Getting rid of bumps and small zits?!

Getting rid of bumps and small zits?

What are some good, cheap, and affective ways to get rid of bumps that are not visible on my face and zits that are on my nose and chin? I have tried face wash, but it doesn't get rid of all of them. Any help? Thanks!

1 month ago
umm, I am 13...and thanks for the great answers!

Forget about Proactive. Its garbage. Your nose and chin are zones of the face that are prone to excessive oil secretion because of glandular activity (and sometimes bacteria) that affect the pilosebaceous follicles. This activity takes place underneath the surface of the skin. It can get especially bad if you're a teen because of the increased hormonal activity in your body. Cosmetic creams and washes may temporarily dry out and peel the skin on your face and give the false impression that they are actually improving the condition, but most of them don't actually do anything at all to resolve the problem.

Proactive is nothing more than a fancy name for benzoyl peroxide, which you can buy over the counter under many other different brand names for a lot less. The manufacturer claims that it "penetrates pores, attack bacteria and heal blemishes fast" but it really doesn't.

First of all, cosmetic preparations like Proactive do not "penetrate" the pores. Clogged pores cannot be penetrated by rubbing benzoyl peroxide on top of them. The pores must either be open at the surface end of the skin so that the active ingredient in the cream can go in, or the cream must contain an agent that can transport its active ingredient through the layers of the skin. Proactive doesn't contain either.

The benzoyl peroxide has a peeling effect but really serious acne requires more aggressive treatment. In some cases, the determatologist will have to actually open the commedones and pustules with a small needle or a blade to extract the stuff inside, and they may also put you on antibiotics for a while.

Scarring from acne goes all the way through the top layers of the skin. Squeezing sometimes damages healthy skin tissue and causes breaks in the skin which heal naturally by primary intention, but result in permanent scarring. Sometimes the scars fade naturally with time. Some people cover them with makeup or bleach them with hydroquinone, and some people treat them with lasers or dermabrasion. Proactive doesn't do anything to 'heal' blemishes. At best, the benzoyl peroxide will bleach and exfoliate the skin but the scars will still be visible. Many physcians don't like to use Accutane to treat acne anymore because of the terrible side effects, but Retin A and hydrocortisone are very popular.

See a dermatologist. In the mean time, avoid squeezing them because that can leave ugly scars which will make your skin look worse. You should also avoid eating a lot of fatty, greasy foods. Eat more foods with vitamin A, drink a lot of water, and use a wash like Phisohex or Phisoderm on your face.