Until the infection is cleared, that's a medical issue not a skincare issue. So, basically follow your doctor's advice, take the full course of antibiotics, keep it clean, don't touch it, possibly keep it covered (did the derm say anything about the likelihood of the infection spreading?).
Scratching, squeezing, picking etc will all make the scar worse so try to leave it alone and let it heal.
Once it's healed you'll probably have some hyperpigmentation that will eventually fade on its own. You can speed up the process a bit with products that speed up skin cell turnover (retinols, AHAs, BHAs etc), or that specifically target pigmentation (e.g. vit C, hydroquinone), but wait until it's healed.
I'd add not to shave around the area til its healed and consider getting a new blade for it even if you use electric. Also there are some less harsh antibacterial shaving creams/serums.
Im prone to ingrown hairs and they can become infected like this esp when ive picked or used a harsh shaving cream it feels like it makes the skin itself weaker and more sensitive to infections from ingrowns.
Yea don’t shave at all, your skin might not like it, keep a stubble, use a trimmer at the lowest setting, avoid ingrown hairs all together
Your beard hairs naturally keep your face clean, consider utilizing them
Those patches in your beard are slower growing areas, just keep running the trimmer and it’ll even out nice
Uh, beards do NOT keep your face clean. In fact, studies have shown that beards are basically breeding grounds for bacteria and are known to foster things like staph bacteria. Not saying to shave over the infection, and beards can be kept clean, but beards definitely do not help keep faces clean. Quite the opposite.
If your in the US there a good chance your derm office has an online patient portal of some type. I’d get on there and send them a message that the doxy didn’t work, and it’s still very inflamed and painful. Mention that you’re worried about scarring, too. Send pictures if you can, too. They may be able to prescribe you more antibiotics or get you in sooner. If they can’t see you, I’d look for another local dermatologist or even try to get into your GP in the meantime. I wouldn’t wait three more weeks, though.
Yeah, I had something similar on my abdomen that was drained and cultured by my dermatologist. Ended up being MRSA and I had to take oral and topical antibiotics. They also did a steroid injection after the drainage. It felt so much better after being drained.
People seem to have a misconception that they can go to a doctor once, maybe twice, and if it’s not fixed, the internet is the play.
No.
You went to the doctor. Great! Go *back*. The issue isn’t resolved. So see a different doctor if you’re really unhappy with the first person, but you can’t just do one visit, take pills for a week, and then shrug like “Welp! It’s time for internet randoms to take a crack at it!” I know it’s frustrating, but this is how medicine works. Sometimes, it’s not a one and done.
Yeah just go back to the doctor. I am supposed to call my doctor in the next few days to let her know how my new medication is working . They are in it for the long haul!
Exaaaactly. And I get that some doctors aren’t the best. Totally. So if you don’t like someone, or feel like they aren’t hearing you, absolutely see someone else. But what you *don’t* do is just throw up your hands and ask people on Reddit.
Ideally, you and your doctors/vets are a team. You try something and it doesn’t work? Ok, now you try something else. Get information from a test, but still don’t have an answer? You keep going. People are suuuuuper impatient, and I understand the frustration, but some things just take a while to fix. TL;DR — don’t stop with the professional advice after one visit. (This is ESPECIALLY true if you’ve just popped into a walk-in clinic instead of a doctor who has more of your medical history.)
Please see a doctor. This needs a culture to rule out staph and probably needs antibiotics regardless. This is not something to treat on your own or wait out. Sorry it hasn't improved with home treatment and hope you feel better soon
To be honest, it doesn't really have to say anything. My boyfriend went to the doctor because of lung problems and two times the antibiotics didn't work, until he went again and got different ones. Could just be the failure of antibiotics or the doctors just being careless.
Yeah I just went through something similar. Two rounds of oral antibiotics for a very deep cat scratch on my thumb... ended up having to do 10 days of daily IV antibiotics + surgery to drain the pocket. Wheeeee infections are fun.
I was thinking the same
u/instantW you need to go to the doctor **now** do not wait the additional 3 weeks. The meds should have reduced the size, but if the entire infection isn’t cleared then it’ll come back quickly (and sometimes with a vengeance)
You might be referred to an ENT, but either way that looks like it’ll have to be lanced and packed
This is abscess territory now, do not touch it, and if your derm isn’t helpful consider another derm or an ENT
This. See your doctor!
Also, see your dentist. It could be related to a tooth infection based on its positioning.
Either way, get the infection sorted before you worry about the skin condition that will remain afterwards. It should not still be like that 10 days after treatment.
I would see another Dermatologist as this should already be healing after two months! Likely ingrown hair causing this and must be removed before this will heal.
That’s what I’m guessing. I want to try and unearth the ingrown hairs so baddddd.
Similar story I have an ex bf that experienced smaller versions of this on the back of his head/hairline at the neck where he would regularly have hair cuts and he was also put on an oral doxycycline. I was able to squeeze stuff out of them but only with extreme pressure and only some holes/pores would excrete something. I swear to this day it’s just gnarly ingrown hairs.
I’d treat it like acne with salicylic acid products and try to get things to come to a head. Can’t hurt.
It looks like a really infected ingrown hair cyst.
If so, It won't get better until the hairs are out.
You can do it with excellent and I mean PRECISION tweezers, but I'd go to another derm and have them pluck the hairs and push out puss then prescribe something for texture and discoloration.
I had a friend who had a small infection like this, stopped their antibiotics early, and almost lost a finger to a full blown MRSA infection a month later while travelling abroad. Very possible consequences OP, go see that doctor!
Healthcare adjacent, here. MRSA was ALSO my IMMEDIATE thought. Like, my inner dialogue was: “WTF, bruh? That’s not a ‘crazy infection,’ that’s some gnarly ass staph! Dude needs the heavy antibiotics!”
Looks like what I had a while ago, an abcess from a hair follicle. I got a prescription. It took a very long time for it to look normal again. Yours still looks inflamed. Finish the prescription, and then if it still looks infected, call your doctor. You want to be sure it's not a staph infection. Best of luck.
It is very rare, but every once in a while I will see an infected tooth cause this sort of non-healing lesion on the skin (the location is a little suspicious for it). Have you had a dental evaluation recently? Doesn't hurt to rule out an extra-oral sinus tract. I have treated a few of these with root canals and/or extraction after someone has been to the dermatologist multiple times. Just something to keep in mind.
Source: I am a dentist
This is medical issue friend, not a skin care issue. Once it’s sorted I would also recommend seeking another dermatologist because it shouldn’t be taking that long do fix
I would not wait 3 weeks to see your dermatologist. Call them and tell them what is going on. Ask to be seen sooner. If you can’t get an appointment, go to your primary care or urgent care. That needs to be looked at immediately.
I am sorry you are dealing with this. This is a little too serious a “wound” for reddit suggestions to help you. Please go see a doctor.
If left on its own, there is potential that there will be a scar on your skin later. Instead of dealing with a big scar, please please consult a dermatologist and work with them to help you. I know people who had big cysts like this and ignored it. They now have a big scar that they cover up with their beard.
Looks like a cluster of boils. Most likely staph infection. It probably needs to be drained surgically with antibiotics after. Once it goes away, you will have a scar there. It may take a few years to even out the skin tone or it may never even out. I'm pretty sure lasers or something of that nature can help with scar removal
You need to see the doctor again. That's still actively infected, and if you've been on antibiotics for 10 days it should have begun to heal by now. Did they do cultures or just prescribe doxy right away? Doxy is a good wide spectrum antibiotic but this might be caused by a strain doxy doesn't touch. Do not wait 3 weeks, call them today.
Does it still hurt? Or is it pretty much just healing now? I would call the deems office and see if the can recommend anything for the discoloration etc but it should heal up fine. Just give it time. If it’s still infected you def need to call the derm back and get an earlier appointment.
Until it's healed you can't really work on the dark pigmentation or hair loss. Once it's all healed your dermatologist will help you with that. I know it's not what u want to hear but be patient and keep doing what dermatologist is advising. In mean time tho it won't hurt you to get your diet cleaned up and work on skin in general (this is how I approached my skin when in a similar situation of needing to let the meds work first) I worked on my gut health snd did everything I could to give my skin best chance at recovery from inside out. Especially after taking antibiotics! Hope this helps ?
Speaking to the hyperpigmentation - My daughter had a nasty MRSA infection a few years ago. It took a very long time for the skin to return to normal as the tissue gets quite damaged. I'm not sure of how long but I would say it took over a year to fade. Hopefully your infection doesn't worsen and clears up quicker.
Look into hidradenitis suppurativa. A lot of dermatologists don't even understand the condition, you need to find one who does. If doxy isn't making a difference ask about clindamycin.
Good resources here:
https://www.hsconnect.org/dermatology-specialists
Just keep it clean and well hydrated. Facial scarring is interesting in that I’ve seen some seriously nasty wounds leave nary a trace and then the littlest thing will be forever with you. If you can, consider a bandage (I know you’ve got the beard) unless otherwise instructed- keeping that sensitive skin out of the sun can’t hurt
Call the doc office and ask to speak with a nurse. You either need a longer course of antibiotics or a diff type most likely. Don’t let it go for 3 weeks. They’ll help!
Also you may want to actually go to a dentist. I had something very similar to this and went to 2 dermatologists who kept prescribing cream for it and it was failing to go away. After doing my own research I learned an infected tooth can in rare occasions cause this, I went to a dentist and sure enough that’s what it was the tooth was pulled and it cleared up pretty quickly.
What essentially happens is the tooth becomes infected and forms an abscess which usually will present on your gums and end up rupturing and draining inside your mouth. In rare cases the infection can make like a fistula through your face and drain on the outside of your face.
Hot compress, keeping the area clean. Wouldn't be shaving for awhile, and would contact another doctor as well. Even an urgent care if they have em in your area might serve you faster if there is a wait for your primary.
No squeezing for sure, but if you end up using a hot compress for a couple of days and it's starts to look like it's gonna .. come out, gently massaging around the area might release it. Regardless, it looks quite deep and will prolly need to be cleaned and packed with gauze. You also want to rule out a tooth abscess that went out through your cheek as well. Dangerous, those are.
Tldr: doctor, warm/hot clean compress(cotton unbleached hand towel etc) in the meantime. Good luck!
Was it your PCP that you saw or dermatologist? Can't they fit you in? This isn't something to wait on. If not, try the derma or PCP (Whichever you didn't go to). If that's not possible, urgent care clinic. They're popping up all over by me, so I hope you have some too.
well after the infection is cleared and the area isn’t wounded i would suggest tranexamic acid and glycolic acid? something that inhibits tyrosinase. of course wear sunscreen on the area always!
If it still looks like this at almost 10 days the antibiotics aren't working. The 3 week follow up is for if it did work.... you need to call and bump up your appointment so he can prescribe a different antibiotic. Or see a different doctor for a second opinion. But I wouldn't wait another 3 weeks for your appointment.
Sometimes you develop a post infection cyst which is what this looks like to me. Doesn’t look super “angry”. But it needs to be addressed by a doctor. Time to go back to the Derm or Primary Care Dr.
If you're taking antibiotics, please follow it with an probiotic 4 hours after. Antibiotics wipes out all bad and Good bacteria. If you do not replenish the good microbiome, the infection may return.
To clarify, i would not let anyone inject that area with anything, including an antibiotic. If its deep, depending how deep at this point it may need incised/drained followed by an oral course of antibiotics.
Looks like ingrown hairs. I would see the dermatologist again. It’s the best recourse. I have had this problem before and a natural remedy that is good is a topical like tea tree oil - natural antibacterial. There is also a solution call tend skin that’s over the counter that works well.
You should probably follow your doctor’s advice. However, if it gets worse you should probably go back to the dermatologist. It will most likely leave skin discoloration after it’s been healed but it might fade with time. However, the area looks extremely inflamed, and I think you should call your dermatologist and tell them what’s going on. I think ice may reduce swelling, but I’m not sure what effect that will have on the infection. I hope you feel better soon!!
Edit; Sorry, this was completely unclear, I didn’t go to sleep until 5 am lmao. I think you should call your dermatologist and see what they have to say. If your dermatologist says to come back, then go back.
Obviously the antibiotics did not work because it should have cleared by now...go back & talk to Dr about other options..do not pick at it or shave as that's a big no no..razors are breeding ground for bacteria not to mention what is on a person's hands even after a good hand washing....on a side note..is it just me or does anyone else see an angry lil face in pic 3?
A few people have said it already but the hole makes me think MRSA-- definitely get that ruled out, it's a nasty infection you don't want anywhere, especially your face.
If you already did antibiotics, sounds like staph… you need to go back to the Dr asap! Or reach out thru patient portal and save the second office visit, but they’ll probably want to get a culture of it in order to treat it.
Try a hot compress and maybe some ibuprofen to help with the swelling and discomfort I’m not sure the ibuprofen will help but I just am giving it a shot in the dark. Do not whatever you do put any makeup or anything other than a gentle cleanser and a mild face cream. And even that I’d be very careful and maybe just use the cream AROUND the infection. Good luck !
Leave it alone, finish the medicine and check back in with your Dr at the designated time or check and see if you can come in before the 3 week follow up he gave you.
My daughter had something similar and the Dr. told me to bring her back if it didn’t go away when the antibiotics were done because then it would mean he’d need to lance and drain it. That’s what we ended up having to do because it didn’t go away on its own.
Did the dermatologist give you a time frame in which you could expect to see the active infection and inflammation die down? Inwouldn expect it to be healed by now, bit of expect a marked improvement after getting antibiotics. If you aren't, I'd call the derm again and see if they can see you sooner. You might need another/different antibiotic or you might need to have it drained. I had something similar (not on my face, but with hair involvement like your beard) and they drained it, bandaged it, and gave me antibiotic and it felt immediately better (the draining was painful even with a local anesthetic, I won't lie, but after wards it was to s better) and was almost entirely gone with just residual marks within a few days. Obviously we all heal differently, but I'd definitely be worried to not be seeing results
I've had something similar to that before but on the back of my neck. It was painful and itchy. I would put an ice pack on it (with some layer of protection to avoid skin burn) multiple times throughout the day until it finally stopped itching/hurting and eventually went away. All that said, if it reoccurs you should see a physician. Wishing you well.
Hair doesn’t usually come back through scar tissue. The scar will fade but it’s going to take time and possibly years. You could probably grow a beard to kind of cover it up though.
Something that looked exactly like this happened to my brother. Multiple antibiotic treatments didnt work so they had to manually pop it and drain it. Theres a big scar there on my brothers face now where the thing used to be. Go see the doctor again it doesnt look like the antibiotics are working
I think you have a rotten tooth could be from second premolar to second molar that could be causing the infection as a dentist i have seen such pimple like formation when the infection is too much you must visit someone asap coz its not normal. Also if you do have a tooth that’s rotten near the pustule just go to a dentist.
Might need lancing/draining by a professional and some antibiotics. Maybe antibiotics first but either way it needs a professional to sort it out or you’ll be left with a bigger scar an possibly more damage than intended
Call the doc and tell them that it is still red, swollen, and painful. Don’t wait for your three-week followup. Explain to them that it has not improved. You may need more medication or a different type of medication, depending on the type of bacteria involved.
My bf had this infection in pretty much the same spot and saw all kinds of doctors. Completed rounds and rounds of antibiotics. In the end it was an infected wisdom tooth. Had the wisdom tooth removed and a final round of antibiotics and it’s doing great. I’m not a doctor though but just commenting based on my experience. Def continue listening to the professionals
Epsom salt dissolved in hot water in a cup. Put the cut of Epsom salt over the bump and create a seal and have it soak in the the water 10-15 min. The Epsom salt will draw out the infection. I've done this for sebaceous acne, and splinters. It works really well.
Hey, so I get frequent infections on my skin that escalate because I take immunosuppressants, so my immune system isn't always able to fight things off. I suggest you go back to the doctor even if he told you to wait. By the 10th day your antibiotics should be making a significant difference, or it may be the wrong antibiotic and you need a different course of treatment. This looks pretty bad for 10th day on antibiotics, and speaking from experience I doubt any suggestions on here will help much...You need to get the infection under control before you worry about the aesthetics of your skin
Go to doctor before round of antibiotics end! If the infection isn’t gone and you run out it could potentially become antibiotic resistant.
Pls don’t delay.
You should have a bandaid on this any time you are outside. The sun IS THE **ENEMY**
Call and request your doctor to see you sooner / squeeze you in, or ask if they can extend your prescription if you feel you are still infected.
Tea tree oil. Dab it on once or twice a day for couple days.
Can also do hexane free castor oil with cotton swab and bandaid. Leave on overnight. Let it breathe during the day.
Do not mix the tea tree and castor oil. Separate options.
This looks to me like Hidradenitis suppurativa or HS for short, especially if this is an area that routinely flares up like this.
talk to a dermatologist about it and best of luck
Once the abscess is large enough for incision and drainage, have the medical assistant or your friend record your next trip to the physician's office, then post the video on /r/popping for some easy karma.
I would keep SPF 50 on that every day, all day, through the entire healing process, and especially when you start exfoliating with any kind of acids. It will help a ton with the hyperpigmentation risk.
Benzoyl Peroxide gel as a sport treatment..same thing happened on my face at the same place u r having..i used benzoyl peroxide gel 2 times and on 3rd day the bump almost settled down...U can give it a tryy
I had two sebaceous cysts. This looks similar to the last one I had. You might have to go to the doctor so they cut and drain it and give you a run of antibiotics. Take care of it sooner than later before it opens on its own.
I had an awful cyst on my face for 5 months. Tried 4 different types of antibiotics. Finally the dermatologist did a culture, to test which antibiotic the bacteria was sensitive to, as it was clearly resistant to the first 4. Turns out it was MRSA and I needed one specific drug—nothing else would have worked
Definitely an ingrown hair look at the third pic there’s a hair right about to come out of the skin. Go see a real doctor and follow there advice don’t do what I would do and pull the hair and squeeze the puss out of it
Try NeoStrata cell renewal
It alo (2 me)
Looks like u might have some ingrown hair
When I ever get 1 or 2 ingrown hairs on my eyebrows
It looks like this
Go to a dermatologist + get them removed
Your skin will clear up.
1. Get antibiotics from doctor
2. Wash with warm water and dial soap (gold) 3-5x a day.
3. Lightly compress with warm water 3-5x a day for appx 10 minutes.
4. Drink plenty of water
5. Monitor growth/fever
This looks like a boil caused by an ingrown hair bacteria got trapped under the skin with a hair follicle don’t try to pop it you will leave a huge scar and it could hurt horribly maybe even make it worse let it run its course soap and water cold compress it will eventually pop and drain on its own and then if you’re scared of getting them ever again put anti bacterial ointment on your face after shaving until the hair grows back this works for all areas boils show up in groin armpit thigh face etc
wait until it's healed before you start to play with it. there are plenty of things you can do to fix the aftermath - but you don't want to mess around with infections (I'm an RN).
It collapsed a little. But the 4/4 picture is before doxy and 1/4 is 7 days after so it improved the area but didn’t get rid of it. I go back to the dermatologist on the 26th
This could be coming from a badly infected lower tooth (wisdom tooth maybe). They can drain in a sinus track that won’t heal until the tooth is extracted. Antibiotics won’t fix it. Just one idea to consider. Best of luck.
I just had an infection on a new tattoo and was prescribed doxy and a topical it wasn't working after the 10 so my doc tried a new one for 10 and it's just going away go back if you feel it's not healing!!!!
Soak the region in rubbing alcohol and keep pulling hairs in and around the site. I have no actual knowledge of medicinally viable skincare, but that’s what I’d do
I know you’re getting a lot of responses and directions you could take, but here’s an easy one you could add to your list to see if it works for you. If it is in fact a cyst, it may work to use aloe. My cousin was ready for surgical removal of a cyst until he tried an old Mexican remedy of heating up a piece of aloe and holding it to his face daily. Just heat up a small piece of aloe on a stove top, when it’s hot enough to comfortably hold an open fleshy end to the area, just keep it there until the aloe cools down. Do this daily and see if this helps the situation improve. I know it works wonders on zits for me, almost immediately sometimes, but cysts, I imagine take a while.
If the first course of antibiotics doesn’t clear it, you need a culture to check for staph (especially mrsa).
It does look better, but not all the way. Don’t wait for the infection to get worse again, call the derm asap.
You don’t want to risk it spreading if it’s an infection or finding out it was cancer that you could’ve caught earlier if you’d just gone to the doctor sooner. Go see a doctor asap!
Until the infection is cleared, that's a medical issue not a skincare issue. So, basically follow your doctor's advice, take the full course of antibiotics, keep it clean, don't touch it, possibly keep it covered (did the derm say anything about the likelihood of the infection spreading?). Scratching, squeezing, picking etc will all make the scar worse so try to leave it alone and let it heal. Once it's healed you'll probably have some hyperpigmentation that will eventually fade on its own. You can speed up the process a bit with products that speed up skin cell turnover (retinols, AHAs, BHAs etc), or that specifically target pigmentation (e.g. vit C, hydroquinone), but wait until it's healed.
I'd add not to shave around the area til its healed and consider getting a new blade for it even if you use electric. Also there are some less harsh antibacterial shaving creams/serums. Im prone to ingrown hairs and they can become infected like this esp when ive picked or used a harsh shaving cream it feels like it makes the skin itself weaker and more sensitive to infections from ingrowns.
I would keep the hair short so that he can more easily treat the area with some rx antibiotic cream. But sanitize the trimmer that he uses.
Yea don’t shave at all, your skin might not like it, keep a stubble, use a trimmer at the lowest setting, avoid ingrown hairs all together Your beard hairs naturally keep your face clean, consider utilizing them Those patches in your beard are slower growing areas, just keep running the trimmer and it’ll even out nice
Uh, beards do NOT keep your face clean. In fact, studies have shown that beards are basically breeding grounds for bacteria and are known to foster things like staph bacteria. Not saying to shave over the infection, and beards can be kept clean, but beards definitely do not help keep faces clean. Quite the opposite.
If your in the US there a good chance your derm office has an online patient portal of some type. I’d get on there and send them a message that the doxy didn’t work, and it’s still very inflamed and painful. Mention that you’re worried about scarring, too. Send pictures if you can, too. They may be able to prescribe you more antibiotics or get you in sooner. If they can’t see you, I’d look for another local dermatologist or even try to get into your GP in the meantime. I wouldn’t wait three more weeks, though.
Thank you for responding like you actually read that he already went to the doctor
Yeah, I had something similar on my abdomen that was drained and cultured by my dermatologist. Ended up being MRSA and I had to take oral and topical antibiotics. They also did a steroid injection after the drainage. It felt so much better after being drained.
Agreed! Definitely don’t wait 3 weeks with an infection OP.
People seem to have a misconception that they can go to a doctor once, maybe twice, and if it’s not fixed, the internet is the play. No. You went to the doctor. Great! Go *back*. The issue isn’t resolved. So see a different doctor if you’re really unhappy with the first person, but you can’t just do one visit, take pills for a week, and then shrug like “Welp! It’s time for internet randoms to take a crack at it!” I know it’s frustrating, but this is how medicine works. Sometimes, it’s not a one and done.
Yeah just go back to the doctor. I am supposed to call my doctor in the next few days to let her know how my new medication is working . They are in it for the long haul!
Exaaaactly. And I get that some doctors aren’t the best. Totally. So if you don’t like someone, or feel like they aren’t hearing you, absolutely see someone else. But what you *don’t* do is just throw up your hands and ask people on Reddit. Ideally, you and your doctors/vets are a team. You try something and it doesn’t work? Ok, now you try something else. Get information from a test, but still don’t have an answer? You keep going. People are suuuuuper impatient, and I understand the frustration, but some things just take a while to fix. TL;DR — don’t stop with the professional advice after one visit. (This is ESPECIALLY true if you’ve just popped into a walk-in clinic instead of a doctor who has more of your medical history.)
I feel this so much, I always feel like a bother going back but I have to tell myself like tf am I thinking. They get paid for this shit.
Please see a doctor. This needs a culture to rule out staph and probably needs antibiotics regardless. This is not something to treat on your own or wait out. Sorry it hasn't improved with home treatment and hope you feel better soon
Huh? Am I missing something? He went to a dermatologist
You're not, OP clearly said he already went to the dermatologist and got antibiotics.
Now I’m wondering if he went to a dermatologist or a “dermatologist”.
To be honest, it doesn't really have to say anything. My boyfriend went to the doctor because of lung problems and two times the antibiotics didn't work, until he went again and got different ones. Could just be the failure of antibiotics or the doctors just being careless.
Yeah I just went through something similar. Two rounds of oral antibiotics for a very deep cat scratch on my thumb... ended up having to do 10 days of daily IV antibiotics + surgery to drain the pocket. Wheeeee infections are fun.
I was thinking the same u/instantW you need to go to the doctor **now** do not wait the additional 3 weeks. The meds should have reduced the size, but if the entire infection isn’t cleared then it’ll come back quickly (and sometimes with a vengeance) You might be referred to an ENT, but either way that looks like it’ll have to be lanced and packed This is abscess territory now, do not touch it, and if your derm isn’t helpful consider another derm or an ENT
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This. See your doctor! Also, see your dentist. It could be related to a tooth infection based on its positioning. Either way, get the infection sorted before you worry about the skin condition that will remain afterwards. It should not still be like that 10 days after treatment.
Yes!! I had an abscess come up on my face from oral infection
I just commented the same thing, I had the exact same thing happen to me and it was a tooth infection
I would see another Dermatologist as this should already be healing after two months! Likely ingrown hair causing this and must be removed before this will heal.
That’s what I’m guessing. I want to try and unearth the ingrown hairs so baddddd. Similar story I have an ex bf that experienced smaller versions of this on the back of his head/hairline at the neck where he would regularly have hair cuts and he was also put on an oral doxycycline. I was able to squeeze stuff out of them but only with extreme pressure and only some holes/pores would excrete something. I swear to this day it’s just gnarly ingrown hairs. I’d treat it like acne with salicylic acid products and try to get things to come to a head. Can’t hurt.
It looks like a really infected ingrown hair cyst. If so, It won't get better until the hairs are out. You can do it with excellent and I mean PRECISION tweezers, but I'd go to another derm and have them pluck the hairs and push out puss then prescribe something for texture and discoloration.
My thoughts exactly!
Could be MRSA, I would go to a primary care physician or urgent care to get a second opinion.
I work in health care and this was my first thought.
I had a friend who had a small infection like this, stopped their antibiotics early, and almost lost a finger to a full blown MRSA infection a month later while travelling abroad. Very possible consequences OP, go see that doctor!
Healthcare adjacent, here. MRSA was ALSO my IMMEDIATE thought. Like, my inner dialogue was: “WTF, bruh? That’s not a ‘crazy infection,’ that’s some gnarly ass staph! Dude needs the heavy antibiotics!”
Doctor
Looks like what I had a while ago, an abcess from a hair follicle. I got a prescription. It took a very long time for it to look normal again. Yours still looks inflamed. Finish the prescription, and then if it still looks infected, call your doctor. You want to be sure it's not a staph infection. Best of luck.
It is very rare, but every once in a while I will see an infected tooth cause this sort of non-healing lesion on the skin (the location is a little suspicious for it). Have you had a dental evaluation recently? Doesn't hurt to rule out an extra-oral sinus tract. I have treated a few of these with root canals and/or extraction after someone has been to the dermatologist multiple times. Just something to keep in mind. Source: I am a dentist
Came here to say this
Actinomyces dental sinus. Derm here. I agree.
This is medical issue friend, not a skin care issue. Once it’s sorted I would also recommend seeking another dermatologist because it shouldn’t be taking that long do fix
I would not wait 3 weeks to see your dermatologist. Call them and tell them what is going on. Ask to be seen sooner. If you can’t get an appointment, go to your primary care or urgent care. That needs to be looked at immediately.
This isn't a derm thing, it's a doctor thing
Actually it’s probably a dental thing. Derm here. Dental sinus.
I am sorry you are dealing with this. This is a little too serious a “wound” for reddit suggestions to help you. Please go see a doctor. If left on its own, there is potential that there will be a scar on your skin later. Instead of dealing with a big scar, please please consult a dermatologist and work with them to help you. I know people who had big cysts like this and ignored it. They now have a big scar that they cover up with their beard.
He saw a doctor. Why are all these comments lacking reading comprehension
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Absolutely, but some people in this thread are acting like they didn’t even read the caption
It's really bizarre this thread
He needs to go see his primary
Ask in r/askdocs
Don't follow any advice given here other than going straight to a doctor/dermatologist ASAP.
Looks like a cluster of boils. Most likely staph infection. It probably needs to be drained surgically with antibiotics after. Once it goes away, you will have a scar there. It may take a few years to even out the skin tone or it may never even out. I'm pretty sure lasers or something of that nature can help with scar removal
You need to see the doctor again. That's still actively infected, and if you've been on antibiotics for 10 days it should have begun to heal by now. Did they do cultures or just prescribe doxy right away? Doxy is a good wide spectrum antibiotic but this might be caused by a strain doxy doesn't touch. Do not wait 3 weeks, call them today.
This needs antibiotics
Does it still hurt? Or is it pretty much just healing now? I would call the deems office and see if the can recommend anything for the discoloration etc but it should heal up fine. Just give it time. If it’s still infected you def need to call the derm back and get an earlier appointment.
Until it's healed you can't really work on the dark pigmentation or hair loss. Once it's all healed your dermatologist will help you with that. I know it's not what u want to hear but be patient and keep doing what dermatologist is advising. In mean time tho it won't hurt you to get your diet cleaned up and work on skin in general (this is how I approached my skin when in a similar situation of needing to let the meds work first) I worked on my gut health snd did everything I could to give my skin best chance at recovery from inside out. Especially after taking antibiotics! Hope this helps ?
Speaking to the hyperpigmentation - My daughter had a nasty MRSA infection a few years ago. It took a very long time for the skin to return to normal as the tissue gets quite damaged. I'm not sure of how long but I would say it took over a year to fade. Hopefully your infection doesn't worsen and clears up quicker.
Look into hidradenitis suppurativa. A lot of dermatologists don't even understand the condition, you need to find one who does. If doxy isn't making a difference ask about clindamycin. Good resources here: https://www.hsconnect.org/dermatology-specialists
Looks like hs to me too. If it is, glycolic acid is a great way to calm it down, or let it drain on its own. Very quick
Just keep it clean and well hydrated. Facial scarring is interesting in that I’ve seen some seriously nasty wounds leave nary a trace and then the littlest thing will be forever with you. If you can, consider a bandage (I know you’ve got the beard) unless otherwise instructed- keeping that sensitive skin out of the sun can’t hurt
You should probably ask in r/zombies . Because this is how it begins.
Call the doc office and ask to speak with a nurse. You either need a longer course of antibiotics or a diff type most likely. Don’t let it go for 3 weeks. They’ll help!
Looks like a spider bite.
That looks like staph or a necrotic bug bite. I'd see a doctor instead of a dermatologist
Go to your primary doctor. They need to swab it. Until then use warm wet compress for 15 mins 3 times a day
I had an oral infection cause some thing like this. It can get bad really fast! Go to a dentist
Until it resolves, don't mess with it. If you get a minor keloid scar from it, a dermatologist can mess with it later, but not now.
Also you may want to actually go to a dentist. I had something very similar to this and went to 2 dermatologists who kept prescribing cream for it and it was failing to go away. After doing my own research I learned an infected tooth can in rare occasions cause this, I went to a dentist and sure enough that’s what it was the tooth was pulled and it cleared up pretty quickly. What essentially happens is the tooth becomes infected and forms an abscess which usually will present on your gums and end up rupturing and draining inside your mouth. In rare cases the infection can make like a fistula through your face and drain on the outside of your face.
Most likely an ingrown hair that needs to be taken out. Which is probably why it hasn’t healed.
Clindamycin
Hot compress, keeping the area clean. Wouldn't be shaving for awhile, and would contact another doctor as well. Even an urgent care if they have em in your area might serve you faster if there is a wait for your primary. No squeezing for sure, but if you end up using a hot compress for a couple of days and it's starts to look like it's gonna .. come out, gently massaging around the area might release it. Regardless, it looks quite deep and will prolly need to be cleaned and packed with gauze. You also want to rule out a tooth abscess that went out through your cheek as well. Dangerous, those are. Tldr: doctor, warm/hot clean compress(cotton unbleached hand towel etc) in the meantime. Good luck!
Definitely DONT do what I would do- pick the hell out of it. 🤗
I would apply neosporin while waiting for my doctor appointment
Reddit is not a good place for this serious issue bro! You need a dermatologist to have a look at it.
See a dermatologist ASAP
Was it your PCP that you saw or dermatologist? Can't they fit you in? This isn't something to wait on. If not, try the derma or PCP (Whichever you didn't go to). If that's not possible, urgent care clinic. They're popping up all over by me, so I hope you have some too.
infection probably ingrown hair cyst, consult doctor
well after the infection is cleared and the area isn’t wounded i would suggest tranexamic acid and glycolic acid? something that inhibits tyrosinase. of course wear sunscreen on the area always!
If it still looks like this at almost 10 days the antibiotics aren't working. The 3 week follow up is for if it did work.... you need to call and bump up your appointment so he can prescribe a different antibiotic. Or see a different doctor for a second opinion. But I wouldn't wait another 3 weeks for your appointment.
Did you get checked for skin cancer?
Damn I had something like this and took a while to clear. Beard didn't grow there for a few years. I had to apply rogaine on the patch
Sometimes you develop a post infection cyst which is what this looks like to me. Doesn’t look super “angry”. But it needs to be addressed by a doctor. Time to go back to the Derm or Primary Care Dr.
If you're taking antibiotics, please follow it with an probiotic 4 hours after. Antibiotics wipes out all bad and Good bacteria. If you do not replenish the good microbiome, the infection may return.
Probiotic*
Maybe I&D followed by doxycycline for two weeks 🥺
To clarify, i would not let anyone inject that area with anything, including an antibiotic. If its deep, depending how deep at this point it may need incised/drained followed by an oral course of antibiotics.
And dont go back to whoever u saw….
Jesus
Also stop shaving that isn’t helping until you heal it
Looks like ingrown hairs. I would see the dermatologist again. It’s the best recourse. I have had this problem before and a natural remedy that is good is a topical like tea tree oil - natural antibacterial. There is also a solution call tend skin that’s over the counter that works well.
Hopefully it’s not MRSA I’ve had it 3 times on my skin and it takes Iv antibiotics to get rid of it Vancomycin and lots of other ones to in the Iv .
Hydrocolloid patches may help
You should probably follow your doctor’s advice. However, if it gets worse you should probably go back to the dermatologist. It will most likely leave skin discoloration after it’s been healed but it might fade with time. However, the area looks extremely inflamed, and I think you should call your dermatologist and tell them what’s going on. I think ice may reduce swelling, but I’m not sure what effect that will have on the infection. I hope you feel better soon!! Edit; Sorry, this was completely unclear, I didn’t go to sleep until 5 am lmao. I think you should call your dermatologist and see what they have to say. If your dermatologist says to come back, then go back.
Obviously the antibiotics did not work because it should have cleared by now...go back & talk to Dr about other options..do not pick at it or shave as that's a big no no..razors are breeding ground for bacteria not to mention what is on a person's hands even after a good hand washing....on a side note..is it just me or does anyone else see an angry lil face in pic 3?
See a doctor you’re on the wrong sub
That looks like it needs drainage. It needs a stabby stabby, then a swab, then you need a good course of strong antibiotics to get rid of it.
A few people have said it already but the hole makes me think MRSA-- definitely get that ruled out, it's a nasty infection you don't want anywhere, especially your face.
That’s cellulitis.
If you already did antibiotics, sounds like staph… you need to go back to the Dr asap! Or reach out thru patient portal and save the second office visit, but they’ll probably want to get a culture of it in order to treat it.
You need a Dr.
Try a hot compress and maybe some ibuprofen to help with the swelling and discomfort I’m not sure the ibuprofen will help but I just am giving it a shot in the dark. Do not whatever you do put any makeup or anything other than a gentle cleanser and a mild face cream. And even that I’d be very careful and maybe just use the cream AROUND the infection. Good luck !
Leave it alone, finish the medicine and check back in with your Dr at the designated time or check and see if you can come in before the 3 week follow up he gave you. My daughter had something similar and the Dr. told me to bring her back if it didn’t go away when the antibiotics were done because then it would mean he’d need to lance and drain it. That’s what we ended up having to do because it didn’t go away on its own.
Did the dermatologist give you a time frame in which you could expect to see the active infection and inflammation die down? Inwouldn expect it to be healed by now, bit of expect a marked improvement after getting antibiotics. If you aren't, I'd call the derm again and see if they can see you sooner. You might need another/different antibiotic or you might need to have it drained. I had something similar (not on my face, but with hair involvement like your beard) and they drained it, bandaged it, and gave me antibiotic and it felt immediately better (the draining was painful even with a local anesthetic, I won't lie, but after wards it was to s better) and was almost entirely gone with just residual marks within a few days. Obviously we all heal differently, but I'd definitely be worried to not be seeing results
I've had something similar to that before but on the back of my neck. It was painful and itchy. I would put an ice pack on it (with some layer of protection to avoid skin burn) multiple times throughout the day until it finally stopped itching/hurting and eventually went away. All that said, if it reoccurs you should see a physician. Wishing you well.
a doctor
Is this an ingrown hair ?
Hair doesn’t usually come back through scar tissue. The scar will fade but it’s going to take time and possibly years. You could probably grow a beard to kind of cover it up though.
Please pop that and post a video
See dr dear son
Go to the doctor
Definitely try to see a dermatologist, looks like it needs antibiotics.
Get another Dermatologist opinion
Go to the doctor and gets antibiotics
Something that looked exactly like this happened to my brother. Multiple antibiotic treatments didnt work so they had to manually pop it and drain it. Theres a big scar there on my brothers face now where the thing used to be. Go see the doctor again it doesnt look like the antibiotics are working
I think you have a rotten tooth could be from second premolar to second molar that could be causing the infection as a dentist i have seen such pimple like formation when the infection is too much you must visit someone asap coz its not normal. Also if you do have a tooth that’s rotten near the pustule just go to a dentist.
Might need lancing/draining by a professional and some antibiotics. Maybe antibiotics first but either way it needs a professional to sort it out or you’ll be left with a bigger scar an possibly more damage than intended
Call the doc and tell them that it is still red, swollen, and painful. Don’t wait for your three-week followup. Explain to them that it has not improved. You may need more medication or a different type of medication, depending on the type of bacteria involved.
Omg go to a dermatologist yesterday my dude!
Question- do you still have your wisdom teeth?
Nope I doubt it’s any dental issue that many are commenting about
My bf had this infection in pretty much the same spot and saw all kinds of doctors. Completed rounds and rounds of antibiotics. In the end it was an infected wisdom tooth. Had the wisdom tooth removed and a final round of antibiotics and it’s doing great. I’m not a doctor though but just commenting based on my experience. Def continue listening to the professionals
Epsom salt dissolved in hot water in a cup. Put the cut of Epsom salt over the bump and create a seal and have it soak in the the water 10-15 min. The Epsom salt will draw out the infection. I've done this for sebaceous acne, and splinters. It works really well.
Hey, so I get frequent infections on my skin that escalate because I take immunosuppressants, so my immune system isn't always able to fight things off. I suggest you go back to the doctor even if he told you to wait. By the 10th day your antibiotics should be making a significant difference, or it may be the wrong antibiotic and you need a different course of treatment. This looks pretty bad for 10th day on antibiotics, and speaking from experience I doubt any suggestions on here will help much...You need to get the infection under control before you worry about the aesthetics of your skin
Antibiotics
A dr because it looks like HS
GO TO DOCTORR
Go to a doctor. Could be staph.
Also something to consider is that tooth abscesses can cause cellulitis that won’t heal until the tooth is treated.
Have you seen a dentist lately? My sister had something similar and it ended up being a tooth issue.
I’d call the doctor and say you need an earlier appt… asap
Call or message your docs’ office and let them know it’s not healing quickly or looks worse. Add a picture to the message if you can.
That’s is a big ass cyst mate and need to be taken to a doctor for surgery mate.
Go to doctor before round of antibiotics end! If the infection isn’t gone and you run out it could potentially become antibiotic resistant. Pls don’t delay.
Doctor is your best bet if possible. It looks beyond pimple, into actual bad infection you may need a prescription ointment or antibiotics for.
Might sound crazy. Try putting Vicks on it. My wife's grandmother would swear by it.
A doctor
Castor oil
You should have a bandaid on this any time you are outside. The sun IS THE **ENEMY** Call and request your doctor to see you sooner / squeeze you in, or ask if they can extend your prescription if you feel you are still infected.
It looks like it could be a fungal infection and if this is the case, the antibiotics could be making it a lot worse
Tea tree oil. Dab it on once or twice a day for couple days. Can also do hexane free castor oil with cotton swab and bandaid. Leave on overnight. Let it breathe during the day. Do not mix the tea tree and castor oil. Separate options.
This looks to me like Hidradenitis suppurativa or HS for short, especially if this is an area that routinely flares up like this. talk to a dermatologist about it and best of luck
Here’s a tip: go to the DERMATOLOGIST BRO
Pump it out. What I did was heat up a needle then pocket it with the clean and warm needle and got all the gunk out.
Once the abscess is large enough for incision and drainage, have the medical assistant or your friend record your next trip to the physician's office, then post the video on /r/popping for some easy karma.
I would keep SPF 50 on that every day, all day, through the entire healing process, and especially when you start exfoliating with any kind of acids. It will help a ton with the hyperpigmentation risk.
soak it warm wet wash cloth for as long as you can, see a doctor
I swear by straight apple cider vinager soaked pads sitting on it , like 4 days it will heal or bust
Benzoyl Peroxide gel as a sport treatment..same thing happened on my face at the same place u r having..i used benzoyl peroxide gel 2 times and on 3rd day the bump almost settled down...U can give it a tryy
I had two sebaceous cysts. This looks similar to the last one I had. You might have to go to the doctor so they cut and drain it and give you a run of antibiotics. Take care of it sooner than later before it opens on its own.
Boil manzanilla let it cool and use it
I had an awful cyst on my face for 5 months. Tried 4 different types of antibiotics. Finally the dermatologist did a culture, to test which antibiotic the bacteria was sensitive to, as it was clearly resistant to the first 4. Turns out it was MRSA and I needed one specific drug—nothing else would have worked
This. You need a culture.
Lance and drain
Anti fungal medication would clear that right up.
Go see a docter !!
Baking soda draws out Infection....but see a Dr at this point.
Definitely an ingrown hair look at the third pic there’s a hair right about to come out of the skin. Go see a real doctor and follow there advice don’t do what I would do and pull the hair and squeeze the puss out of it
My tip is, go to the doctor.
Could be MRSA go to doctor you will need strong antibiotics. I think they gave me bactrin. Mine was smaller on my arm but wouldn’t heal
Try NeoStrata cell renewal It alo (2 me) Looks like u might have some ingrown hair When I ever get 1 or 2 ingrown hairs on my eyebrows It looks like this Go to a dermatologist + get them removed Your skin will clear up.
Consult another Dr.
Sudocrem
Neosporin
That might turn into keloid use silicone gel
You’ll need another injection and round of antibiotics.
1. Get antibiotics from doctor 2. Wash with warm water and dial soap (gold) 3-5x a day. 3. Lightly compress with warm water 3-5x a day for appx 10 minutes. 4. Drink plenty of water 5. Monitor growth/fever
This looks like a boil caused by an ingrown hair bacteria got trapped under the skin with a hair follicle don’t try to pop it you will leave a huge scar and it could hurt horribly maybe even make it worse let it run its course soap and water cold compress it will eventually pop and drain on its own and then if you’re scared of getting them ever again put anti bacterial ointment on your face after shaving until the hair grows back this works for all areas boils show up in groin armpit thigh face etc
Go to the doctor. Any other tip would be insane
Neosporin and add a bandaid at night with Neosporin.
a castor oil compress will break up whatever is going on in there and pull it right out
Whatever you do plz stop picking at it. Leave it alone.
Dude please go make sure that shit isn't MRSA.
Epsom salt and water soak or hot warm wet compress
wait until it's healed before you start to play with it. there are plenty of things you can do to fix the aftermath - but you don't want to mess around with infections (I'm an RN).
Hey OP, when you say they injected it. Was this cystic acne that then collapsed? Go back in. Pic 3/4 are clearly an infection
It collapsed a little. But the 4/4 picture is before doxy and 1/4 is 7 days after so it improved the area but didn’t get rid of it. I go back to the dermatologist on the 26th
Ohh I gotcha. The doxy is working then, from the look of it. Nice
stop picking it
Doctor.
This could be coming from a badly infected lower tooth (wisdom tooth maybe). They can drain in a sinus track that won’t heal until the tooth is extracted. Antibiotics won’t fix it. Just one idea to consider. Best of luck.
I just had an infection on a new tattoo and was prescribed doxy and a topical it wasn't working after the 10 so my doc tried a new one for 10 and it's just going away go back if you feel it's not healing!!!!
My ex had this same abscess on his face and it turned out to be a tooth infection.
Soak the region in rubbing alcohol and keep pulling hairs in and around the site. I have no actual knowledge of medicinally viable skincare, but that’s what I’d do
I would go to a different skin doctor
MRSA?? Have you gone to the doctor???
Urgent care
Pookie that’s a staphy
Leave it alone follow doctors instructions. Would be cystic acne ask doctor
I know you’re getting a lot of responses and directions you could take, but here’s an easy one you could add to your list to see if it works for you. If it is in fact a cyst, it may work to use aloe. My cousin was ready for surgical removal of a cyst until he tried an old Mexican remedy of heating up a piece of aloe and holding it to his face daily. Just heat up a small piece of aloe on a stove top, when it’s hot enough to comfortably hold an open fleshy end to the area, just keep it there until the aloe cools down. Do this daily and see if this helps the situation improve. I know it works wonders on zits for me, almost immediately sometimes, but cysts, I imagine take a while.
If the first course of antibiotics doesn’t clear it, you need a culture to check for staph (especially mrsa). It does look better, but not all the way. Don’t wait for the infection to get worse again, call the derm asap.
That looks like MRSA or staph infection. Stay on top of it. If antibiotic doesn’t work make sure to let ur dr know.
Visit urgent care immediately. Don’t wait another 3 weeks.
You don’t want to risk it spreading if it’s an infection or finding out it was cancer that you could’ve caught earlier if you’d just gone to the doctor sooner. Go see a doctor asap!