Nodular Acne Pictures, Causes, Treatment and Home Remedies

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Nodular acne can form on the chin, between eyes, nose, around the mouth etc. It can be painful and have big nodules or bumps that are unpleasant. Here are the causes, treatment and home remedies for nodular acne on face.

What is nodular acne?

The severe form of acne that is normally characterized by the appearance of large and inflamed breakouts is known as nodular acne.

Compared to normal pimples, the nodules are known to be bigger and are more serious as they often affect the deep layers of your skin.

Normal run of the mill zits will usually heal quite quickly, but the nodules will last for a longer duration, and may even take months for them to be completely healed.

When the blemishes begin to appear, they will feel like knots that are present beneath the skin. At times, the nodules may begin developing a white head, but often, they are stubborn, and are painfully found below the skin layer.

Nodular acne may appear on your body, back, and face. The nature of the breakouts will vary as you may get the normal nodular breakouts or your blemishes could be more widespread. Whichever way they appear, it is a type of acne known to cause severe scarring, and must be treated by a certified dermatologist.

Nodular acne causes

Just like the normal mild acne breakouts, this type of acne is likely to be triggered by an increase in your androgen hormones.

It is important to note that dermatologists are not very certain on why some people get to develop this severe acne, while others do not develop it.

However, it appears that there is a genetic component attached to its cause: as such, if your siblings or parents have at one time in their lives developed this form of acne, it means that you also have a very high likelihood of developing it.

Any person can develop this type of acne, but it is highly common in young men. These groups combined with teen boys have a higher chance of developing severe breakouts all over their bodies and faces.

Adult women may also have to deal with this type of breakout at some point during their adulthood. For the women, the breakouts are concentrated on the jaw line, neck, and chin, and will often become severe as they approach their monthly periods.

Apart from causing blemishes on the body, recent studies have shown that people with acne may have the following symptoms:

1. Depression
2. Low self esteem
3. Permanent scars on the body
4. Dark spots appearing on their skin surfaces

Nodular acne pictures

Here are pictures of nodular acne. These will help you differentiate with cystic acne and to also identify your symptoms.

Nodular acne vs. Cystic acne

Nodular acne is used to refer to the large, hard bumps that appear below the surface of your skin layer. When the nodule begins to heal, it will often leave an acne scar behind. It is important to note that the nodules will often be bigger than your normal everyday pimples, which are often not as serious as this form of acne.

In cystic acne, the pores on your skin surface become blocked, and this leads to an infection and in some cases an inflammation. The condition will often only affect your face, but it can also be seen around your upper arms and trunk at times.

Can you pop nodular acne?

Popping should usually be followed by draining the nodules. When popping, you will need to utilize specialized equipment, such as very fine needles.

When popping a nodule, you need to understand that there is a chance that this nodule could scar once it has been healed. Squeezing the fluid in the nodule out may cause it to spread beneath the skin surface to other parts of your body, and this will in many cases lead to an infection.

As such, just because the nodules can be popped does not mean that you should proceed ahead to do it. You have to understand the effects of popping the nodules first.

Nodular acne treatment

Thanks to advancements in modern technology, there are acne medications that you can use for lessening the swelling that comes with nodular acne. Cortisone shots, anti-acne creams and even hormone therapy are some of the treatments for nodular acne.

Cortisone shot

It is the most popular type of medication that is recommended by dermatologists when they are looking to treat this severe form of acne.

The shot will be made directly into your nodules. It will then provide a controlled shriveling of the nodules, and this will in turn reduce its chances of ever scarring.

Acne cream

When purchasing over the counter acne creams for severe acne, you need to be careful as not all the over counter acne medications will work.

To ensure you get clearing as soon as possible, it is recommended that you visit your dermatologist for a prescription. In most cases, the acne cream will be prescribed alongside an oral medication mainly because the breakouts are often deep seated, and the cream alone may not be able to completely eradicate the blemishes.

Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy is another effective method used in dealing with severe acne. In hormone therapy, anti-andorgens e.g. oral contraceptives that contain progestins and estrogen are prescribed.

The therapy is effective as it breaks the chain of events that could eventually promote the formation of these acne nodules all over your body.

The medications used in hormone therapy will block testosterone from interacting with your sebaceous glands. As such, they will ensure that sebum is not produced, which may lead to the runaway growth of bacterial germs on your skin, which then promotes the emergence of the nodules.

Retin a

It is considered to be one of the best treatment for people suffering from severe acne. If the acne has become widespread in your body, there is a high probability that the dermatologist will recommend that you consider this particular kind of treatment.

Home remedies for nodular acne

Nodular acne is not only painful, but it can also be very annoying. It is known to affect people of various ages, although it is most common in young men and teenagers.

The hormonal changes that are experienced when they are undergoing puberty is the main cause of severe acne. When men are in the puberty stage, the androgen hormones that are present in their bodies will begin to increase rapidly, and this may encourage the production of excess oil, leading to the growth of bacterial germs. Luckily, you can use the following home remedies to take care of nodular acne:

1. Vitamin a

Consuming foods that are rich in vitamin A, such as sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, and kale helps in speeding up your healing process.

In return, this will assist in fighting off your infection, helping your skin to get back to its normal self as soon as possible.

2. Benzoyl peroxide

Benzoyl Peroxide is favored as a home remedy due to the fact that it contains active ingredients, which help in shrinking the size of the nodules.

The agents contained in this remedy are primarily exfoliating and antibacterial agents.

3. Aloe vera

Aloe vera comes with anti-inflammatory and soothing properties that help in healing this form of severe nodular acne.

1. Obtain a fresh aloe leaf and proceed to extract the gel from it
2. You will need to apply the freshly extracted gel on the area that is affected by the acne and massage it for a period of not less than three minutes
3. Once the timeframe has elapsed, you should now wash it off with warm water
4. It is recommended that the fresh gel be applied twice each day to achieve optimal results
5. If the gel from an aloe leaf is not an option, you can consider using the aloe Vera juice in its place

4. Baking soda

The anti-inflammatory and antiseptic products that are contained in baking soda are ideal when it comes to reducing inflammation that has been caused by acne.

Once applied on your skin surface, the baking soda will pull out all the impurities, excess oil, and dead skin from the skin surface through the process of exfoliation.

It also helps in fighting off the bacteria that is responsible for causing the infection in the first place. Additionally, it will tighten your skin pores and ensure that your skin surface remains radiant and smooth.

Instructions

1. Use a mild soap and warm water to wash the affected area to help open up the skin pores
2. Combine at least two teaspoons of baking soda with warm water to form a very thin paste
3. The baking soda paste should be applied on the area that is affected
4. Leave it on this area for at least twenty minutes, and then use warm water to rinse it off
5. Use a towel to pat the skin dry before applying a skin moisturizer
6. You should ensure that you repeat this process at least twice each day
7. For people with sensitive skin, it is recommended that they add at least three tablespoons of cucumber juice to the baking soda paste
8. The juice helps in increasing soothing while reducing the sting of the paste

5. Apple cider vinegar (acv)

ACV comes with antibacterial, antiseptic, astringent, and anti-inflammatory properties. It will also help in balancing the pH levels of your skin surface.

ACV also contains Malic acid that plays a very important role of exfoliating your skin.

Instructions

1. Make sure to cleanse and properly pat your skin dry before you can try this treatment
2. Use a Q-tip to apply the ACV in the area that is affected
3. The application should be left overnight and then rinsed off in the morning
4. Make sure you repeat this process on a regular basis at different intervals until you begin to notice a change

Instructions 2: Diluted ACV

For those people that cannot be able to handle the direct application of ACV on their skins, they should:

1. Combine the same amounts of ACV with water
2. Use a Q-tip to apply the ACV solution on affected areas
3. Allow it to stay in place for at least ten minutes
4. Make sure they repeat the application process at least twice each day

Instructions 3: Internal Consumption of ACV

When a person consumes diluted ACV, the solution detoxifies its body, and this helps reduce the effect that is caused by the harmful toxins, and the free radicals.

Internal consumption can also be used in the prevention of skin problems, as well as cancer.

1. Take a glass of warm water and add a single teaspoon of raw and unfiltered ACV to it
2. A little honey should be added to sweeten it
3. Stir the ACV solution properly and proceed to drink it at least once or twice each day

6. Tea tree oil

It comes with amazing natural antibacterial agents used to treat severe nodular acne. Apart from these agents, it is able to penetrate the skin much more easily, thereby helping disinfect the pores, secrete the glands, as well as help dry out any blemishes that could be present.

Instructions

1. Use warm water and mild soap to cleanse the face
2. Ensure you pat the face properly
3. Gently dab the affected area with the tea tree oil
4. The tea tree oil should be left overnight and then rinsed off using lukewarm water when you wake up in the morning
5. Make sure you repeat this process on a daily basis until you begin to notice some results

It is important to note that tea tree oil can be poisonous if ingested and should therefore not be consumed orally. To confirm that you are not allergic to this oil, it is recommended you first patch the arm before using it in the treatment of severe acne.

Process 2: Using Honey

Hones comes with antibacterial properties that are ideal for dealing with bacteria. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties that are ideal for dealing with the swelling that comes from having severe acne.

1. Take four drops of this oil and combine it with a single teaspoon of raw honey(organic)
2. Ensure you gently apply this mixture on the skin area that is affected
3. It should be allowed to rest for fifteen minutes before it can be rinsed off with water
4. Ensure you repeat application for a few days until you begin to notice some results

Apart from these two methods that have been discussed above, you may also consider adding a few drops of the oil into your everyday facial masks or moisturizer. Additionally, you may also consider using products that have tea tree oil as its ingredients.

7. Coconut oil

A natural product is rich in caprylic and lauric acid. Both these two types of acids contain antifungal, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties that help in naturally fighting off the bacterial agents responsible for causing this form of acne.

Coconut oil also contains vitamin E, an essential ingredient when it comes to dealing with free radicals, and in the removal of scars.

1. Steam the affected area for a few minutes to help open the pores
2. When the pores are open, it becomes easier for the treatment to penetrate the skin surface and perform its magic
3. Scoop a few drops of this oil and apply them on the area that is affected
4. Use circular motions to gently massage the affected area
5. Use warm water and mild soap to rinse off the area
6. People with dry skin should consider adding two drop of coconut oil before they can rinse off with the water

8. Clay mask for nodular acne

Clay mask comes with absorbent, astringent, and exfoliating properties that make them a useful remedy for use when dealing with severe acne.

The clay mask will help in drawing out all the excess toxins, impurities, and sebum and this will make it possible for you to heal at a much faster pace.

You should note that there exists different types of natural clays, and you should only choose the one that corresponds to your skin condition.

The different colors of clay that are present will often indicate the type of minerals that are present in each clay, and could indicate how it will affect your skin.

Ingredients

1. Clay (chosen as per your type of skin)
2. For oily skin you will need water, milk for a combination of dry and oily skin, and jojoba oil for people with dry skin
3. A single teaspoon of honey
4. Two drops of tea tree oil

Instructions

1. Take all these ingredients and combine them to make a fine paste
2. Take your clay paste and apply it to the areas affected by the severe acne
3. Leave it alone for at least twenty minutes
4. Use warm water to wet a wash cloth
5. Use the wash cloth to completely wipe of the clay mask
6. If the skin appears to be dry, you will need to apply some moisturizer to it
7. Ensure you follow this particular process each day for one week, and at least two times a day for the following week

9. Egg white remedy

Egg white is not only rich in protein, but it also comes with lysozyme and albumin. Lysozyme destroys the bacteria walls while albumin provides the antiviral effect.

The egg white process has been known to work effectively for people that have oily skin, as it has a drying effect that assists in the removal of excess oil from the skin surface.

Instructions

1. Take two eggs and separate the egg white from them
2. Take this egg white and apply it to all the areas that are affected
3. Leave it in place for at least eight minutes before rinsing off with warm water
4. Make it a point to repeat the process each day until you notice some results

Note: if you have dry skin, stay away from the egg white remedy as it will dry your skin even further

Tips to prevent severe acne

You can follow these precautions to help keep severe acne at bay:

Drink lots of water

The body gets dehydrated at a very fast pace. As such, you will find that the body organs require water for them to function in a proper manner, while also ensuring that they leave the skin soft, and very supple.

When you do not have enough water, the skin will become dry, and this may make the acne severe.

Avoid cosmetic products that contain harmful chemicals

Before you purchase any cosmetic product, the first thing you need to do is to consider the kind of products that it contains.

Certain chemicals, preservatives, and sulfates can make the acne severe. It is therefore recommended that you only use products that contain natural ingredients.

Do not pop nodular acne

Regardless of how irritating the nodular acne is, do not be tempted to pot it. Given that it is found deep in the skin layers, popping or squeezing it will only make it worse, and will in turn prolong your healing time.

The more times that you touch the affected area, the higher its chances of leaving scars behind.

Good skin care routine

Stay away from heavy and scented moisturizers. Before you can apply any moisturizer, you should first take measures to properly exfoliate the skin.

Additionally, make sure to remove your makeup each night before you head to bed as leaving it on will increase your chances of clogging the skin

Regularly applying sunscreen also, helps prevent the formation of scars.

Proper laundry

Each day, your skin comes into contact with bed sheets, pillows and towels. As such, you need to ensure that you do not wash these items using harsh detergents as they may increase chances of your skin becoming irritated.

Also, make it a point to change your pillowcases and towels on a regular basis, as this will help reduce chances of spreading bacteria.

Relax

When it comes to health and beauty issues, increased stress levels in your body makes the condition worse.

Stress may also lead to a hormonal imbalance. Natural stress relievers when taken regularly will help improve the condition of your skin.

Exercise

Regular exercise has been to known to help the lymphatic system eliminate all the toxins that could be present

Regular exercise is also great for your mood and self-esteem, which in turn is great for nodular acne.

The practices described above are ideal for ensuring that you do not get severe acne, especially if you are prone to this condition.

References:

1. http://www.acne.com/types-of-acne/nodules-and-cysts/
2. http://www.preferredacnetreatments.com/
3. http://www.adult-acne.net/nodular-acne-home-treatment-7-remedies-that-really-work/