Hello! I’ve had these persistent little bumps for as long as I can remember, but they’ve gotten worse lately and I’m over it. A majority of them are on my temples, with a little on my forehead and cheeks. I’ve tried researching this, and I ruled out fungal acne because that’s supposed to be itchy which these are not. I’ve also ruled out closed comedones because those aren’t supposed to be poppable, but the ones I have are. Up close, they look like a raised bumpy blackhead, but are always skin colored. I attached a photo below. (I’m sorry the photo is terrible but I tried haha) Any help or tips would be appreciated, I need to figure this out!
Log in or sign up to leave a comment
I think the porcentaje of niacinamide is high, 4% is the best to avoid skin damage. My daughter had acne and the first thing she did was repair her skin barrier. She used a gentle cleanser like miele en mousse Lancôme, an hidratating serum, she used the serum Ultimate Concentrate of Shiseido and also the hydrating cream also of Shiseido, the red one. In 2 months she eliminated all her acne. Also you have que avoid overexfoliation.
2
Probably the surest way would be to see a derm, especially since you had the issue for a long time - why waste more with guessing... Sometimes people react to hair products they are using - shampoos, conditioners, hair styling products - but again, that probably wouldn't be that persistent unless you have been using the same hair products for a long time as well
1
It could be that your skin barrier has been damaged from over exfoliation. I noticed that it looks like you're using both a salicylic acid cleanser and AHA daily as well as a strong AHA treatment weekly. Maybe try removing actives from your routine (the niacinamide and exfoliants), using a hydrating/humectant serum instead (aveeno calm and restore oat serum is great, as is the ordinary amino acids + b5), and a gentle gel cleanser. Using a layer of petroleum jelly (don't worry it isn't comedogenic) on top of your moisturizer can also help lock things in at night, but do be warned that it can be messy. Once your skin has calmed down then you can cautiously reintroduce actives, but if you're adding exfoliants back into your routine I'd recommend starting with a gentle LHA or PHA once or twice a week, or sticking with the salicylic cleanser a couple times a week. I'd also try using a serum with a lower percentage of niacinamide as 4-5% is proven effective for skin texture and acne, and more can be irritating.