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Original poster

Spots or boils?

19 replies

Campaspe · 03/02/2011 18:38

For months now I have had a problem with huge red spots on or around my chin area. They are deep under the skin, painful and take ages to develop a white head. They also leave a scar. Apart from my chin, I don't really have a problem with spots. I've tried over the counter spot solutions, Savlon and just leaving them, but they are painful as well as being unsightly. They seem to be slightly more common before my period, but can occur at any time.

What might be causing them, and how can I treat spots like this that feel like big, painful lumps under my skin? I'm thinking of going to my GP to ask for advice, but think this may be too trivial to bother them with. I'm 37, so well past the age of adolescent zits.

OP posts:

KristinaM · 03/02/2011 18:39

Please go to your gp and have it checked out

KangarooCaught · 03/02/2011 18:41

See your GP, there's a lot better than Savlon to sort you out.

Havingkittens · 03/02/2011 18:44

Sound like cysts, most likely hormonal if they are around your chin or jaw. It's a form of acne and sad news for you, just when you thought you'd grown out of adolescent acne we now have "Adult Acne". Super! It tends to affect 35+ year olds. I have it too at 41.

Go to your GP, they will prescribe anti-biotics for it which in a lot of cases work pretty well. I was on one called Erythromycin which did quite a good job. If you don't like the idea of taking anti-biotics it also comes in a topical lotion form called Zineryt.

3gorgeousboys · 03/02/2011 18:50

Hard, red lumps on the jawline is a main symptom of PCOS (polycystic ovaries). If you also suffer excess hair, weight gain & erratic periods (or any combination of these)please see your GP as it's a hormone issue. Zineryt will help from the surface (though it is drying) but you need to equalise your hormones to stop them forming. Apologies if this isn't relevant, I'm just very aware that PCOS is so often un-diagnosed...

Original poster

Campaspe · 03/02/2011 18:59

Thank you. I will pluck up courage and go to my GP. I hadn't considered PCOS. I am overweight, but this is probably due to lack of exercise and a chocolate habit, and I have been about a stone overweight for years. I have quite a lot of facial hair, but again, not sure if this is a symptom, as I have had it all my life. Will ask my doctor though.

OP posts:

3gorgeousboys · 03/02/2011 19:01

I had my symptoms "all my life" but I think really I just meant from puberty...which is when pcos manifests itself. I would add though, pcos can affect fertility in some - worrying I know - but I concieved all 3 babies first time of trying so for me, it's just a horrid confidence affecting issue, not fertility. There are other symptoms too, if you google it, but the main ones are boils/hair/weight/periods. Good luck hun x x

mum295 · 03/02/2011 19:03

Yes, could be PCOS, glad someone else has said that!

I have nee been diagnosed with PCOS but also have these spots/lumps when not pg, so definitely hormonal.

Zineryt didn't work for me.

Only saw improvement when I went to see a proper dermatologist. She prescribed me Retin-A gel which is a medical, not cosmetic, product which regulates skin function, so it produces less oil and more collagen.

She also had other more powerful things up her sleeve if that didn't do it, but it did.

The appointment wasn't cheap at £90 but the prescription was only £8 on top of that. And worth every penny after years of misery.

3gorgeousboys · 03/02/2011 19:03

Oh! I would add that with a combo of dianette & zineryt my skin is clear & I don't give Bill Oddie a run for his money in the facial hair stakes now either :o

mum295 · 03/02/2011 19:04

nee should have been "never". Toddler grabbed my arm.

Havingkittens · 03/02/2011 19:17

It's true, it could be due to PCOS. It's a good idea to ask your doctor to refer you to be tested but don't start panicking about it yet. I have had bad cystic acne on and off since puberty, I am also more than averagely hairy but I have been tested several times for PCOS and hormone imbalances and thyroid problems and all have come back clear so it could also just be plain old adult acne. From my own experience, PCOS testing is often the first thing doctors recommend in these cases so hopefully they can rule that out and then decide the right course of action.

I have been on the Retin A gel and Roaccutane which have both been a godsend at the time and worked really well but it depend if you have any plans to TTC because if so you can't go near any of that stuff. It causes serious birth defects. But if you have no plans in that respect, it's fantastic! Although it's usually used by doctores as a last resort after trying other antibiotic treatments first.

Sadly Dianette didn't do a thing for me and then I had to stop taking it because of migraines. I have been TTC for the past 3 years or so, so I have to put up with ropey skin (and beard) for now.

Hools · 03/02/2011 19:21

I had these as a teenager - they were horrendous! Just as one would go down, another would pop up :(

I went to the dr's and he put me on a type of antibiotics for acne - sorry cant remember what they were called - 20+ years ago!

He said they were caused by an underlying infection under the skin. I was on them for 6 months and they never came back.

FWIW I never had polycystic ovaries, so it might not just be that x

FGM · 03/02/2011 19:22

I has cystic acne and the BEST THING I EVER DID was ask the GP for a referral to a skin specialist. I thought I wouldn't be taken seriously, but I said that it was affecting my confidence in getting back to work after having DDs. I was taken seriously and the treatment worked. (no association with PCOS in my case)

Salhal · 03/02/2011 19:38

FGM, what was the treatment?

FGM · 03/02/2011 19:59

Salhal: in my case a 7 month course of oral antibiotics

Salhal · 04/02/2011 02:34

Thanks FGM, I was just interested to know what worked for you.

Greeneyesbigbottom · 04/02/2011 10:50

Hi, this happened to be a few years ago and I tried very over the counter spot cream there is!

The only one that worked for me was Quinoderm. I also keep a tube of Freederm handy and that seems to stop them in their tracks if caught early!

blondegirl1979 · 04/02/2011 13:53

I had a lot of trouble with this kind of thing last year, my dr wasnt really interested and said it wasnt "bad enough" to send me to a skin dr for, he wasnt interested at all, even though it was a huge deal to me (I am 31), as part of my job is sales rep, so the first thin people see is my face. He kept humouring me by changing pill, which just lead to other problems.

In the end through trial and error I went back to using "fade out", which is nice on the skin and fades scars, I had used it for about 10 years and stopped using last year as it was making my face really pale (duh !). I bought a jar of it from Boots and within 2 weeks I had no spots, and majority of scaring had faded dramatically. If only I had put 2 and 2 together sooner, could have saved soooo much grief.

I am intersted to know if this could solve anyone elses problems as easily as it did for me. The results have been amazing, and people have comented on how good my skin looks again, its not perfect, but I am guessing it never will, but I can live with it again happily.

Oh, if anyone is thinking of trying this, it seems only to be bigger "boots" that sell it, I also only use the day cream, in the morning and at night as I found the night one too greasy.

I hope this helps someone.

IntergalacticHussy · 04/02/2011 14:16

i had this after dd1, tried Zineyrt and oral antibiotics which has left me with lined, papery skin in all the areas of my face which were affected. never found out the cause but i honestly keep mine at bay nowadays by only using Lush skincare products.

I know it sounds daft but they seem to have a positive effect on my skin which keeps my adult acne firmly at bay when harsh antibiotics couldn't. 'Vanishing Cream' in particular is a blimming miracle, I tells ya. . If i stop using it, the lumps come back, mind you .

nicole333 · 05/02/2011 17:21

Zineryt lotion works for me, but I don't use it all the time. If I get really lazy with it and I feel one of these lumps starting, I bite the bullet and use my clay mask from Dermalogica to bring it out quicker.

I'm not the greatest when it comes to looking after my skin, so my own fault. I do it all in the morning but can't be bothered at night. I propably would have half decent skin if I gave it more effort.

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