Painful bumps before pimples erupt!

crazeee4u · #1 (**permalink**) 07-20-2010, 11:22 PM

I think the title says it all... I'm not sure what it is but before a pimple arrives, there's that painful (or I guess tender) hard bump that hurts to touch, and then in a few days a nice pimple emerges. I was wondering why that is and is there anything you can put on it to halt the pimple from erupting!

THANKS

sungy · #2 (**permalink**) 07-21-2010, 07:32 AM

I used to get cystic pimples. They hurt bad!

Not sure if that is what you have.

If so, I used to apply hot compresses to soothe the area to increase circulation. I think it was to assist in the body to absorb some of the infection rather than it increasing into a larger pus filled cyst.

Also, my dermatologist would give me a steroid shot into that area that was painful before it formed into a pimple. It prevented it from forming.

Additionally, I used a retinoid which helped to dry up the cyst if it got to that point.

rjs111 · #3 (**permalink**) 07-21-2010, 07:46 AM

I get cystic pimples too! (If indeed that's what you're talking about)

I haven't really found a good treatment for them yet. I have tried hot compresses like Linda said, but they don't seem to make too much difference for me.

crazeee4u · #4 (**permalink**) 07-21-2010, 08:59 AM

I'm not sure if that's what it is... because they come and go? (Or is that just how cystic pimples work? ... I don't know much about acne) I have quite a few "bumps" right now. It's not visibly a pimple.. yet. It's just a light pink coloured bump.

justchar · #5 (**permalink**) 07-21-2010, 09:06 AM

I know what you mean. I get those hard, red bumps that hurt...I think those are cystic. I've tried hot compresses and it didn't really seem to help but it did seem to make them less painful. I've always wanted to try the steroid shot thing, does that really make them go away quickly, Sungy?

I also get every now and then a hard, rather large, under the surface clogged pores that I can feel and see but they don't hurt...and usuallly they don't form into anything, but it takes a month or two for them to go away, not sure what those are called

sungy · #6 (**permalink**) 07-21-2010, 12:57 PM

^ yes, the steroid shots worked for me. If I got the shot early on, when I felt the tenderness, it never formed into a cyst.

I hated those because I have some scars from when I didn't treat them early enough and they turned into scars.