Skin Republic

Dear Dr. Jen,

I've never had any pimples before but I just turned 29 years old, and suddenly I'm breaking out non-stop. I don't have any problems with my cycle, pimples don't run in my family, and I get enough sleep.  Please, please help me.  It's gotten out of hand.  I'm so conscious of my face now.

 Maris

Dear Maris,

It seems you've ticked off all the other possibilities of the causes of acne.  The only thing we might be left to conclude with is stress or wrong product usage.  Stress is encountered daily and avenues of stress-release will easily combat this problem.

However, cosmetics and product use, on the other hand, deserves a more thoughtful explanation. Women who claim they don't use makeup, but still occasionally use it, let's say on weekends, should still reconsider what's in their cosmetic bag.  Even a few hours of using the wrong foundation, for a one-time event can clog up pores and cause a vicious cycle of acne.

The most common culprits are BB creams, CC creams or heavy concealers and foundations.  These can clog up all the pores, and instead of the oil being released directly above the skin, sebum builds up.  The more sebum that builds up, the more food there is for bacteria to consume.  This causes bacteria to proliferate and leads to inflammation, resulting in pimples.

Take a look at all the cosmetics you use, check the ingredients in the back.  Or bring them to your nearest PDS derma to review the stuff you are using.  Your PDS derma will likely prescribe you with some unclogging medicine, like retinoic acid or tretinoin for a couple of weeks. Make-up can still be used for pimple-prone skin but you should just be very picky with your products.  Once you find what works for you, resist trying other brands.

Dear Dr. Jen,

I have a gigantic boil on my arm.  I've had it for a few days and I think it needs to be popped.  Every time I squeeze the contents out, it just grows bigger the next day.  How exactly should boils be treated?

 Isa

Dear Isa,

Boils are commonly caused by bacteria called staphylococcus aureus. Big boils can be very painful as the size causes pressure on some skin and underlying structures. It can even cause fever and body malaise.

Some small boils can be treated with topical cream-based antibiotics. In most cases, oral antibiotics are needed to prevent it from getting bigger and infecting neighboring follicles or from going to the blood stream.

Popping and draining can be done once the "head" of the boil shows.  Warm compress may help in localizing the boil.  Injecting steroids can also bring down the inflammation in some cases. Some people are carriers of the bacteria, and may experience recurrent boils.  Hence, proper hand washing as well as taking other preventive measures are necessary.

Dr. Tan is a diplomate of Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) and is affiliated with Perpetual Succour Hospital (PSH). For information on PDS, check http://www.pds.org.ph/. For questions or concerns, please text to: 0932 857 7070; or email to: [email protected]; or call The Freeman: (032) 2531276, or PSH: (032) 233 8620 and 232 5929. Your inquiries will be forwarded to Dr. Tan.