Closed comedones and milia: how to deal with small white pimples

If small white pimples appear on the face, the reasons may be hidden in the disruption of various body systems. Their official name is milia. They have characteristic differences: they are quite hard, with a white rod inside, and small in size (up to 3 mm in diameter). Popularly, a rash of this type is called millet. Sometimes whiteheads are mistaken for comedones, but there is a difference between these formations.

In order to prescribe correct and effective treatment, the diagnosis must be confirmed, for which it is necessary to determine the nature and causes of the rash.

What are closed comedones?

Comedones are a type of acne. They occur in contaminated pores where sebum accumulates. They can be closed or open. Open comedones look like blackheads, and closed comedones look like white ones.

Usually in the first case, such a pathology does not cause discomfort and does not bother the person. Closed comedones cause pain and can increase in size up to 5 millimeters.

These whiteheads are sebaceous clumps that mix with pathogens and dead tissue. The fat is located under the skin and looks like a white nodule.

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As a result of a chemical reaction after interaction with oxygen, it begins to darken, which leads to the appearance of a closed comedon. The appearance is often associated with hormonal changes in the body and various diseases. They can occur against the background of stress.

The popular name for this pathology is millet, since they resemble millet. In medical terminology, the word “milia” is used. They may not be visible visually, but when you stroke this area of ​​the skin with your hand, you can feel unevenness and roughness.

Skin care rules

To speed up getting rid of acne and comedones, you need to take care of the condition of your facial skin using various means. As a result, it will acquire a normal, smooth texture and healthy color.

Daily care consists of three stages.

1. Cleansing. External and internal treatment is impossible without getting rid of impurities. Care begins with the use of cosmetics to remove makeup and cleanse. Washing with running water should become a habit; it helps disinfect the skin. For morning and evening washing, you can use pharmaceutical compositions, anti-comedoid lotions with a low alcohol concentration, which do not damage tissues and do not cause irritation. The composition relieves the face of oily shine and prevents blockage of the ducts of the sebaceous glands. You can use tar soap to wash your face. This cheap product makes the skin surface clean, eliminates unevenness, and dries out open comedones. To remove makeup without damaging acne, micellar water without alcohol is recommended.
2. Toning. After washing, you need to restore the acid-base balance using cosmetics: tonics, lotions, milk.
3. Moisturizing and nutrition. Dehydration should not be allowed: a face dried out by washing begins to peel off, dead cells clog the pores, contributing to the appearance of comedones, pimples, and blackheads. Creams and lotions are used depending on skin type: light moisturizers for oily skin, dense nourishing ones for dry skin.

Don't use oils - they clog pores, making the problem worse.

Areas damaged by comedones especially need products that stimulate the normalization of processes in tissues and restoration.

The three-step system is the most suitable method of facial care.

Main causes of pathology

Such acne spreads throughout the body, most often on the face (chin, nose, forehead), and can occur on the back. Very often, closed comedones appear in adolescence during puberty, in women during childbearing, irregular menstrual cycles and menopause.

Experts say that this pathology occurs in the age group from 13 to 25 years due to the following reasons:

• genetic predisposition;
• stressful situations;
• skin irritation
• poor skin care
• use of certain medications ;
• allergic reaction to cosmetics that have a fatty or oil base;
• improper cleansing of the skin, resulting in clogged pores;
• impaired functioning of the sebaceous glands;
• hormonal changes;
• diseases of the digestive system;
• poor nutrition;
• influence of the external environment.

White coals form due to the active production of sebum by the glands. During the inflammatory process, nodules begin to form.

Features of treatment on the back and shoulders

For small amounts of acne, no special treatment is required; daily skin care is sufficient. For formations that affect a large area of ​​the body, complex therapy is performed. It includes removing blackheads, restoring the functioning of the glands, and preventing the appearance of comedones. In order to prevent relapses, the skin is regularly cleansed of dead cells.

Drug therapy

Prescribe topical preparations for the body that have a comedolytic effect. To remove comedones on the chest, retinoids and antibacterial agents are used.

Medicines:

1. Acnecutane is a drug whose active component is isotretinoin. When completing the full course of treatment, sebum production is normalized and regeneration processes are stimulated.
2. Benzoyl peroxide is a drug with antibacterial and keratolytic effects. Comedones and nodules on the body should be treated with local applications.
3. Salicylic acid - removes sebaceous plugs, use a 5% solution.
4. Tretinoid, the active component of the ointment, accelerates cellular metabolism and extraction of comedones occurs. The effect is achieved after 2-3 weeks of using the drug.
5. Klenzit-S is a drug with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, comedolytic effects. Active ingredients: adapalene, clindamycin. Adapalene normalizes the differentiation of follicle epithelial cells and relieves inflammation. Clindamycin inhibits protein synthesis in a pathogenic cell. The effect is achieved after 1-2 weeks of use.

To remove comedones on the shoulders, strips are used. Well-known manufacturers - Propeller, Nivea, Garnier.

Doctors do not recommend squeezing out plugs: there is a high risk of damaging healthy tissue and causing infection.

Cosmetology procedures

Cosmetic procedures involve extraction of comedones - removal of the fat plug.

Treatments for comedones are contraindicated for injuries and open wounds on the skin, herpetic rash, and furunculosis.

Diagnostic methods

Whiteheads occur frequently, so their diagnosis involves examining problem areas by a cosmetologist or dermatologist. They evaluate the type and nature of the rash, and also pay attention to the absence or presence of symptoms of the inflammatory process.

If pathological nodules are found on the skin, you should consult a dermatologist and endocrinologist. You may also need to visit a gastroenterologist. These specialists can diagnose diseases that cause closed comedones.

Treatment of comedones with folk remedies

Methods for treating comedones at home:

Natural masks against comedones have gained wide popularity among those who decided to fight comedones on their own. We bring to your attention the most famous of them:

Protein mask. Any forum dedicated to the problem of acne will invite you to try this mask. Making a protein mask is simple:

1. Beat one egg white with a large spoon of liquid honey. Divide the resulting mixture in half. First, apply half of the protein mass to previously cleansed facial skin and wait until it dries a little.
2. Then take the rest of the whipped mass and apply it over the existing layer with light tapping movements. After this, leave the resulting mass on the skin for another 15 minutes.
3. After this, the mask is removed with water at room temperature. This procedure will thoroughly clean clogged pores, allowing them to breathe, and will perfectly dry out existing comedones and pimples.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=yGXzDHXw_8E

Calendula mask.

1. For this mask, take 1 tablespoon of dried calendula inflorescences and pour boiling water over them in such a volume that a thick paste comes out. Pour 1 tsp of extraction into the resulting mixture. lemon juice and rye flour.
2. Apply the product to the entire face for 15 minutes, then carefully wash off the mask with cool water.

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Prevention of comedones is as follows:

• It is necessary to thoroughly cleanse your face with professional toners or micellar water immediately after being outside - this should be done at least 3 times a day, morning, afternoon and evening. In summer, do not forget to also cleanse exposed skin (neck, chest, collarbones).
• what you shouldn’t do is wash your face with regular toilet soap, as it terribly dries out the top layer of skin (this affects rashes on the labia);
• if you have oily facial skin, then you need to use a cleansing toner with extracts of medicinal herbs: calendula, rosemary, thyme, yarrow, as well as white and black tea;
• always dry your face using a wallet towel;
• A very important point is to check comedogenicity. Check products for comedogenicity, because comedogenic components are harmful to problematic skin.
• Use non-comedogenic cosmetics whenever possible: non-comedogenic powder and non-comedogenic blush are now available on the market. Powder for problem skin is a must-have in your cosmetic bag.
• Wipe your facial skin daily with essential oil (make sure it is non-comedogenic) or retinoic acid, if the preparations have not been tested for the comedogenicity of oils, you can also use chlorhexidine and retinoids to reduce comedones.

How to treat closed comedones

If such wen is not treated, then a large number of them appear, which is not only not aesthetically pleasing, but also leads to an inflammatory process of the skin. Whiteheads are more difficult to treat; they are not squeezed out like blackheads.

Treatment methods include eliminating the root cause of comedones, properly cleansing the skin and performing a number of cosmetic procedures.

You won't be able to get rid of them on your own. First of all, it is necessary to find the main cause of whiteheads and eliminate it.

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If the appearance of closed comedones is associated with gastroenterological diseases, then medications are used that treat pathologies of the digestive organs. When endocrine disorders are detected, it is important to use medications to help get rid of this problem.

Treatment should be carried out with an integrated approach. The following groups of drugs are usually prescribed:

• Antibacterial agents.
• Hormonal medications.

It is not recommended to use these medications without a doctor's prescription. Self-medication can aggravate the problem and provoke the development of various complications.

To normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands and remove dead tissue, cosmetic procedures are performed. These types of closed comedones include:

• peeling using fruit acids;
• microdermabrasion;
• the use of cosmetic medicinal products with anti-comedogenic effects.

Treating cleansed skin with salicylic alcohol and then applying an antimicrobial gel are considered effective.

When a bacterial infection is associated with comedones, antibacterial drugs are prescribed.

In addition to the internal use of drugs, when identifying the underlying cause, it is necessary to use drugs that affect the skin. The following are considered effective for closed comedones:

• Differin;
• Skinoren.

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These agents help slow down the growth of epidermal cells and desquamation of the top layer. The duration of treatment is approximately three months. With regular use, the pores open and the contents of comedones come out.

The remedies do not help immediately. At the first stage of action of the drugs, the formation of new acne is reduced. Old comedones usually disappear after a few months.

To remove whiteheads, it is important to periodically cleanse the skin when treating them. This will remove not only dirt, but also dead cells. If you don’t get rid of them, the sebum begins to come out more actively and fill the pores.

Therefore, dermatologists recommend using a mild soap on the face for comedones, which should be washed off with not too hot or cold water.

Squeezing out whiteheads on your own can lead to scarring. Therefore, you can remove milia in a beauty salon. Removal is carried out in several ways:

1. Using a special antiseptic- needle. Before the procedure, take a steam bath or hot compress. After the puncture, the doctor presses on the tubercle, removing the sebaceous plug. The area is treated with an antiseptic.
2. method . Using high frequency current, whiteheads are burned away. This method has the advantage that the risk of inflammation is minimized.
3. removal . It is considered a safe and newest way to remove closed comedones. The contents of the eel are not only removed, but also the surrounding tissue is disinfected.

Cosmetologists recommend following these rules when whiteheads occur:

1. Wash your face with a sponge or sponge with a special healing foam. Before this, moisturize the skin, apply the product and beat until bubbles appear. Then wash it off with a sponge. This manipulation will eliminate dead cells, dirt and excess fat.
2. Remove makeup before going to bed. This can be done with tonic or special milk. It is important that the products do not contain alcohol. The lotion must match your skin type. It is desirable that it contains extracts of medicinal plants.
3. For dry skin types, use moisturizing creams.
4. Once a week, scrub with fruit acid. You can do peeling with this substance. To avoid causing skin irritation, these procedures are not allowed to be performed in parallel.
5. Use creams and masks containing glycerol and salicylic acid. These components ensure the removal of dead particles.
6. It is not recommended to use foundation in the summer. It's better to use powder.
7. To prevent the addition of a secondary infection and inflammatory process, whiteheads be squeezed out
8. wash your face very thoroughly, at least twice a day.
9. Use a separate towel to dry your face .
10. To speed up the healing process, it is important to consume vitamin and mineral complexes.
11. In addition, to reduce the formation of closed comedones, you need to follow a diet . To do this, you should limit your intake of sweets and fatty foods, and minimize the consumption of foods that provoke allergic reactions.
12. Experts advise using various alcohol-free lotions They do not lead to dry skin. You can use products based on benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.

It is advisable to discuss the choice of cosmetics with a qualified specialist. A dermatologist or cosmetologist will help you choose masks, creams, tonics and lotions that are most suitable for your skin.

Methods for removing sebaceous plugs

Getting rid of a white pimple, which is a closed comedon, is easier than getting rid of milia. For this purpose, different types of means are used. In addition, the answer to the question whether it is possible to squeeze out sebaceous plugs in the pores will be in the affirmative. Basic treatment measures:

1. Benzoyl peroxide. This is a multifunctional remedy that helps reduce the growth of pathogenic bacteria. As a result, the likelihood of developing inflammatory processes in areas where rashes appear is reduced. In addition, this substance is characterized by oxidizing, exfoliating properties. Benzoyl peroxide is also used for prevention to prevent acne from popping up in the future.
2. Sebum contained in clogged pores is removed mechanically. It is better to use the services of a cosmetologist, since if the procedure is performed incorrectly, the risk of developing an inflammatory process increases. In addition, excess pressure on the skin can cause scars. If you are deciding how to get rid of whiteheads on your face, it is recommended to use the hardware cleaning method. This removes dirt and grease plugs. Such cleaning can be performed in different ways; cosmetology uses chemical, vacuum and ultrasonic peeling. Hardware facial cleansing is recommended if there are a lot of rashes and the pimples are located close to each other. In this case, it is impossible to remove them by squeezing, since the closed comedone can be deformed, which will lead to its inflammation.
3. A method of steaming the skin and then squeezing out pimples. In this case, baths based on herbal decoctions are used. After steaming, the pores open, which simplifies the process of removing comedones. The sebaceous plug is a dense formation, so it will not be difficult to squeeze it out.

Along with the mechanical effect on comedones, it is recommended to adjust the diet. If you exclude fatty, salty, very spicy and smoked foods, as well as various types of canned food, your skin condition will gradually improve.

How to get rid of it at home

Cheap ways to remove closed comedones - homemade acne recipes:

1. Popular mask for oily skin: 1 protein, teaspoon sugar. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed, applied to the face, and after the protein dries, rinse with warm water. The product removes dead cells, cosmetic residues, and impurities. The nodules gradually dissolve.
2. Soda-salt masks quickly help get rid of the problem of closed formations. For cooking, salt and soda are taken in equal quantities. Warm water is added to them. The resulting mixture is applied to the face and washed off immediately.
3. Kefir will help dissolve and remove comedones. They lubricate problem areas - face, back, limbs. The dairy product acts as a scrub, removes the dry layer of skin, and enhances the regeneration of young cells.

The complex of treatment for closed tubercles includes proper nutrition. Without a diet, it will not be possible to remove subcutaneous formations.

Preventive measures

Cosmetologists advise anyone with oily or combination skin type to take the following preventive measures to prevent the appearance of comedones:

• Cleanse your facial skin twice a day with special tonics and lotions designed for problematic epidermis. The use of ordinary soap in this case is not recommended;
• once a week, use scrubs or peels to remove the dead epithelial layer that interferes with the normal process of breathing and regeneration of the skin surface;
• make homemade lotions containing chamomile, calendula, green tea, eucalyptus;
• if your lifestyle does not involve constant exposure to people, try to use foundation, powder and decorative cosmetics as little as possible;
• After thoroughly cleansing, lubricate areas of skin with blackheads with tea tree or eucalyptus oil at night;
• remove any remaining cream 20 minutes after applying it to allow the skin to breathe freely;
• walk in the fresh air every day without exception;
• perform contrast washes, which involve alternating warm and cold water;
• eat more vegetables and fruits, give up sugary carbonated drinks and candies, which provoke excess sebum secretion.

Special tools for dealing with problem skin have appeared on sale. Before using them, it is necessary to carry out sterilization treatment.

Reasons for the formation of comedones

The causes of comedones include:

1. Heredity: type of epidermis, individual tendency to rashes, genetic predisposition.)
2. Hormonal changes and disruptions are the main causes of rashes in adolescents, pregnant women, women during menopause or after menstruation.
3. Pathologies of the nervous or endocrine system: hyperthyroidism, diabetes, constant stress, disruption of the sex glands, lack of sleep.
4. Poor nutrition. Acne often develops when there is a lack of vitamins, vegetables, vegetable oils, fish in the diet, or with an excess of animal fat and carbohydrates.
5. Smoking, excessive consumption of carbonated drinks, alcohol.
6. Taking medications.
7. Environment.
8. Insufficient personal hygiene.
9. Wrong selection of cosmetics.
10. Excessive use of tanning, especially in solariums.