Underground Pimples

WHAT TO KNOW:

1. They’re clogged pores filled with oil and dead skin that have become inflamed. They turn into cystic acne when the pore ruptures under the skin, causing the inflammation to spill out into the surrounding tissue. Your body forms a cyst around it to stop the inflammation from spreading further.
2. They look like red bumps on your face (similar to big bug bites). These pimples live underneath the skin’s surface—they don’t form whiteheads or blackheads, so they’re difficult to pop.
3. They require special care and can leave scars if left untreated—or if they are treated incorrectly (for example, if you push the infection even further below the skin’s surface by trying to squeeze it).

WHAT CAUSES THEM:

• Hormones: Androgen hormones can overstimulate the sebaceous (oil) glands, which makes your body produce so much oil that it gets stuck in your pores and traps bacteria. The bacteria multiplies, causing the inflammation that starts a cystic pimple. You’re most likely to get this acne when these hormones surge: first during puberty, then a few days before each period. Androgens also fluctuate when you lose a lot of weight.
• Stress: When you’re under pressure and your stress level rises, your body responds by producing cortisol, another hormone that overstimulates your oil glands.

PREVENT THEM

Follow these blemish-fighting methods to help keep your skin free of underground pimples.

• Clear-skin diet: Eat one serving daily of foods with vitamin B6 (one banana or a bowl of whole-grain cereal) to even out hormone levels; and beta-carotene (two medium carrots) to smoothen skin.
• Cleanser: Use a salicylic acid or a deepcleansing wash twice a day to clear pores of oil and debris.
• Oral medication: Ask your doc about tetracycline, an antibiotic that kills infection-causing bacteria, or Accutane, a drug that decreases the amount of oil your sebaceous glands produce.