Pimples* on the nose: how to treat and what not to do for acne?

March 5, 2020

Acne can cause discomfort at any age. The disease manifests itself with the onset of puberty and in most people ends by the age of 24-25. However, there are groups of patients who suffer from acne throughout their lives. Specialists at the Psormak clinic will tell you how to get rid of acne and significantly improve the condition of your skin.

What should you not do if you have an inflamed pimple on your nose*?

If you have inflammatory acne* on the nose and other areas of the face and body, it is strictly forbidden to perform the following actions106:

Squeeze out rashes. Self-opening of acne* leads to the active spread of infection, a sharp increase in inflammatory rashes, damage to blood vessels, and tissue scarring.
Washing your face too often. Many people mistakenly assume that frequent washing will help get rid of acne quickly. In fact, such manipulations destroy the natural protective barrier of the skin, lead to pathological activity of the sebaceous glands, and an exponential increase in the number of acne. Two washes a day are enough.
Use alcohol lotions. Despite the great temptation to dry out a red pimple under your nose with alcohol-containing products, it is better to abandon this idea. Dry skin, chemical burns, pathogenic activity of the sebaceous glands, intensive development of inflammation - these are only a small part of the troubles that result from the frequent use of alcohol products for acne.
Mask pimples on the nose. Regular use of foundation and powder to cover acne can lead to an increase in the number of breakouts. Makeup is not a contraindication for acne, but frequent use of thick cosmetics can lead to clogged pores.

Facial rashes: how to control them

If you have ever suffered from acne, you will no longer be careless in choosing cosmetics. One word “comedogenic” and the cream is forgotten forever. Regular struggle with blackheads - closed comedones, but before dates or important meetings, as luck would have it, an unpleasant surprise always pops up, and on critical days, pimples are generally a common thing.

There are a lot of remedies in your arsenal: pharmacy, cosmetic, folk remedies, but none of them eliminates the symptoms once and for all. Your friends advise you to take nutritional supplements and go to the solarium; you are frantically looking for a sane cosmetologist who can prolong the unstable remission. Is acne really never going to be cured?

This is wrong. Acne can be treated quite successfully. If you have a severe or moderate form of the disease (“moderate” acne), consult a cosmetologist, preferably a cosmetologist-dermatologist. Now there are many professional anti-acne lines. Be prepared for long-term treatment with uneven dynamics: after 2-3 sessions, temporary deterioration is possible, but this does not mean that the therapy was chosen incorrectly. You may be offered a combination of external therapy and tablets.

Dermatologists' methods will be stricter. There is a protocol (systematically developed recommendations) for treatment - this is a combination therapy: external agents and tetracycline antibiotics for several months. In my opinion, this option should be chosen only in severe cases, when there are multiple inflamed pustules, cystic formations, nodes, etc.

If you are past this stage and just want to control your breakouts, read on.

On store shelves there are a lot of products for home care for acne-prone skin. Every cosmetic company – no matter whether it is large, professional or “organic” – produces natural, organic products and has a special line for problem skin. Let's figure out how not to get lost in the variety of anti-acne products.

The four most common myths about the composition of cosmetic products:

Myth No. 1: Cosmetics are safe if they are labeled “non-comedogenic” or “non-acnegenic.”
The label “non-comedogenic” means that the product does not provoke the appearance of non-inflammatory open or closed comedones, known as blackheads and bumps/irregularities of the skin.

The term “comedogenicity” is not confirmed by law; it was invented by marketers to make cosmetic lines for minimizing and controlling acne seem reasonable, that is, to increase sales. But still, if a developer makes statements about the “non-comedogenicity” of his product, he is obliged to somehow confirm them.

In the best case scenario, the manufacturer tests its composition on the backs of volunteers whose skin is prone to clogged pores. If a cosmetic product does not increase the number of comedones, it is labeled as “non-comedogenic.”

For me, this is a very questionable study, primarily because the sebaceous glands of different locations have an unequal number of receptors that increase the production of sebum, which leads to comedones. Nevertheless, even such tests are still a plus, since an attempt is made to at least somehow substantiate the result. Basically, manufacturers simply quote the List of Non-Comedogenic Substances created by Dr. Kligman (who discovered cosmeceuticals for us) back in 1979, that is, there are no tests, just a naked theory.

The situation with tests for “acnegenicity” is approximately the same - they are very conditional.
Therefore, labels should not be trusted 100%. Myth No. 2. Mineral oil is comedogenic.
Many people believe that blackheads appear on them precisely because of the mineral oil included in the cosmetic product.
It is found in every second product, especially often in decorative cosmetics. Such statements are based on research from many years ago. Today there are many mineral oils: industrial - for lubricating mechanisms, cosmetic - the purest, without any impurities for cosmetics. And if the first can be comedogenic, then the second is not. Myth No. 3. Sunscreens - sunscreens - provoke acne.
This is almost true. Almost, because if inflammation appears 24–48 hours after applying the product, it is not acne, but irritation caused by sunscreen elements, mainly UV filters.

Acne is an immune response. And it takes weeks to trigger a response from the immune system.

Myth #4: Large pores associated with acne can be erased with makeup.

Only if you use so-called grouts - silicone-based products, which, when applied to enlarged pores, fill and smooth out all unevenness. The effect of the grout is purely visual and lasts until the first wash.

The size of the pores depends on the development and activity of the sebaceous glands: children do not have them, because the glands are not yet developed, but then what grows, grows. As you age, the activity of the glands decreases; after 60 years, your pores will be smaller.

Retinoids (substances analogues of vitamin A), which reduce sebum regulation, and regular cleansing, which pushes out sebaceous plugs, will help bring the pores to a natural state, but hoping to reduce their size is foolish.

Principles of self-diagnosis

We often tend to dramatize the situation and be too critical of our skin. A couple of pimples after fatty/sweet/salty foods or menstruation cannot even be called acne by any stretch of the imagination, especially with oily or combination skin types.

If you have fewer than 20 white-headed blackheads, fewer than 15 pustules, and fewer than 30 lesions in total, you have “mild” acne. Treatment usually takes up to 8 weeks with external remedies.

If you have 20 to 100 whiteheads, 15 to 50 inflamed bumps, and 30 to 125 breakouts in total, you have “moderate” acne. Treatment also takes several weeks and may briefly worsen during the process.

Moderate acne and more severe situations require consultation and professional treatment.

The dangers of self-medication

There is a misconception that as soon as a pimple appears, it is necessary to immediately bring down all the power of modern medicine and cosmetology on it: dry it, squeeze it, cauterize it, etc. In this case, it should go away immediately. Meanwhile, the inflammation that has been quietly smoldering inside the hair follicles or sebaceous glands for several weeks, until the increased sulfur content provoked it to come out, simply cannot take and go away in minutes.

Mechanical damage to the skin, rubbing with chlohexidine, lotions with dimexide, essential oils can lead to ulcers, burns, secondary infection and further aggravate the situation.

Just remember that to fight inflammation, it's better to underdo it than overdo it. When interfering with the body today, you need to think about what will happen to it tomorrow and in 20 years. For example, overuse of drying agents will lead to early wrinkles. It is important to accept that a 100% positive result is not possible if you are predisposed to acne due to genetic or other reasons. Your skin has already been repeatedly damaged at the level of the dermis and hypodermis and, most likely, inflammation will appear in these places. Just control it.

What else is worth paying attention to

There are three common additional causes of inflammation in acne-prone people. In order to level or minimize them, experts advise following certain recommendations.

Progesterone

If inflammation occurs in the second phase of the cycle, calm down, the condition of the skin worsens during this period, as the hormone progesterone works. Wait for the calm phase and carry out treatment. Don’t panic that your products don’t work; don’t rush to urgently buy something “more effective.”

Errors in diet

“Overdose of spices” or carbohydrates. Over the past few years, doctors and scientists have been inclined to believe that there is a connection between diet and acne, although this was previously denied. An imbalance of intestinal microflora increases the permeability of the intestinal walls; the amount of bacterial endotoxins (toxic substances) inhabiting the intestinal lumen increases in the blood, which leads to acne.

Drink tomato juice - it contains lycopene (affects sebum production), eat carrots - they are rich in carotenoids (prevent oxidative stress), pumpkin seeds - contain tryptophan (affects melatonin), sea fish - rich in omega acids (acne sufferers lack such acids), fermented milk products are a source of probiotic cultures that normalize intestinal microflora.

What procedures cannot be performed at home if you have acne* on your nose?

Steaming, scrubbing, and mechanical cleaning are the most common and quite dangerous scheme for fighting acne at home. If there are foci of inflammation on the skin, such manipulations only aggravate the situation. And here's why106:

Local heating promotes the active proliferation of bacteria, causes pathogenic activity of the sebaceous glands, which in turn leads to an expansion of the acne area and causes additional inflammation.
Using a scrub in the presence of foci of inflammation will only aggravate the problem and expand the affected area. Abrasive particles injure the skin. Scrubbing can only be done when acne is in remission.
Home manual cleansing is a taboo for acne-affected skin. This procedure can be performed only in the absence of inflammatory elements and preferably in a cosmetologist’s office. Independent attempts to carry out deep cleaning can aggravate the problem, lead to the formation of large pores, the appearance of scars and age spots (post-acne).

It is better to consult a dermatologist or cosmetologist about home treatments. The specialist will prescribe the necessary course of treatment and help you choose the right cosmetics to care for problem skin.

Types of pathology

Acne provokes disruption of the sebaceous glands. Overproduction of secretions, partial or complete blockage of the gland canal cause such an unpleasant phenomenon as acne. Since the work of the sebaceous glands is regulated by sex hormones, problems begin in adolescence.

There are several types of acne:

closed glands that appear as white papules or black dots;
open comedones (gray-white papules, in which the gland canal is partially open);
papulopustular formations with signs of inflammation;
severe rashes, characterized by deep pustules and nodules, which can lead to irreversible changes in the skin.

Often the situation is aggravated by the entry of bacteria into comedones, which provokes an inflammatory process.

What does modern cosmetology offer?

Professional cosmetology offers a number of procedures that help improve the condition of acne skin56,13:

Darsonvalization. The procedure is based on the effect of high-frequency currents of low strength on the skin. It has an antibacterial and soothing effect, reduces the appearance of acne.
Facial cleansing (mechanical, atraumatic, vacuum, ultrasonic). Contact or non-contact skin cleansing helps remove impurities and toxins from pores, normalizes metabolic processes and blood supply to cells, and reduces the appearance of acne. The choice of a specific technology usually depends on the complexity of the disease. The procedure is not performed if there is inflammation.
Cryotherapy. The essence of the procedure is to treat the skin with liquid nitrogen, which has a pronounced bactericidal effect. It dries the skin, suppresses pathogenic microflora, and relieves inflammation.
Ozone therapy. The procedure is based on the subcutaneous injection of an ozone mixture into the affected areas of the skin. It helps destroy pathogenic microflora, stimulates the production of elastin and collagen, improves blood microcirculation, and activates metabolic processes in cells.
Mesotherapy. The procedure involves the subcutaneous administration of “meso-cocktails”, which contain amino acids, minerals, antibiotics, and vitamins (the composition is selected individually by the doctor). It normalizes sebum secretion, tightens pores, and improves the overall condition of the skin.
Plasma therapy. Subcutaneous injection of platelet-rich plasma into problem areas. According to reviews from professional cosmetologists and dermatologists, this procedure helps reduce the intensity of the inflammatory process, cell regeneration, and reduce the manifestations of post-acne.

All cosmetic procedures are permissible only in the absence of inflammation on the skin. Otherwise, even the safest ways to combat acne can greatly aggravate the problem.

How to choose the right ointment for acne

When purchasing an effective remedy for acne on the face, you need to pay attention to:

Skin type – drying medications are used for oily skin types, and are completely unsuitable for dry skin types. Emollients are suitable for those who are sensitive.
Expiration date - if there is a month left until the end of the date, it is better not to take such an anti-acne ointment, it is already less effective. Buy the product at a pharmacy that can withstand humidity and the required temperatures. Expired ointment will lead to skin pathologies.
Certificate of quality - if you have doubts about the caring gel or cream you are purchasing, you can request a document.
It is better not to buy ointment manufacturers – it is better not to buy little-known products, but to give preference to those brought from Italy, Switzerland, and France.

Gels and ointments must combat the acne factor, otherwise some acne will disappear and new ones will appear.

Causes of boils in adults

The main cause of the disease is the activation of staphylococci and streptococci. These same pathogens cause tonsillitis, chronic tonsillitis and sinusitis. In most adults, these microorganisms are constantly present on the mucous membranes, but diseases do not always develop. For inflammation to occur, predisposing factors must occur:

injuries and mechanical damage to the nasal cavity, including pulling out hairs from the nasal passages - infection can easily get into the wounds; This category also includes surgical reasons: rhinoplasty, installation of implants, etc.;
a chronic source of infection in the body - chronic tonsillitis, chronic sinusitis, caries, etc.;
purulent skin diseases of the nasal cavity;
reduced immunity: the cause of the appearance of an abscess in adults can be simple hypothermia, lack of vitamins, stress, diabetes, HIV, oncology and other factors that “hit” the body’s own defenses;
violation of basic hygiene rules (neglecting water procedures, constantly touching the face with dirty hands, squeezing pimples are common causes of chirp);
unfavorable working conditions, work in hazardous industries with polluted air, constant contact with fuel oil and other fuels and lubricants;
Hormonal imbalance is a common cause of ulcers in pregnant and adult women during menopause.

Treatment of an external abscess and treatment of a boil inside the nose will be most effective if its cause is correctly identified. Finding out the cause of the disease and prescribing a competent treatment regimen is the profile of an otorhinolaryngologist.