I am going against all the doctrines and saying: I am not going to a dermatologist. It’s just a pimple. Plus I have good reason not to go, as you’ll see.
I had bad acne through all my teen years and a good portion of my 20’s. I spent so much time at the dermatologist in my teens years I can’t tell you. Mom paid for antiobiotics, skin treatments, etc. Nothing helped.
When I turned 20, I was on my own completely, so no money to pay for expensive treatments. In my late 20’s the acne miraculously cleared up over most of my face. So I have no reason to believe the derm can do anything.
Anyway. I only get pimples on my chin now, and one just keeps coming back. It fills up, then drains, then goes away for a while, then fills up again. Always around my period. And it’s the same pore.
Why does it do this and how do I make it stop? It must never be draining properly or maybe the bacteria that cause it to clog always live in there but I hate it. It hurts.
Any advice? I use good soap, my facial skin is oily, so I use Neutrogena which works wonders everywhere else but not on this little bastard. I also wear very little makeup, etc.
I don’t know your opinion on it, but some forms of birth control can cause you to skip your period. My ex used to use Ortho Tri-Cyclen and skipped her period often by skipping the sugar pills. She had moderately bad acne before she went on the pill, but after she had used it for a while and then quit the pill (mood swings) her acne was significantly better.
I do know that Ortho in specific has been commented on as lessening acne, but other hormonal birth control can help as well.
You ever try anything like Persa-Gel or some other ointment you apply directly to the area? It basically dries the bugger right up. There’s lots of “spot gells” out there.
Do you use a topical exfoliant? Either AHA or BHA (salicylic acid) are topical exfoliants that might help. You would use it once or twice a day after washing.
I actually do think a dermatologist can do something (I’ve heard of them injecting a bad pimple with a steroid that clears it right up), but I understand that you aren’t interested.
My wife’s sclerosing basal cell carcinoma was also ‘just a pimple’ that wouldn’t clear up. I was reviewing our family pics on iPhoto and noticed that the spot hadn’t changed in 4 months, and told her to get herself to the dermatologist, pronto. She needed multiple Mohs surgery passes to get clear margins, but she’s fine now. This was when she was 32.
I have rosacea, and when it flairs up, I get peri-oral acne, always in exactly the same spot. When I start using the topical rosacea meds consistently (like I’m supposed to!), the flair-up calms down and the acne goes away.
My rosacea was not that noticable when I was in my 20s, so its conceivable you might have something else going on besides acne.
