Q&A- Blind Pimples

Hey Chicas!

This is hopefully going to become a weekly thing here on CaitlinChic.  I had a reader send me an email caitlin.chic@hotmail.com, and ask me a question:

"I have a super important question for you, I have been getting a lot of blind pimples lately, with lots the past few days, on my mid to lower cheeks. I haven't been eating junk or greasy food or changed my facial treatments..any suggestions?"

source: bellasugar.com.au

This is a very common problem among everyone, and what a lot of people seem to think is that food is directly related to their breakouts....not entirely soo.  There are some foods that will cause issue with your face, but its the way your body is reacting to that food, and it comes out through the skin, you may even have an unknown allergic reaction to something in the food, and instead of the standard not being able to breathe (which is totally serious and I'm not trying to lighten it up) you will get the breakout instead.

The weather has started to shift, and your skin is reacting.  In the winter or colder months your skin doesn't overturn the cells as quickly, this causes dry skin to be standing in the way of your fresh new skin cells showing.  Between these layers is when your will get breakouts, because oxygen can't get in and the natural sebum and oils occurring on your face are then trapped between the layers, causing the breakout.  A solution would be to exfoliate your face a little more regularly with a salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide scrub, do this at night (your face should be red afterwords) and then use your spot treatment on the area.

A lot of bloggers/youtubers seem to tell you what you can do to solve the problem in the terms of products...but if you don't really understand why you will continue to have the problems, because spot treating issues will not resolve the underlying ones.

Another issue is what are you doing to your face during the day.  Are you resting your hand on your cheeks alot, this can cause a transfer of oils and lack of breathing of the skin.  Are you washing your hands enough?  I know it is simple but are you?  When we are coming into flu/cold season, just a thought.  Did you start up in the gym again, are you working out in your makeup?  When you sweat the pores open and before they can release the sweat they have to take in the makeup, and then gym equip (gross and dirty) and if you are wiping your face its likely the cause.  So honestly think about what your face goes through in the run of a day, is anything different?

So a blind pimple is really a papule: a solid, elevated lesion less than 0.5 cm in diameter.  They rarely are able to turn into a pustule.  The pore is clogged farther down then a standard pimple is.  Avoid all want to pop it or pick.  Don't do it!! Because it is soo deep in the skin, you puting pressure on it will cause it to spread farther out in the skin, giving you more papules/pustules.Placing a hot face cloth on the area for increments of 10 sec until cool will help to bring anything (aka. pus) to the surface.  Also, increase the number of fluids you are taking in during the day especially water, to help flush your system.

Hope this helps!

Caitlin xoxo