Hello,
I'm an 18 year old male who has a oily T-zone, I get at least 1 pimple per week. Whenever I get pimples, they are 90% of the time on my T-zone. They mostly appear as deep cystic pimples with the occasional whitehead, however they clear up within less than a week without any scarring. I've been struggling with this problem for about 3 years now, other than my T-zone my skin is basically flawless. I've tried using 2.5%/10% Benzoyl Peroxide cream, Cetaphil Face Wash, 2% Salicylic Acid Toner and Face wash. None of these worked to completely prevent my pimples, they do however help reduce the size of pimples already present. The problem is that most of my pimples are deep cystic pimples that are very red and large, this ruins my confidence and social drive. Right now I am using a Neutrogena Oil-Free 2% Salicylic Acid Facial Wash along with 10% Benzoyl Peroxide Cream. I've been doing this for about 3 weeks and haven't noticed any real difference in my skin. The only thing products do is reduce healing time, but they dont prevent pimples. Another thing is I've developed these very small flesh-colored bumps about the size of this 'o' on my forehead that have been there for 3 months. I tried popping them, but they are so small I can't do anything about them. I thought they would go away so I didn't apply any products, since they didn't I started my current routine. After using my face wash and applying benzoyl peroxide cream to my T-zone, the area doesn't become dry and instead becomes oily a couple hours later. I only want to use over-the-counter products that aren't expensive, I feel like my T-Zone (specifically my forehead) is the only problem. Should I change to a benzoyl peroxide face wash with a salicylic acid toner? I cut back on dairy for a week and noticed my acne was better, but I'm not sure since this was only for a week.
TLDR: I can't consult a Dermatologist because it's too expensive, my acne isn't bad enough to spend tons of money on products. What should I do to prevent cystic pimples on my Oily T-Zone and how do I get rid of these small flesh colored bumps? My skin is pimple-free other than my T-Zone.
