I turned 54 this year. No big deal and honestly I don’t feel much different than at 34, for example. Well, some arthritis seems to be creeping into some knuckles, but that’s genetic, for sure.
For the last maybe 6 weeks, I’ve been getting pimples on my face. Not really acne, because they never turn into anything I can squeeze. They are mainly on my cheeks and well under the skin: maybe 2 or three per cheek. They resemble a raised bump about the size of a small screw head, with a reddish area about the size of a dime.
I’m pretty self-conscious about walking around with red bumpy cheeks at my age.
Oh, and little tiny reddish, non-raised, ones on my forehead too.
Am I suffering from male menopause?
At first I thought maybe it was because I recently liked raiding the candy jar at work, but I stopped that weeks ago and it’s still an ongoing problem.
They reach maximum pimplage after 3 or four days and then recede in the same time frame. Then, rinse, lather, repeat.
What’s going on? I haven’t had skin problems in 35ish years!
Is there itching or a hot flush around them at all?
Have a look at Google Images for ‘facial dermatitis’; there are a few kinds and they look somewhat different from each other. I’m 46 years old and I’ve dealt w/ perioral dermatitis off and on the last two winters; unless I follow a specific cleansing and moisturizing routine it comes back quickly, nearly a month to clear up. It can be very frustrating.
Be careful how you treat them; as we age our skin is thinner and damages more easily, especially the face.
First, don’t put your face directly under the shower spray - good as it feels it’s too drying for the skin anymore.
Use a mild soap like Cetaphil to gently but thoroughly wash your face. Scrubbing will cause more irritation.
Change your pillowcase every day for two weeks and see if that helps. Can’t hurt.
Thanks NC. All those cases look worse than mine really.
I do not think I can NOT do this. I love the hottness of the shower on my face!
Well, I use a generic body wash, but have for years (not necessarily the same brand) and I even tried just swapping that out for the shampoo suds from my head. No difference.
But it is very similar to acne. Its inflammation triggered by behaviour of those oil glands and hair follicles. Perhaps they are dying… programmed cell death… Perhaps its infection.
Just approaching winter for you there ? Don’t get the cheeks irritated by the drying effect of cold and dry wind…
Use an antiseptic on dry or thin skin.
What I use to control hair follicle rash is antidandruff shampoo - head and shoulders. It works a few ways, but I think that it tends to dry the dead layer of skin , so if your skin is normally dry its too strong. Only for oily thick skin type people.
Not really. I changed to a lighter beer over the summer, but I’ve never been faithful to any particular brand ever, and generic lagers are all pretty much the same, no?
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I was thinking new detergent/fabric softener/dryer sheets on your pillows or towels, for example. Heck, could even be stuff you’ve been using for years; seems like every once-in-a-while, everyone screws around with the formulae of that stuff–“New and Improved” my aching sinuses.
You can try oil cleansing. I found that cleared up my skin. We use baby oil with a few drops of tea tree in it. Rub in, some water to emulsify, then wipe off with a warm washcloth.
Doesn’t sound like an infection (like some acne). If no new foods, chemicals, sun exposure, medicines… I’d get a bottle of witch hazel and slap some on before bedtime.
This. Um, don’t “pick” at any zits/blemishes/unknowns on your face after 40. What healed effortless previously, after 40… or 50… definitely does not. It seems to scar and stay.
I have been kinda rubbing my face with a roughish towel after a morning shower lately. I just stopped doing that from Googlage comments.
Maybe that’s it?
Who knows.
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When your pores are warm and relaxed, rubbing w/ a towel could certainly irritate your skin - especially if you’ve just scrubbed your face clean w/ a cloth. The collagen in/on our bodies isn’t as abundant as when we were younger.
I don’t think it’s the towel. I give myself a good towel scruffing with no negatives and I’m 57. Honestly it sounds like an allergic reaction of some kind. These can sometimes happen with stuff you’ve used forever then blam you have a reaction. Try changing up your shampoo/body wash/shave cream. A change in the amount of sunlight you’re getting can also cause skin reactions.
