picked scab under beard infection

[SeraphimD]

I picked at a pimple scab under my beard on the right side of my chin repeatedly, and subsequently an infection occurred which is a growth and swelling under the skin with slight visible protrusion of the area. It is sore to press or squeeze my face there and the skin under my beard there has a purplish and reddish color in a local area at about the middle of the swelled area. It scabs, and pusses and lets a little blood here and there. I've been rinsing the area with alcohol and then applying bacitracin for almost two days now and it's still relatively the same, but shows possibly a slight reduction in swelling, though difficult to say. I also used a natural propolis rinse before the bacitracin application once which seemed to work similar to the alcohol. Do you think I need oral antibiotics or other treatment, and what might be the other possibilities. I assess that it is probably a staph infection of some variety, but the information out there has wide-ranging treatment, risk, and prognosis levels. Please tell me what to look for and whether to see a doctor, and any other pertinent details. I am in a foreign country in Europe on an extended stay currently. Thank you very much.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

You are welcome. Yes, do have this assessed by your doctor. A bump in areas rich in hair follicles such as the face,  may have folliculitis as a primary differential. So have this assessed early on. We do not want any spread of infection especially if the face is involved.

[SeraphimD]

thank you, I woke up today, day 3 on topical antibiotic, and it's still sore, but alittle less swollen. I will be going to the doctor Monday morning. Thanks for your post.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

The area sounds infected. The face has to be cleaned and free of any infection at all times as infection may spread to other areas due to the rich supply of blood vessels in the face. I suggest that you have this assessed by a dermatologist or your internist. You may need oral antibiotics for this and culture of the discharge may be indicated. Refrain from using other creams and medications on the face as this may further irritate the skin. Wash your hands always and refrain from unnecessarily touching the face.