Strange pimple or coldsores?

I have within the last twelve months developed a strange case of acne or cold sores. Or, something else?

I do not have acne on my face except for the rare pimple (which heals quickly), so its rather noticable when I have a new mark on my face.

These unidentified "sores" on my face started out as what appeared to be little pimples filled with pus. They are not clustered together, but appear sparsely on my face (mainly cheeks and chin) and takes months to heal but ONLY after I pull each of these little white plugs or cores out resulting in this small pin point area bleeding for a very long time. I have tried leaving them alone and that doesn't help either.

Upon healing, they have left ever-so-slight scarring. On a fairly regular basis, on *exactly* the same spot as the scarring, they appear again, not usually all of them at once however. They first become a little red and slightly pronounced. If squeezed, a small amount of pus comes out.

These little sores then dry-up and take longer than normal pimples to heal. There is a continuous slight peeling of the scar/skin on at least one of these healed sores.

Anybody has any ideas?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
I cannot confirm anything without examination but it can be folliculitis or cysts. Please keep the area clean and apply some topical antiseptics. Also wear loose-fitting cotton clothing and use an antibacterial soap or mild soap like dove. Avoid any kind of cosmetics. Topical antibiotics such as mupirocin or neomycin containing ointment are also useful. In case the symptoms persist then oral antibiotics may be needed. Please consult a dermatologist in that case.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.