For some bizarre reason, i've been having some issues with facial inflammation (papules mostly [painful red bumps that if not treated, leave a mark for months]) over the past year or so. I'm 27 and never had any issues with acne so understandably i was annoyed. Actually, this is what got me into wet shaving, thinking perhaps my electric shaver was the culprit.
Anyways, i'm not here to complain - i'm here to share some tips that i found useful. The most important tip i can offer is - sea salt compresses! I cannot emphasize how this helped me. Before i heard of this method, the process was: general pain in a certain area, followed by growing red bumpage over a period of 12-24 hours, painful red bump for about 2,3 days, 1-2 weeks of receding in size of bump, 2-5 months of red mark. This happened about once every two weeks. So how do i treat this today?
1) Take sea salt (not table salt, about a teaspoon) mix with about 2-3 tbsp of warm water. I would also suggest taking a cap of apple cider vinegar (more on this later) and chucking it in. Mix well.
2) Prepare 2 strips of medical tape - the kind that holds bandages to the skin
3) Wash your face
4) Take a square gauze pad and dip in solution (should be soaked)
5) Fold as needed and hold w/strips to area. Leave for 15-20 minutes
Usually it takes only one application of this to drain all the disgusting puss onto the surface (magic!). If you do not see a white head, repeat this up to 4 times a day - don't try to squeeze if you don't see a white head! You're just pushing bacteria further down the skin and may make things really bad (i.e. cyst). Once you see a head, squeeze with the gauze pad on both ends until bloody. Apply some AHA 2% lotion on the area.
You may have to repeat this process once or twice. Once the area isn't painful (usually it's after the first time), healing starts. It usually takes about 1-3 days for things to calm down but you are not left with a red mark for months afterwards. I have yet to scar from this process.
Dealing with red marks
If you still have red marks, a solution from acne.org recommends using apple cider vinegar to perform gradual peeling. Since vinegar is acidic you want to balance it with a base... So what they suggest is to take about a tbsp of baking soda (not baking powder), mixed with very little water. This gives you a dirt cheap exfoliating creme. After cleansing the face with a cleanser, you rub this gently on your face and immediately wash off. Then apply a mix of ACV with water (start with a ratio of 1:10 ACV:water and gradually raise to 1:2 or 1:1) with a cotton thingie. Leave this on the face to dry and apply moisturizer. I've tried this for a few weeks and did see some good results.
Finding the source
It's not chocolate
My derm said my problem is folliculitis and prescribed a lotion. For now, it's working. I have no idea why this problem started or when it will pass but at least i have a method of treating it. I hope some of these tips find their way to the frustrated people suffering from the same.
Anyways, i'm not here to complain - i'm here to share some tips that i found useful. The most important tip i can offer is - sea salt compresses! I cannot emphasize how this helped me. Before i heard of this method, the process was: general pain in a certain area, followed by growing red bumpage over a period of 12-24 hours, painful red bump for about 2,3 days, 1-2 weeks of receding in size of bump, 2-5 months of red mark. This happened about once every two weeks. So how do i treat this today?
1) Take sea salt (not table salt, about a teaspoon) mix with about 2-3 tbsp of warm water. I would also suggest taking a cap of apple cider vinegar (more on this later) and chucking it in. Mix well.
2) Prepare 2 strips of medical tape - the kind that holds bandages to the skin
3) Wash your face
4) Take a square gauze pad and dip in solution (should be soaked)
5) Fold as needed and hold w/strips to area. Leave for 15-20 minutes
Usually it takes only one application of this to drain all the disgusting puss onto the surface (magic!). If you do not see a white head, repeat this up to 4 times a day - don't try to squeeze if you don't see a white head! You're just pushing bacteria further down the skin and may make things really bad (i.e. cyst). Once you see a head, squeeze with the gauze pad on both ends until bloody. Apply some AHA 2% lotion on the area.
You may have to repeat this process once or twice. Once the area isn't painful (usually it's after the first time), healing starts. It usually takes about 1-3 days for things to calm down but you are not left with a red mark for months afterwards. I have yet to scar from this process.
Dealing with red marks
If you still have red marks, a solution from acne.org recommends using apple cider vinegar to perform gradual peeling. Since vinegar is acidic you want to balance it with a base... So what they suggest is to take about a tbsp of baking soda (not baking powder), mixed with very little water. This gives you a dirt cheap exfoliating creme. After cleansing the face with a cleanser, you rub this gently on your face and immediately wash off. Then apply a mix of ACV with water (start with a ratio of 1:10 ACV:water and gradually raise to 1:2 or 1:1) with a cotton thingie. Leave this on the face to dry and apply moisturizer. I've tried this for a few weeks and did see some good results.
Finding the source
It's not chocolate
My derm said my problem is folliculitis and prescribed a lotion. For now, it's working. I have no idea why this problem started or when it will pass but at least i have a method of treating it. I hope some of these tips find their way to the frustrated people suffering from the same.
