sometimes I get pimples that don't act like pimples. They are just really painful and if I try to pop them they just have oily watery liquid and not whithead substance. What can I do to get rid of them and what are they?
KYLE-
DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE HEARD OF THIS, BUT IF YOU APPLY TOOTHPASTE TO A PARTICULAR AREA OF ACNE OVERNIGHT, THIS WILL DRY THEM OUT RELATIVELY QUICK. I USE THIS IF I NEED TO GET RID OF ONE QUICKLY FOR A SPECIAL EVENT THE NEXT DAY. BE SURE YOU USE THE PASTE, THE GEL KIND WILL NOT WORK. AND JUST REMEMBER, THEY WILL FADE IN TIME. GOOD LUCK! WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE!
Kyle:
Don't pop your pimples for your own good: popping makes red marks redder and last longer, which is the opposite of what you want.
I suggest you adopt a 2-pronged approach, medical and esthetic.
1) Get a dermatologist to prescribe something more aggressive than Differin alone, a more intensive topical regimen, and an oral antibiotic.
Because medical treatment takes weeks to work, look into an esthetician as well. Perhaps your dermatologist emplys one. If not, look in the local newspaper or phone book. Or ask female friends or relatives. The best way to get rapidly rid of whiteheads is have the pores professionally cleaned, which is what a facial is. Also, makeup advice may help. In our culture, men don't wear makeup, but that doesn't mean you can't if you learn how to put a coverup on properly, something many, perhaps most women learn as a matter of course. (And I won't tell if you won't . . . )
Good luck!
Dr. R