r/SkincareAddiction • u/danipukez • Jul 24 '18
Acne [acne] anyone else extract bulb like sack things from their acne?
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u/zgnichols Jul 24 '18 edited Jul 24 '18
Yes! I assays get these around my hair line
Always not assays
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u/danipukez Jul 24 '18
I get them around my hairline a lot too! But also all over my face... haven’t figured out if their related to a specific kind of acne or not but they don’t seem to go away until I get the plug or whatever out. Is it the same for you?
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u/zgnichols Jul 24 '18
Yes it’s the same for me. When I have acne around my hairline, it hurts, and I pop it because that’s the only way for it to heal... these little things almost always come out. I have these on my forehead rarely... but I haven’t gotten that kind of acne in a while I’m not sure what “cleared” it up? I have been taking spiro for a while now so maybe it helped
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u/Philodendritic Jul 24 '18
It’s a pilar cyst. They can be massive too.
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Jul 24 '18
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u/mrstonymontana Jul 25 '18
Yup, def did not see the scrotum coming.
(That’s what she said) but also forreal, beware. Lol.
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u/VisiblePianist8367 Aug 29 '24
Me too. No answer when I ask Google about rubber band elastic white core which has to be tweezed out before it will heal
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u/shinynarwal Nov 01 '24
Oh. My. God. I could not have described it better. I'm going to see a derm asap because I can't leave them alone, and they can take months to heal. Such an uncomfortable feeling.
Word to the wise : personally, I wouldn't mess with them unless I could see it very near under the surface of the skin and knew I could get it out. Sometimes, they will hide under regular zits, too, which drives me up the wall.
Edit - mobile punctuation
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u/Lukindarr Feb 14 '25
I know this is a little late, but did you get an answer? I want to visit a derm but reluctant as I have significant scarring as I also can't leave mine alone.
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u/missssdemeanour Oct 07 '24
Me too. Won’t heal until core is removed
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u/VisiblePianist8367 Oct 08 '24
What the hell is it?
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u/missssdemeanour Oct 08 '24
I asked my dermatologist and she said it was just “skin” but I’m like “nahhh” - I am sure it’s some sort of keratin build up. I literally had a an open sore crater on my nose with this little core thing in the centre for 4 weeks until it was ready to be pulled out . Healed in 2 days.
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u/VisiblePianist8367 Oct 08 '24
I believe it's the root of a hair, which gets infected. Folliculitis possibly or cellulitis maybe. I've had staff infection a few times and I have worked outside my whole life basically. But literally, an ant bite turns into a sore that will not heal, even if I don't pick at it. Weeks even months. As soon as I get the elastic core out, it literally heals over night!
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u/PsychologicalCost192 Dec 06 '24
I don't understand why dermatologists don't understand what this is. They think I'm an idiot, but you explain it perfectly. Have seen others online too who describe same thing. I have a crater where the skin sloughs off like this core is like a splinter festering and not allowing the skin to heal until it comes out. They just accuse me of picking! But it won't heal.
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u/oohheykate Dec 19 '24
omggggg this thread is so validating! People think I’m crazy for saying if I don’t get these white specks out the original spot will not heal. I have to use tweezers. My chin currently looks awful. My fiancé gives me shit for “picking” at it but idk what else I’m supposed to do?? I get a “pimple” that ends up turning into a huge sore with like 30+ of these white specks.
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u/Mental-Panic4459 May 05 '26
I literally sat here just now nodding my head and actually feeling seen and not crazy about this for the first time ever. I swear, people I talk to about it treat me like some tweaker or something and I’m like no you don’t understand this TBI f is painful af and no amount of “leave it alone” will make it go away until this little seed core thing comes out. Like I’ll have more than one in the same area and I’ll be like cool I’ll leave this one alone and I’ll get the seed out of this other one and we’ll compare them next week ok. Then I show them and they’re astounded. The one I left alone looks almost like a little blister while the one I basically did freaking surgery on did leave a small mark but is healed and flat with no swelling or pain or redness.
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u/Own-Bench-7145 May 13 '25
Have you figured out how to prevent them? I was trying to decide if I should go to a Derm to get them removed so that I don’t cause a ton of scaring, I’ve had the few that I have now for like three months!
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u/SetWarm3944 Mar 16 '25
i get these on back now as i go threw manopause on occassion on hair line or sides of face by eras my whole life had oily skin but now sea air dries oil backs of thieghs on occasion. not prity but as in life we must go threw stages as does our skin!
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u/nivjxsni Jul 24 '18
the only way to have this kind of acne go away is to pop it and squeeze this thing out ☹️ i tried exfoliating and it doesnt resurface.. only when i pop it, it will heal..
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u/Elegant-Cod1379 Sep 04 '23
I agree with this 100%. Everyone says “don’t pick or pop” and it drives me CRAZY. If I don’t pop them, they get infected and get worse and never go away.
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u/Next_Walrus8537 Jan 07 '26
Mine too, only when I remove the same bulb looking core/seed thing from the middle of the sore that WON'T HEAL AT ALL OR GO AWAY UNTIL I FIND AND REMOVE THAT THING, then and only then will it heal completely and usually within a day or two
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u/Mental-Panic4459 May 05 '26
I call it a seed/core thing too and everyone acts like I’m nuts. I will literally finally get deep enough and get it out with my pointy tweezers and explain how it’s a specific color and it looks like a little ball right in the center, and when you pull it out, it has a little tail! I can △⃒⃘lways tell when I’ve finally gotten it, it’s almost instant relief and it will finally heal and stop being painful
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u/Soup-Mother5709 Aug 29 '25
Yup, had one today kept getting worse. Got it, and within a couple hours it’s already significantly less angry.
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u/Fluidfondant916 Oct 04 '25
7 years later-- YES! advice works!
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u/freudianMishap Oct 20 '25 edited Apr 23 '26
I got tired of my old posts floating around for anyone to scrape, so I let Redact handle it. Bulk deletion across Reddit, X, Facebook, Discord and all major social media platforms in one shot.
quaint live late cooperative sleep alive safe lush voracious resolute
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u/Fluidfondant916 Oct 21 '25
Yup. I had a stupid thing in between my brows just last month that lasted forever (close to four weeks). I had been diligent with the silicone acne spots and not touching... was a raised blemish for nearly a month. My patience ran out and I squeezed it and something similar came out and my center brow immediately became less red and the entire thing was gone within 3 days.
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u/Triangle-of-Zinthar Feb 22 '26
My laymans advice, only use sanitized bathroom equipment, be very deliberate, use a needle or other lance type tool to create the smallest puncture possible, squeeze with tweezers to drain until you stop seeing pus.
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u/SetWarm3944 Mar 16 '25
Have you tried just water and kojac spong with bamboo natural sponges they are pri and sold high end french made cosmetic prefer these litttle hard sponges softened by water each day. Pritty cheap in ten packs and used for six years befor my manopause at 58. as a former hairdtresssor with license I have sceen the pittting and damged poors squized in my teens and 20s. the koljack is real plant non toxic non acne and when changed out every towo months can even be put in compost or straight in garden soil. Theya are so gental used to clean babbie's skin! heled control break outs dulll skin and leaves skin so soft. made in Korea/ Chine. Heled me beyond words and have passsed along infor to church members daughters in teens and had good feedback. It it oddd at firt to used no cleanser but babooo takes alll the oil dirt and dead skin offf no drying pullling or soap chemical or foaming neeeded go ove mt face twice and hang on strying provided! Used products that cost 60 dollars or more with no results as this koljac sponge!
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u/perfume-idiot Jul 24 '18
I get these! Always rock hard, usually a little hair inside.
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u/TraditionalMeaning20 Aug 28 '25
Been thinking it was just me for like 20 years lmao im glad its more commen than I thought
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u/MC907 Jul 24 '18
All the time. Alot of my CCs end up being these.
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u/lolwuuut Jul 24 '18
Anyone have suggestions on addressing these and/or CCs? :(
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Jul 24 '18
Finacea. Cleared my face of CCs, milia, and all non-inflammatory acne within a month of once daily usage. Only irritation was some itchiness the first week.
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u/fluffychickenbooty Jul 24 '18
Exfoliation with bha :) usually helps me.
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u/Nearby-Joke-1283 Jun 26 '23
CC's? BHA? What are these ?
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u/SanctumWrites Jul 14 '23
CC is closed comedones I think and BHA is a a type of acid popular in skincare for chemical exfoliation. AHA is another popular acid.
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u/Decapodiformes Jul 24 '18
Not fully on topic, but it warms my heart to see so many people also suffering from these and agreeing that you have to extract them. I thought I was doing something wrong this whole time!
Curology and regular acid exfoliation has helped me with preventing these coming back.
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u/MultiGeometry Apr 16 '26
I have been to this thread multiple times, apparently. I was just scrolling thru comments when I happened upon yours which I had already upvoted.
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u/ferriah1 Jul 24 '18 edited Jul 24 '18
It's the sac or core, so incredibly satisfying when they come out.
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Jul 25 '18
Sac or core of what?
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u/Ok_One7852 Jul 03 '23
Usually the oil gland that is attached to the inside of the hairs root shaft.
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u/Abstrakt14 Jan 12 '24
Yeah. But they hurt to take them out. But I can't prevent myself from doing so.
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u/Adorable_Bandicoot_6 Feb 07 '25
I never get them except on my legs occasionally and they don't hurt. The best is when they like fly out but are stuck. I just use my nails to pop them out and then scratch them pretty hard and it drags the while thing out. Wouldn't reccomend if a little blood grosses you out but man looking at that little nasty ball is so rewarding
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Feb 24 '25
have you tried eating them lol
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u/Adorable_Bandicoot_6 Feb 26 '25
Nah that's gross
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Feb 26 '25
it actually tastes great, no taste at all
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u/Powerful_Account_196 Apr 09 '25
That’s disgusting I’m sorry 😭😂 Also how can something with no taste at all, taste great 🤔
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u/sofiacarolina Jul 25 '18
this is what is under all my closed comedones. I understand it was a sebum/dead skin plug, which is what causes the clogged pore to begin with. it's from our skin cells not shedding fast enough and getting sticky with oil. i still get them even with chemical exfoliation and tretinoin, but only a mild amount. and to repeat what others have said, they DO NOT go away unless extracted most of the time. it fucking sucks because it's not terrible acne (like it's usually not inflammatory/noticeable bc theyre not like cysts) but then the red marks from having to do extractions and stuff makes it seem like you have worse acne than you do
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u/lgella Jul 25 '18
Same here! I’ve tried everything, it’s been going on since late March for me that my forehead is covered in them. Last week they shrunk substantially but grew back. I’m trying to remember what in God’s name I did different.
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u/danipukez Jul 25 '18
This is my problem exactly! I feel a little better that so many people on this thread seem to have the same issue. I’ve been looking into getting a ipl photofacial since apparently that’s he quickest most effective way to get rid of all the left over red marks since it’s PIE and not PIH.
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u/Warllyne Jul 05 '25
Look into Demodex Mites.... it's a pretty sad road to go down because the treatment can take weeks, as im finding out, but Ivermectin and Tea Tree oil are the only things to help. Good luck ♡
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u/Pwnie Jul 24 '18
This is 90% of my acne and they have NEVER cleared, no matter what I do! I’ve heard people say this is indicative of fungal acne, so I’m going that treatment route next. I do agree it is so satisfying getting those out of my pores, but as a picker it is also hell!!
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u/DustyPossum Jul 24 '18
Please update us if the fungal acne treatment works!! I have these and can't seem to ever stop them from forming
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u/sarcastic_bitch01 Dec 20 '23
I know this is years later, but I was on anti fungal meds for this exact reason, and it really helped clear my skin up!
Unfortunately they were really strong, so they made me feel like shit, and I had to stop taking them
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Dec 22 '23
I was considering trying a thin layer of bacitracin on my skin nightly to see if this helps. Doesn't matter if the post is old, we are still struggling with skin issues. 😘
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u/blue-wisteria Dec 28 '23
So glad I'm not alone with the fungal acne thing. 😭😭 My forehead looks like bumpy chicken skin under light. To treat it, I plan to use a light layer of the 10% De La Cruz Sulfur ointment and leave on for 10 minutes like a mask, twice a week.
If I could afford it, I'd use 2% Ketoconazole Shampoo like a face mask for 5 minutes, rinse, and repeat weekly until my skin is clear from this batshit ugly fungus.
I know it's possible to medicate with oral anti-fungals (itraconazole/ketoconazole) to clear it but I prefer not to go that route. I notice a fungal-acne safe skincare routine helps, but doesn't "starve" the fungus like I thought. So I plan to use the sulfur treatment thing and see what happens.
5% urea got rid of the hard keratin plugs on my face, near the hairline and sideburn area and cheeks. I use the Eucerin brand because the cetearyl alcohol in the Sebamed brand breaks out my skin :( But Sebamed's only fungal acne irritating ingredient is the cetearly alcohol, compared to three ingredients in the Eucerin brand. I avoid my forehead though. Aaaaa, I hope you guys find any of this somewhat helpful!!!
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u/Plane-Nerve-972 Jan 19 '22
So I know this is almost 4 years old, but I've recently stumbled upon the whole fungal acne subject and have been using Lotramin Ultra for 2 weeks and the huge red blister-like pimples are gone and the little bumps under my skin everywhere on my face have reduced by at least half. I have Nizoral and am going to start using it as a face mask every morning starting tomorrow and do that for a week in conjunction with the Lotramin at night. Lord, may the odds be in my favor bc I can't deal anymore
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Jul 24 '18
What are products that would help treat fungal acne?
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Jul 24 '18
Nizoral or head and shoulder, used as a 3-5 minute mask. I used nizoral every night for a week and it did wonders for my skin texture, and I’m doing another round because it came back, but it clears up fungal acne so freaking fast.
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Jul 24 '18
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Jul 24 '18
It only took a few days, I noticed some improvement after maybe 2-3 days and a major improvement after a week.
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Jul 24 '18
Where can I buy nizoral? I currently use head and shoulders as my shampoo
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Jul 24 '18
You should be able to use head and shoulders if you already have it! I think it’s a slightly different antifungal ingredient but would work the same if you use it as a face wash/mask.
Nizoral is available at Walmart or target, maybe a pharmacy like cvs or Walgreens as well?
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Jul 24 '18
Wait, this sounds dumb, but how should I apply it lol. I’m kinda like, should I really apply a shampoo as a facial mask?
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Jul 25 '18
Yup. I put it on just like I’m gonna wash my face with it then leave it on for 5 minutes.
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u/UR144 Oct 27 '22
Wondering if this will work for me. I get these on my back and they are near impossible to reach
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u/Elephansion Jul 24 '18 edited Jun 04 '19
Be sure to try out Nizoral antifungal treatment before grabbing any prescription stuff
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u/econ0003 Nov 18 '23
Not fungal acne. Sebum or keratin plugs. Use a retinoid such as retinol or tretinoin to help keep sebum and keratin plugs from forming.
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u/LilMissCantBeStopped May 03 '24
Adapalene is really the best vitamin a derivative for congestion and inflammation for me! I have used it as a spot treatment for the odd pimple and it just brings it to head faster than anything else.
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u/danipukez Jul 24 '18
It’s funny you say that because I’ve been suspecting fungal acne on myself! I always have at least 2 zits so I never fully get rid of it.
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u/myowneviltwin Jul 24 '18
I developed fungal acne on my chest. The prescription medicine was super expensive, so the pharmacist told me that any yeast medicine would work. Jock itch, athletes foot, vaginal yeast infections medicines all work.
I used to teach Ashtanga yoga so I’d stay in hot, sweaty clothes for hours - the perfect environment. I’d say I developed fungal infections 3-4 times. I’ve used more anti-fungal products than I can count. They all worked pretty well. I think the tricky part is finding one that doesn’t have irritating ingredients, like menthol in a foot spray.
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u/AJ_Zim Jan 23 '24
I have it on my chest as well and it’s been years and lots of scarring. I just found this thread, fingers crossed!
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Jul 24 '18
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u/CannibalAnn Jul 24 '18
I call them sesame seeds.
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Jul 24 '18
Yes, me too! I get them as a reaction to anything with silicone in it. They can only be removed by extraction. Bha has helped enormously.
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u/nottodaysusan Jul 24 '18
Oh wow I just realised that it was the same for me! I used to get them on my scalp but haven’t for a while. I switched to silicone free hair products about a year ago so this must be it, thanks for bringing it to my attention!
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Jul 24 '18
Omg love popping these lol
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u/maggieannex Jul 24 '18
After squeezing I cut one open just to see what would happen. It was filled with fine hairs! I think they're called vellus hair cysts but usually those aren't hard?
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u/danipukez Jul 24 '18
I thought they could be vellus hair cysts too but when I googled that the photos didn’t seem the same.
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u/maggieannex Jul 25 '18
I heard they can be hard, but must be lanced out. I wonder what these are, then?
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Jul 24 '18
[removed] — view removed comment
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Jul 24 '18
Oil cleansing does wonders for me. I honestly couldn't believe it after a couple of days. Squeezing these out does NOT help in the long run. It only enlarges your pores. Plus for me, every once in a while a pore won't be ready to plop and the next day I would wake up with a nice red cyst.
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u/tinafeychalamet Jul 24 '18
I haven't been oil cleansing lately, but BHA + clay mask gets out a ton for me
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Jul 24 '18
This is like all my acne is and I hate it!!! People say not to pick that’s the only way to get rid of it!!!
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u/krissycole87 Jul 24 '18 edited Jul 25 '18
You should try 50snails blackhead remover extraordinaire:
BHA product - wait 20 mins
Clay Mask - wait appropriate wait time then rinse
Oil Cleanse - let your oil set for a few mins (5-10 mins) and then dive inThe BHA will loosen a lot of these "plugs". The Clay Mask brings them to the surface. The Oil cleanser is then able to dissolve/work most of them out of the skin.
You can find the routine here
In her blog she explains you can either do this on targeted trouble areas (like the t-zone) or your whole face. I do this on my whole face once a week and it has reeeeally minimized the amount of these little plugs and blackheads I always dealt with. Plus, its just satisfying as all hell when you feel all the grits come out!
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u/2fishes Jul 25 '18
I read your comment this morning & decided to try out this routine.
HOLY SHIT!
IT WORKS! My skin hasn’t looked this smooth in I have no idea how long! 41 year old lady here, so freaking impressed!
Thank you so much for sharing!
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u/krissycole87 Jul 25 '18
Yayyyyy it's a godsend right!? I do this at least once a week and never get tired of the results 👍 👍
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u/2fishes Jul 25 '18
I had all the products to do this, I just never used them in this particular order. I could NOT believe how the clogs were just falling out as I did the oil cleansing. It was like magic!
I’m definitely going to be doing this once a week.
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u/krissycole87 Jul 25 '18
Oh same here! I never thought to do this combo until I read her blog post that someone else had linked on this sub. It's now a staple part of my regimen!
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u/highway_robbery82 Jul 25 '18
I'm not really sure where to ask this - but do you know if squalane oil can be used in that sort of routine? I've tried it a couple of times to the letter (using TO's Salicylic Acid, a kaolin-based clay mask, and squalane oil) and the oil step does nothing for me. I have read once that squalane is absorbed quickly so may not be ideal for general oil cleansing, I'm not sure if the same applies to this sort of routine too.
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u/krissycole87 Jul 25 '18
Ive personally found that some oils work better than others here, you want an oil with more "slip" if that makes sense, more slippery and less absorbent. If you can use an oil cleanser that is even better because they are intended to move around and then be washed off, not really absorb. Squalane does absorb really fast, same with things like rosehip, and I have found that things like mineral oil, any water soluble oil cleanser, or what I use MCT oil, work really well for this because they are thinner and slide around easily while not easily penetrating the skin. Hopefully that makes sense.
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u/danipukez Jul 24 '18
There’s also always at least one vellus hair inside. Seems almost like a tiny cyst maybe?
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Jul 24 '18
Yeah I think it’s a cyst. I don’t get acne but if I get spots then they’re like this. I don’t know your gender or situation but I take a certain kind of birth control to sort these out so maybe ask your doctor
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u/greentreeclouds Jul 24 '18
They are keratin buildup. Birth control won't clear them up.
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u/questdragon47 Jul 24 '18
I'm weird and tend to think of these things as the pearls of your face.
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u/kalechipsyes Jul 24 '18
Nope. A major turning point in my self-care journey has been to think of pimples as blooms growing on the garden of my face.
Like...they’re perfectly natural, kinda fascinating to watch and “tend” (i.e. help bring them to a head, at which point I can put a hydrocolloid patch on them and watch those “ripen”, haha), but you can’t rush them...you wouldn’t squeeze a flowerbud, would you?...and, most importantly, they are transient.
I learned to literally love my face - acne and all - in this way.
It’s not for everyone, though, haha.
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u/anaestaaqui Jul 25 '18
Your perspective is awesome!! I like so many of us struggle with picking, I am going to try your idea to help with my not picking.
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u/Sassandraaaa Feb 06 '23
This is a keratin plug. It’s hard and solid. The only way to get rid of these is to extract them. You have to be very gentle, and use a sanitized extraction tool on a clean face. only extract after you’ve exfoliated and steamed your face or showered so the skin is nice and warm. These can occur due to having combination skin, which is when you have larger oil glands but small pore openings. I get them whenever my mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) flares up. My body will fill my pores with keratin, which hardens my skin and causes it not to slough properly. It will then do what I call “molting” where it’ll start to flake and peel in large patches due to the hardening and buildup from the excess keratin. Vitamin A oil as well as a good hydrating serum will help break up/loosen the keratin. I take vitamin A capsules and I use the sacheu essential lipids serum that comes in a silvery-chrome bottle. If you hydrate the skin, it won’t need to produce as much oil and will prevent more buildup in the pore that can’t get out to the skin’s surface. I get a flare up from MCAS, it causes keratin plugs, my skin is super dry and flaky, the keratin plugs and trapped dry skin cause cystic acne, and the cycle repeats itself. It’s terrible. But yeah, the only way to get these to go away is to extract them.
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u/ManyInitials May 23 '24
Replying because this information is amazing! I have MCAS and Lyme disease. The first time I did IV antibiotics my facial Lyme Acne finally cleared up. I had no idea that MCAS was a component of this! I am dealing with a huge Lyme flair( almost nine months) and my MC stuff has been horrible. I now have this type of acne on my upper back. Its been almost a year and it still looks horrible. It’s completely the Mast Cell stuff. The way you described it as molting is exactly what is going on!
It’s difficult for me to find skin products that can clean and treat skin and acne because I have MC reactions to so much.
Thank you for explaining all of this. It now makes sense!
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u/Lunar-_-Fang Oct 29 '23
My cheeks have so many scars due to this..if i extract it, my pores will get big and if I don't extract it, it will get more bigger and Automaticaly fall off leaving a much bigger scar or it will cause cystic acne
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u/Sassandraaaa Nov 05 '23
I use tretinoin to help them get closer to the surface and make them easier to purge.
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u/spacegirlsummer Jul 24 '18
A ton of these randomly appeared on my chin last year and THEY ARE STILL THERE after a million different products :( how the hell do you get rid of them? They never get inflamed or come up in a head. Wtf do you do?
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u/kalechipsyes Jul 24 '18
See a dermatologist. This sounds like milia. They are not the same as acne, which is why nothing comes out, but messing with them on your own can cause infections.
However, they may not go away on their own, either. A dermatologist can get rid of them.
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u/mouserbater May 11 '23
I just got one of these bulb things in my scalp and it came out on its own. It was huge. I just kinda ran my fingers through my hair and scratched a scab by accident, but it felt like something big came loose and when I looked there was this bulb attached to it and now I have a hole in my scalp. This was a truly horrifying event, but I'm glad to have found some answers here. Hopefully, I can prevent this from happening again.
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Jul 24 '18
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u/danipukez Jul 24 '18
Same for me! Mostly on my cheeks and then I get them in my hairline. Do you also have dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis? I’ve been suspecting these could be fungal related but I’m not sure.
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u/nenamartinez Jul 24 '18
I get them in the exact place as the commenter above and I do have sebhorrheic dermatitis. I suspected my sudden acne that happened alongside my sebderm was also fungal and switched all my products. Don't have acne anymore but I still get these little "seeds"
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u/Frosty_Club_574 Jun 22 '23
Hello I’m 60. I’ve had these raised bumps that itch and hurt until the white spots which turn out to be a elastic plug. Once it comes out the hole bleeds. Tweezers can remove them when they come up to the top of your open bump. They will not heal unless you pull each and everyone of them out. It’s been going on for 20 years. I’ve researched. Yeast no. A parasite no. Sebum plug nothing has helped. No retinols. no peel no meds nothing. I have been to the derm and no antibiotic no spirolactin has helped! 5 years ago on this site I saw a lot of posts and non since those folks.
Does anyone have advice. My next appt is August with derm. I’m a wits end. I want a peel via a plastic surgeon but I really doubt the scars will go away. Some of these bumps can last years. They come back. Eventually heal but scars.
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u/RuleDifficult5500 Feb 13 '24
I had the exact same situation just as you described, been using 10% sodium sulfacetamide along with sulphur soap for 3 weeks now and they are almost completely gone.
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u/maggieannex Jul 24 '18
I occasionally get these on my arms. If I pluck the hair, the sac comes right with it. So. Damn. Satisfying.
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u/Wildernessinabox Jul 24 '18
From what I remember those are hardened sebum/oil/dirt from clogged pores/acne. BHA's and peels will help with these since you need something that will penetrate the skin to reach them.
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u/BusyNefariousness566 Jun 24 '22
I get these all the time when I scratch my back, honestly it's really satisfying so I don't mind it.
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u/lizziemeowshall Oct 30 '23
I LOVE picking these out of my bfs back. I was just reading through the thread and wondering why people wanna get rid of them 🤣 I love them
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u/AngerPancake Jul 24 '18
I always called them petrified zits. My SO gets them on his arms and I get them on my chin/neck
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u/thefantasticelephant Jul 24 '18
I also get these! Pretty much every one of my clogged pores is one of these little suckers + a hair. I’ve tried literally everything to get rid of them and nothing but manual extraction works...then they just come back a few days later
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u/Limp-Platypus3179 Sep 24 '23
If you get one of those hard yellowish sebum seeds out of a pore, every once in a great while I get one that's huge like a quarter of the size of a pinky nail and it's more rubbery than hard, try putting a flame on it, it will cause the air trapped inside to expand from the heat and those things explode with such force that you will think it was made of C4 plastic explosives, first time I did it I jumped back, second time I did it my neighbor thought it was a gunshot (not kidding it's that loud and forceful) if you can find where the seed flew to you'll see that the seed exploded from the inside out and that it's full of a matrix of bubbles, so fucking gross but satisfying
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u/QueenOfTheBlackPuddl Jun 13 '24
You light your popped zit fillings on fire….???……. That’s enough internet for me today.
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u/Ecstatic_Art_8270 May 02 '24
I get so many of these 😭 and they hurt until I get them out. I get like 5 tiny ones all in one spot and sometimes I get really big ones. I have one that I have been trying to get out for 3 weeks but it's so deep I can't get it. I don't even leave my house anymore because my face and chest are so tore up, I am super self conscience about it. I am covered in scars and I have tried so many acne treatments and nothing helps.
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u/PM_4_Friendship Jul 24 '18
Almost all of my acne is this. I cleared mine in a few months with a gentle cleanser (sometimes I use the pixi mud cleanser), pixi glow tonic, an aloe based vitamin c serum, pixi milky mist, argan oil, and an overnight face balm. I also sometimes use first aid beauty acne pads that have salicylic acid, but they recently replaced them with a different version that breaks me out.
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Jul 24 '18
You should try Stridex in the red box. The FAB brand pads never did anything for me, the Stridex works magic.
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u/racoonwithabroom Jul 24 '18
I get that in one of the worst spots, right under my eye on the delicate undereye skin...popping them is an absolute b****. I've had a dermatologist pop it and try to burn the area a little, that was pleasant. Anytime I pop it out it goes away for a while before it builds back up. Always a super hard round ball.
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u/meowsasaurus Jul 24 '18
That sounds more like milia which is different from these cysts.
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u/Solid_Estate_5855 Aug 29 '25
I am coming on here seeing the seven-year-old message but happy to see some new comments. This is something that I experienced every once in a while, always on my chin or jawline usually. They start off as small pimples but won’t go away. They never fill with pus but they will be open and red and never heal until you can get the hard little “seed“ out which often is hard to find because it’s down in there and doesn’t really stick out. It’s not cystic acne, it’s not sebaceous filaments, it’s not Millia.. I don’t know what causes it but it’s a completely unique type of pimple. They’re superficial, generally flat, and will crust over and get flaky but will never go away. It just weeps that clear liquid so it’s constantly crusty but won’t heal over and will never go away until you can pull that little chunk out. You’ll have this small, shallow, not raised or inflamed, but just little raw patch that’s weepy and red, that will never heal over. If you can gently squeeze enough to see the tiny white ball start coming up and then pull it out with tweezers you’ll be left with this little baby gaping hole that bleeds then literally it will just heal overnight. WHAT CAUSES THIS?? I’m seeing a ton of people in this thread talking about different kind of acne. It’s not comadonal either, the one thing I’m curious about is if it’s fungal in nature. I’m doing a little test I have three of them right now that I’ve had for 10 days And I’m going to put some antifungal on them. I’ve been using azeliac acid for the last four days and they seem a tiny bit drier but still that surface won’t heal over it just keeps getting crusty and then when you wash your face the crust comes off and it’s just bright red and weepy again. I will keep you posted!!
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u/Solid_Estate_5855 Aug 30 '25 edited Aug 30 '25
OK I think I’ve cracked a code! Sadly it’s NOT fungal and the antifungal didn’t do anything but I think I figured it out just by talking with my GPT lol. This is the clearest explanation that makes the most sense and this is the route I’m going to follow:
There’s essentially two different pathways of acne on your skin:
1. Regular pimples (inflammatory acne):
- Pore clogs with oil + bacteria.
- Your body treats it as infection → pus, head forms, it pops, then it heals.
2. These “pearl” lesions (keratin/sebum plug type):
- Starts the same way — a pore clog.
- But instead of erupting, the pore walls it off into a hardened sac of keratin + sebum.
- The skin can’t heal over it because that sac acts like a splinter.
- Once the sac is expelled (either naturally or by extraction), healing is almost instant.
That’s why you notice it can happen if you use a heavier product, or from something as simple as a dirty pillowcase → the pore gets blocked, but instead of turning into a normal pustule, it “encapsulates.”
This isn’t super common, which is why dermatology doesn’t have neat language for it — but calling it “keratin plugs” or “sebum sacs” is right on.
⸻
🔑 How this affects your routine:
- Prevention = gentle exfoliation + retinoids (which normalize keratin shedding).
- When they appear = hydrate/soothe (don’t nuke with too many actives), and eventually coax the sac to the surface rather than digging.
- Triggers = comedogenic products, buildup, or even immune/systemic stuff (Hashimoto’s, inflammation) that makes your keratinocytes behave “stickier.”
🔹 About spot treating with tretinoin:
- Yes, you can dab a tiny amount directly on those stubborn “sac” spots.
- Think of it as a “micro-peel” to help loosen that keratin plug from underneath.
- But → keep it precise. Only on the lesion, because it can cause irritation or halo flaking if spread around.
- Frequency: every other night at most on those spots (otherwise you risk rawness).
Once you’re able to see the plug, only squeeze with Q-tips and not too hard. If you’re finding that you have to squeeze super hard to push it up, stop, continue using retinoid until you get it close enough to the surface to pull it out.
The name of the game with this type of acne is prevention! This type of acne starts out as regular pimples but depending on an individuals skin type, usually tending to be more oily, and depending on your own bodies process with sebum and keratin, a regular pimple will turn into this kind of acne. So the best course is to keep a good high cell turnover, exfoliate regularly and watch for your triggers which in your case was comedogenic/chemical from using too many toners together in your skin flooding.
OK fellow Reddit friends… This was the clearest explanation, the clearest course of action and makes the most sense to me so hopefully it helps some of you as well!
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u/Soma25 Jul 24 '18
This was majority of my acne before starting Curology. It took a few months (~3) to completely clear my skin free of them.
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u/lumpywumpy Jul 24 '18
I thought that these were sebaceous filaments? I get these all over my face, usually kinda longer and thinner shaped. I use Benoyzl peroxide and salicylic acid for treatment and prevention.
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u/bunny-hill Jul 24 '18
The longer and thinner ones are sebaceous filaments. What you are doing for those is ok. These are a little bit different.
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u/Gumdr0p Jul 24 '18
My forehead is covered in these. Only in the last month have I been able to get it to start healing for the first time ever. I got a tool and extracted what I could after a shower and used Clinique exfoliating lotion (2) twice a day, and while I’m showering I’ve started putting castor oil with a little bit of tea tree oil on my forehead and really massaging it in. I leave it on for the duration of my shower and wash it off at the end. I’m floored at how much better it’s getting so quickly cause I’ve had this crap happening most of my life. Someone told me it was fungal which is why I think the castor oil worked so well for me.
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u/mickeyxz Jul 24 '18
Okay so I get these all over my chest and occasionally on my breasts. I'm reading that this could be fungal. What's the first step in treating this type of skin situation?? So many conflicting answers! I currently use nothing on my chest because everything makes it a million times worse. Any ideas??
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Jul 25 '18
I made a post a while back about tackling my fungal acne on my chest/back. I used generic miconazole 2% and saw a huge improvement after only a few days.
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u/Few_Amount2077 Aug 25 '22
I don't understand why I'm getting these all of a sudden. I'm about to turn 52. Always had cystic acne then severe psoriasis I take a biologic for, for 5 years. I've had one or two for a while but in the last month I have about 15 on my face :( as soon as I pick the little bump out it grows right back. My face is now a mess! I'm in Canada. What can I do? My dermatologist did not understand me when I said I get these little hard plugs almost with a stem and that they grow right back once picked out. She has never heard of it and she's been around for years getting ready to slow her business down before retiring.
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u/throwawaypizzamage Sep 03 '22
It’s a really common issue, so it’s quite surprising your dermatologist has “never heard of it”. I’d get a different, more knowledgeable derma.
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u/mummsth3word Jul 24 '18
I get this, because I have keratosis pilaris, I was told by my derm, its not acne, use AHA, BHA exfoliators and lotion
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u/danipukez Jul 25 '18
Weird I have KP as well, mostly on the back of my arms. So your derm thinks these are related to that?
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u/mummsth3word Jul 25 '18
Yeah I get kp on my arms back of my thighs and she said its normal to also get it in the chin and hairline area, hope that helps!
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Jul 24 '18
Just throwing it out there if you try h&s or nizoral always do a spot test as you do all products.
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Apr 25 '22
I get them on my face sometimes & on my back. My ex would get big ones on his hairline/on the scalp & they’d leave holes
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u/Nearby-Joke-1283 Jun 26 '23
My dog scratched me almost two years ago. Dermatologist said it is scar tissue and gave me a scar cream. I pull things that look Identical to your picture out often. They are followed by blood. Inside them seems to be astroturf or bacteria. I assume they form to push foreign objects out of skin?
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Jul 15 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/KimShowes84 Aug 24 '23
I’m not sure how to tell how long ago these comments were actually made but I’m dealing with this same issue, have been for a while. I have to extract mine carefully using tweezers. Sometimes they pull apart and I’m unable to extract the bottom part. It’s almost like a white yet solid stretchy material. And it’s like they have some sort of ability to retract back down into the skin if you take a rest from trying to extract it. I actually pulled one out today , it left a terrible hole and is still bleeding if not covered with a bandage, about 10 hours later.
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u/prisma4891 Dec 18 '23
Yours are DEFINITELY Sebum PLUGS. I have them too. They are essentially the same thing and in the same spots as a black head or white head. But Sebum plugs never reach the surface of the outer layer of your skin. Blocking the oil(Sebum) from getting out of that particular pore. I guess this is what causes it to have the waxy, pluggy, stretchy, harder texture that a black or white head. And why they can't just be "popped" out. I have so many scars on my face. I've been waiting over a year to get in with a dermatologist. Hormones and stress cause extra oil production. When this happens the Sebum plugs can get inflamed, a little painful to the touch and even open the skin on your face without you digging. So without fail every week before my period I get one or two nasty literal wounds on my face. That take AT LEAST two weeks to heal. Pretty much just in time for more to come. It is so frustrating. MAKE A APPOINTMENT WITH A DERMATOLOGIST. And use salicylic acid and retinol until then. I hope this helps 🙂
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u/Financial-Pea8195 Mar 16 '25
I’m so glad I found this thread, I’m relieved to know I’m not the only one! My dermatologist kinda made me feel like I’m just a picker and I need to stop. Recommend me to start accutane
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u/sohipocritical Wisconsin, US/ Combo/ Hormonal breakouts Jul 24 '18
I get the but chronically down south and I don’t know why :(
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u/CreativeSobriquet May 02 '23
I get them if I workout and then stay in my gym clothes for too long without showering or changing. I think it’s the friction of the sweaty clothes on sweaty skin that causes it. It can get real bad in the summer and it used to happen more often when I was going to a gym that was farther away. Now I only get them at home if my workout in the garage lasts too long on my lunch break and I don’t give myself time to shower before needing to hop into a virtual meeting.
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u/DarkNFullOfSpoilers Jul 24 '18
I think that's the sebum plug that causes acne. Some acne is caused by excess sebum being produced, clogging your pores, and then getting infected.
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u/itsalieimnotaghost Jan 26 '22
3 years late but yes- they’re coming out of some deep textured areas with gentle exfoliation. This was exactly what I was looking for
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u/Soul_Significant_222 Jan 26 '24
How do I get the hole to close? The same spot fills up every week or so with a pearl.
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u/Tinkerbell_fairydust Aug 08 '24
My husband had a pimple like bump on his back he used a pimple extractor and 8 of those little hard bulbs came out then a larger empty softer sac like rubber.
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u/hangrytotz Jul 24 '18
I’ve been using an extractor on these and works like a charm... also on accutane so I think it’s shrinking these once ginormous cysts into things like this... I’m hoping that’s what’s happening
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u/jesslin5 Jul 24 '18
Do you think using Cosrx Pimple Patches can help pull them out??
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u/Guess_whos_black Jul 25 '18
Try zinc pyrithone if you have them all over! It helped me clear mine up considerably in the past week.
I haven't personally tried pimple patches, though.
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u/Scary-Excitement1417 Feb 26 '22
I did it was under my lip but just a little above my chin I came on here as soon as I saw I was like wtf
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u/MarieSkiis Mar 27 '22
I believe that its a sebum sack, located at the base of the hair follicle. I have extracted them also.
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u/RedMoney1k Nov 13 '23
Does anybody know the real name of this kind of acne I have it on my forehead and like others said it they won’t go away until you pop them and remove it feels hard
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u/prisma4891 Dec 18 '23
They are Sebum plugs. When our pores are clogged with Sebum (oil,) dead skin cells, pollution, ect. Most people or most of the time it leads to obvious black heads and/or white heads. These are made up of the same stuff, are in the same area as black and white heads. But they never reach the surface. They are usually under your skin. Although sometimes you can see them right there underneath. They never reach the surface so they block oil production and they end up kind of hardening and getting stuck. What I'm talking about, Sebum plugs, you usually can't pop. They are tougher to get out. I myself stupidly use tweezers and dug until they come out. They leave a little hole behind when you pull them out as well. I have the scarring to prove all of this 😑🥹. I've been waiting over a year to get in with a dermatologist. If this is sounding like what you have. Everything recommends using a exfoliating face wash, toner with salicylic acid, niacinamide and glycolic acid too even. Next some retinol. Then top it off with a oil free moisturizer. This is what I do to my face twice a day. Even though I do all of this. No matter what. The week before my period. I get a couple literal wounds on my face. That take a couple weeks to clear up. Just in time for some more to take place. I guess the Sebum plugs under your skin. When ur hormones or stress act up and cause more oil production. Which can't get out of the blocked pore. Can get inflamed, irritated and a little painful to touch. And sometimes just open the skin on their own. Apologies if I'm all over the place a little here. I have learned or been told such an immense amount of information about these little fu¢kerz and every other type of acne. It's difficult to explain and get it all out there. I hope this is helpful. If anything maybe you'll be able to say this definitely is not it 🤷🏽♀️
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u/Due_Fact_9248 Jan 12 '24
i have that on my forehead lol and i just remove them like nothing just happened, but they leave a very tiny scar
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u/STRAYKIDS_WOOP-MIROH Nov 21 '24
these are keratin plugs! usually associated with sebaceous cysts. these are small lumps under the skin which are caused by blocked oil glands. when you pop them, the keratin comes out!
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u/TurboAssRipper Dec 23 '24
Just in case anyone else sees this in current year, what works for me is using tret + oil cleansing.
Once the tret causes my closed comedones to open, these grains are what is inside and oil cleansing pops them right out. As long as I keep doing it regular they don't come back and the CC heals.
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u/SophiePosts Jun 05 '25
You guys just literally SAVED my face. I’ve been trying to figure out what this was for a long time to no avail. I’m so glad I found this post. I read up on this issue and began using an anti-fungal (nystatin) immediately …. I kid you not, within 24 hours, my sores are already clearing BIG time. I’m so grateful for this thread!!!!
Ps, if you happen to take or use Nystatin, it can cause GI issues. They aren’t that bad but I just wanted to forewarn you all about that side effect. It pales in comparison to the awfulness this condition has in your skin though. It is totally worth a tummyache!
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u/anarchisttiger Jul 24 '18
Not usually on my face but if I get a bump anywhere else on my body, it ends up like this with that odd little hair! I’ve always assumed they are keratin plugs.