Skin condition is a reflection of the overall health of a person as a whole. Purulent acne is one of the most unpleasant dermatological pathologies. This is not only a deterioration in the appearance of a person, but also great physical discomfort. Purulent acne hurts and itches, and it is impossible to hide them under the foundation. Moreover, the use of decorative cosmetics only worsens the situation - pustules on the face spread faster. Treatment of pathology requires a special approach, and if rashes on the face are very common, the help of a professional dermatologist is needed.
Causes of occurrence
The causes of pustules on the face are various, the most common are the following:
- Age. Adolescents often suffer from acne, and are also susceptible to all other types of acne. When the puberty period ends, and the hormonal background is stabilized, pustules on the face will pass. Hyperactivity of hormones promotes breast growth and the onset of menstruation in girls, and in boys, the voice changes during this period, facial hair appears.
- Hormonal disbalance. Pustules on the face in adult women often occur during menstruation, pregnancy or menopause.
- Errors in nutrition. Problems with the skin of the face can be associated with a violation of the gastrointestinal tract. For example, quite often small pustules on the face appear with liver problems caused by the abuse of fatty foods and alcohol.
- Hyperkeratosis is a pathological cell division. In more detail this disease will be considered below.
- Lack of proper hygiene. Pustules on the face can be the result of improper or inadequate facial cleansing, and the longer the skin remains untidy, the more the problem worsens.
- Extruding pustules. Doctors warn that acne should not be squeezed out, even if they are about to break through themselves. With improper actions, the situation can become complicated - if after squeezing the pimple, pus remains inside, the wound heals and pus remains in it, this will lead to the appearance of a scar, which is very difficult to get rid of.
- Stress. The rash of pustules on the face can be of a nervous origin. With frequent stress and nervous overstrain, the human immune system works worse, which allows pathological microorganisms to freely penetrate the human body and actively multiply. The skin is also worse resistant to bacteria, and also can not cope with inflammatory processes.
- Poor-quality cosmetics. This includes not only expired cosmetics or low-quality cosmetics, but also the use of other people's cosmetics, application to dirty skin, and touching your face with dirty hands.
- Acceptance of certain medications. Most often, small pustules on the face appear in athletes who take steroids. Antibiotics also contribute to the appearance of acne.
The mechanism of the appearance of pustules
White pustules on the face always appear at the most inopportune moment. At first the pimple is small and the skin around it turns slightly red. Gradually, the pimple matures and increases in size. Now it becomes very noticeable, it appears an unpleasant shade, and inside the core of pus is visible. A person may experience itching and pain, which disappears only after the pimple breaks out and the wound heals.
Types of pustules
Abscesses on the face can be of the following types:
- comedone is not yet a purulent pimple, but a contamination of pores, but its appearance precedes the appearance of an abscess;
- papules - small rashes;
- pustules - small white balls filled with pus, surrounded by inflamed skin;
- nodes are untreated pustules, as a result of which inflammatory processes penetrated into the deep layers of the epidermis;
- cystic formations - a subcutaneous union of several abscesses, which is accompanied by inflammation and severe pain.
Degrees of pathology
According to the severity of acne, the following degrees are distinguished:
- The defeat concerns a limited area, mainly comedones can be seen, and pustules and papules are single.
- The rash affects not only the face, but also the body. By the nature of the rash, they are the same as in the previous stage - mainly comedones are observed, and papules and pustules are single.
- The third degree of pustular lesions of the face is accompanied by a large number of pustules and papules. Acne itch, can observe scars and scars - the effects of acne.
- The fourth degree is the most dangerous. The diameter of purulent acne can reach half a centimeter, acne covers most of the skin of the face and body. With close proximity of acne fistulous passages can form. The fourth degree of pustular lesion is treated quite successfully, but atrophic scars and scars leave behind.
Hyperkeratosis
The essence of the disease is excessive cell division, as a result of which the skin layer thickens. Red pustules form on the face, which are not corrected by decorative cosmetics. The skin is peeling, and the appearance of the face is deteriorating. Also, the patient is tormented by itching and other uncomfortable manifestations.
Hyperkeratosis can be congenital and acquired, also secrete:
- Follicular hyperkeratosis - hair follicles are affected, ducts are clogged, inflammatory processes occur.
- Lenticular - a chronic form of the disease, which worsens after prolonged insolation.
- Disseminated - is very rare.
Hyperkeratosis as an independent ailment is not considered, it is often a clinical sign of various pathologies, but sometimes external factors can act as the causes of hyperkeratosis, for example, such:
- prolonged insolation;
- chapping of the skin;
- poor hygiene;
- washing with hard water;
- contact with chemicals.
As for internal reasons, they are as follows:
- ichthyosis;
- fungal diseases;
- dermatitis;
- psoriasis and lichen;
- diabetes;
- avitaminosis;
- stress
- problems in the work of the gastrointestinal tract.
Demodecosis
This is a tick-borne skin lesion. As a rule, signs of the disease are localized on the eyelids, eyebrows, nasolabial folds, chin.
The tick lives on the face and head of 80% of people, but does not manifest itself, all its vital activity occurs on the surface of the skin, without penetrating under it. But in certain situations, the tick can lay eggs in the dermis, which will provoke an inflammatory process in the follicle. These situations are:
- weak immunity;
- elderly age;
- bad habits;
- endocrine system disorders;
- digestive pathology;
- excessive use of makeup;
- skin diseases;
- malnutrition;
- prolonged use of certain medications;
- stress
- disruption of the sebaceous glands;
- change in the chemical composition of sebum;
- liver disease.
Modern medicine has in its arsenal a lot of tools that will help get rid of this unpleasant disease.
Ulcers in a child
Pustules on the face of a newborn are quite common, it can have the following reasons:
- Hormonal rash. The baby is forming a hormonal background. During this period, the appearance of small pustules on the face is not excluded.
- Allergy. If the baby is breastfed, the mother should carefully monitor her diet so as not to provoke an allergic reaction in the baby.
- Prickly heat. The skin of the newborn is very tender, and if proper hygiene is not followed, rashes can occur throughout the body.
- Excessive activity of the sebaceous glands. A non-hazardous condition that does not affect the health of the child.
- Dysbacteriosis It develops when microflora is disturbed.
- Infections Staphylococcus, streptoderma.
- Infections that are transmitted by airborne droplets are measles, chickenpox, rubella, and so on.
If a child has pustules on his face, it is imperative to consult a pediatrician. Most likely, there is nothing dangerous, but it is better to exclude infectious and fungal infections.
Pustules on the face of a child in the first years of life can be the result of the following:
- prickly heat;
- allergy;
- dysbiosis;
- blockage of the sebaceous glands.
In children of preschool and school age, pustules rarely appear, and the skin remains clean until the teenage period. But in some cases, abscesses still appear, and are clinical manifestations:
- hormonal disorders of the adrenal gland;
- metabolic disorders;
- infectious pathologies;
- early puberty.
All these pathologies require specialist advice and quality treatment.
Traditional treatment for pustules
With purulent acne, pharmacy products that are intended for topical use will help to cope. If there are a lot of skin rashes, it is recommended to wipe the face with hydrogen peroxide before using creams and ointments.
Dermatologists most often prescribe the following drugs:
- Ichthyol ointment or Vishnevsky ointment. These drugs have a not very pleasant smell, but they are quite effective in combating pustular rashes. The ointment is applied to a gauze swab, which is applied to the acne and fixed with a plaster. It is recommended to use at night.
- "Baziron AS". This tool is used 2 times a day, for up to 3 months.
- Zinerite. This is a balm that is applied to cleansed skin. After drying, it becomes invisible.
- "Skinoren." It is used for extensive lesions, it can be applied not pointwise, but distributed throughout the face.
In addition to drug treatment, there are cosmetic procedures that also cope well with skin defects. The most common are:
- Cryotherapy - freezing an abscess with liquid nitrogen. The result - the abscess is destroyed, leaving no traces.
- Laser therapy - a laser beam burns acne in the literal sense of the word.
- Ozone therapy - distilled water enriched with ozone is injected into the site of the lesion by injection.
- Mesotherapy - the use of special drugs.
- Ultrasound therapy is a deep cleansing of the face, during which keratinized epithelial cells, clogging the pores, are removed.
- Peeling is a method similar to the previous method, the difference is that cleaning is carried out chemically.
- Mechanical cleaning is a complex of measures during which neither chemistry nor ultrasound is used, deep skin cleaning is carried out mechanically.
A significant drawback of these procedures is their high cost.
Treatment with folk remedies
A cheaper, but no less effective way to get rid of ulcers on the face is to use traditional medicine. For instance:
- Aloe. Aloe leaf must be cut lengthwise and applied to the abscess, fixing with a plaster,
- Plantain juice. Juice is squeezed from the fresh leaves of the plant, which is used to prepare lotions, tonics and masks.
- Calendula. To prepare a tincture of water, you will need a glass of boiling water, a teaspoon of calendula flowers and a tablespoon of honey. The medicinal plant is infused in boiling water for half an hour, then honey is dissolved in the infusion and left to cool. The skin is treated with the product 2 times a day - in the morning and in the evening.
- Mask of protein and oats. Grind oatmeal with 2 teaspoons of flour, combine with whole egg white. The mask is applied to the face for 20 minutes, then washed off with warm water. With dry skin, a couple of drops of olive oil can be added to the mask. It helps moisturize the skin.
- A single pimple can be removed by attaching to it a crushed tablet of aspirin or streptocide, mixed with a small amount of plantain juice until gruel is obtained. The cotton wool or piece of gauze is blown with gruel and applied to the sore spot.
Preventive actions
Everyone understands that it is much easier to prevent the appearance of purulent acne than to cure them. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly monitor the condition of the skin, carry out cleaning, and for washing use soap with an antibacterial effect. It is also recommended to lead a healthy lifestyle and eat right.
If the skin is oily, for preventive purposes, you can make masks to normalize the sebaceous glands. A good effect is given by a mask of oatmeal with the addition of lemon juice, protein and streptocide tablets.
Tar soap is a wonderful natural antiseptic that has been used for centuries to wash your face, and is highly recommended for people with problem skin.
To strengthen general immunity, it is recommended to drink a healthy drink, which is prepared as follows. Pour a tablespoon of dry nettle with a glass of boiling water, leave for two hours, add honey and lemon juice.
It is impossible to cure acne in a few days. Only for the breakthrough of the abscess will take at least three days. According to cosmetologists, it will take at least two weeks to completely get rid of acne. Although, it all depends on the cause of these rashes.