoin (a topical retinoid) helped mine somewhat, but as soon as I stopped they just come back. The key is to keep them from getting inflamed. Avoiding manual exfoliation and using a chemical exfoliant will prevent that, but making them go away completely might be difficult.