Long have I endured the occasional bit of acne - a tiny visitor blemishing my flesh for a few days - but the past two weeks, I have had a party on my epidermis with everyone invited.
The usual remedies work, but it’s just so bizarre - I’m not seeking medical advice, because if it persists I know a good dermatologist, just a satisfaction of curiosity. What can cause a sudden manifestation of the zitgeist?
As background, they’re mostly on the arms and legs this time - don’t usually get them there. Just before the onslaught began, I had taken, for three days, a prescription antihistamine (phenergan?) with codeine, as a response to the vicious cold /possible mild sinus infection I had.
Can allergies cause pimples? Compromised immune system due to the recovery from the cold/infection?
Hit the dermatologist. I had the worst case of acne ever that lasted well into my 20’s; it’s only just now gone. He will be able to tell you, but I’m sure summer has something to do with it. Anyway, he might not be able to do much (he wasn’t able to with me) but he can tell you the causes.
Also, are you sure it’s acne and not prickly heat? (Do you know what that is?)
I do not. That’s kinda why I threw this out here - not aware of the various possible causes of pimple-like constructs. At first, I thought it was an infected hair on my arm, but then they started arriving, 2-3 a day, each fading a few days after it arrived, but more always coming.
Poopy. I had an answer written out and the hamspters ate it.
Ok, what I basically said, was, prickly heat is caused by a lot of sweating in the area. It’s small raised bumps, sometimes they itch, but they very rarely erupt like pimples.
If yours do erupt, I wouldn’t put it past allergies. I get pimples at the right time of the month, and while I *know * that’s not your problem, it could be seasonal. Or allergies, like you said. Or some internal thing. Dermatologist is the best bet.
These are most definitely something of the genus pimpalia. Swelling, painful to touch, development of the tiny white head, the whole nine yards. Looking up Prickly Heat, it seem it would occur in patches - these are fairly distributed - and it would itch - these do not.
Then I’m guessing some kind of allergy. Have you changed your soap recently? Have you washed recently? Shampoo, some new clothes with a new fiber? Or have you been sweating excessively lately?
Look into your schedule and see what has changed lately. If nothing, don’t forget the biggest fact - you’re getting older! And things change pretty drastically throughout your 20’s, let me tell you that.
Last summer I had an outbreak of acne on my shoulders. I had never had much acne in my teens, so I was a little perturbed at these unwanted guests. I think mine was related to wearing a backpack to walk to work. If I stopped wearing it, they went away. I have worn a backpack many, many years, but that year, it decided to cause a problem. The human body is a weird and wonderful thing.
I used someone else’s sunscreen about 5 weeks ago and three days later, I got this acne flare up from hell. It’s still in the process of subsiding, actually. Could it be something like that?
Sure, codeine can. Neutrogena makes a nice combination sunblock/moisturizer with alpha hydroxy lotion, which will clear them up on arms and legs.
For the lowdown on zits and how to keep them at bay (I started to get them in my mid 30s, after never having had them, and I can attest her regimen works), check out The Cosmetic Cop’s (Paula Begoun)'s website. It’s free.
Shampoo, some new clothes with a new fiber? Or have you been sweating excessively lately?
And things change pretty drastically throughout your 20’s, let me tell you that.