Can someone clued up with skin/acne identify this spot and suggest how I treat it?

[GoldenCagedBird]

I have pretty good skin but I am plagued with one or two of these fuckers in my t zone every couple weeks.

They just get red, angry and feel sore. They never develop a head. If I do a hot flannel and squeeze, then water oozes out and it turns into an oozing, weeping mess for weeks. You occasionally get a bit of pus, but it doesn’t result in a reduction in size.

It feels about half the size of a penny, flat and swollen under the skin.

How is best to treat something like this?

Ouch! Sebaceous cyst, perhaps?

I'd ask the experts on Sporner Corner: they will probably know and advise.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/sporner_corner

I get these (cystic acne) and find fucidin helps a bit, it's an antibiotic cream from the gp. I also take lymecycline antibiotics daily, which means I now get one a month instead of many more.

Book in with your gp. There are lots of things available to help.

Duac on prescription

I used to get those a lot. I know what you mean, you poke an squeeze, sure that must bring relief, but just end up with a weeping scab.

Changing my diet and cutting out refined sugar cured it completely.

My GP doesn’t see anyone unless it’s an emergency :( is this something I can buy privately perhaps?

I used to get these but started religiously cleansing as per skin guru Caroline Hirons and NEVER squeezed them (& I'm a sporner). Retinol also helped.

If that's true about your GP, put in a complaint because it's against the law.

Otherwise, contact them via econsult or simply ring up early in the morning.

Acne has nothing to do with sugar or whatever.

You said your t zone but that looks like your chin; where that spot is is a prime location for hormonal spots, specifically aligned to either your period or ovulation.

You could try magnesium sulphate paste (from any pharmacy) under a plaster overnight.

I used to suffer badly with these and only taking daily lymecycline tablets made any difference - anything topical did not touch them.

Well, actually there’s evidence to show a link between diet and acne, although it’s a bit mixed. This is a good read.

I found a link between how much sugar I have and acne.

I use this stuff as soon as one starts to appear. Helps clear them up really quickly. I usually order it from Amazon, though I’ve found it in bigger pharmacies too.

Cystic acne/spot. Duac cream on prescription. It bleaches your towels though.

2% salicylic acid eg Paula's Choice BHA every day all over your face regardless of where you are in your cycle.

If that doesn't work , add a retinol.

That probably will work but after that it's time for GP.

If you really don't want to try GP you could try Skin&Me

@Wiennetta

That's correlation, not causation.

Sounds insane but I get these and bluster plasters (yes, for your feet) draw the stuff out of them. Don't understand the science but it works a dream. I use Compeed- I think they're technically hydrocolloid plasters.

I have struggled with such acne all my adult life. Topical treatments helped but didn't make them totally stop. The only life changing treatment for me has been HRT. The right balance of hormones has completely cleared up this life long problem. If I had my time again I would ask my younger self to go on the Yasmin contraceptive pill which has a small dose of the same as HRT (I think!). Solve the root cause not the symptom. Else, Roaccutane.

I used to get the same sort of thing - a big blind spot every month or so that ached if I bent over and it would appear usually around my period. I didn’t need anything too drastic to sort it; I started using La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo Plus twice a day. I haven’t had one since and it’s been well over 5 years since I started using it.

@IJustHadToLookHavingReadTheBook you can get hydrocolloid patches specifically for these type of spots. I caved and bought some this week after having a ready bad one that was still sore after being on my chin for a week. Patch on over night and loads better the next day.

And….? You made a pretty conclusive statement that Acne has nothing to do with sugar or whatever and I’m saying the evidence is mixed - I don’t think you can definitively say there’s no link.

It's not mixed at all. The article even explains why.

Quoted the conclusion:

As our understanding of acne continues to evolve, we may eventually have clearer guidelines about the best diets to prevent or treat it. For now, whether you’re a teenager or an adult, it’s likely that there is no single diet that will guarantee clear skin. So enjoy your favorite foods in moderation. And if you find that some of them make your skin worse, you’ll have to decide if they’re worth it.

There’s no final word on whether there’s a link between diet and acne. As I’ve said, I think you’re wrong saying acne has no link to diet. There’s no answer to that question yet.

@Wiennetta

You can't prove a negative, basic stuff that

Acne is caused by a mixture of hormones and bacteria

I've had some success with Savlon Healing Gel, it forms a film over the spot so is best used (thickly) at night. Sometimes helps to reduced the size & redness

But it’s not proven that there’s no link. Which is what you stated when you said Acne has nothing to do with sugar or whatever.
We don’t know that. It’s still unclear. More research is needed.

It is possible there’s a link between diet and acne so it’s something the OP may want to consider (and there’s evidence of links between diet and hormones, so…. If you accept there’s a link between hormones and acne…)