Notice
The below is a forum entry made by one of our community members. If you want to know more about your condition, we suggest you read the following article written by a mental health professional on
Picking Scabs
White Stretchy Plugs
I've always squeezed bumps and blemishes on my skin, but recently I've gone through a period of work-related stress. I was off work for 2 months, during which time my picking and squeezing got worse. I had lots of blemishes on my chest which I squeezed and picked until I had a few nasty little wounds. One of them became quite deep, and I discovered that when I picked the scab off there were a few little white pinhead shapes under it, in the wound. They were screaming out to me to be picked out, but I couldn't do it by hand - I had to use tweezers. Sometimes I found I would need a wool needle to ease the white thing out a bit before the tweezers could get hold of them. When I pulled, a white elasticy thing would stretch and then come out. It was about 2mm long. It was VERY satisfying to pull it out, so I looked for some more in my skin. This made my picking worse, and I now find I am thinking of it quite a lot of the day. I am longing to pull more stretchy white things out of my skin. I put up with quite a bit of discomfort and pain just to get the satisfaction of pulling out these stretchy white plugs. To heal my wounds I use Savlon antiseptic liquid, and they begin to dry up quite quickly. But this is the most tempting time to pick - the scab becomes very crusty and itchy, and I see little white bumps underneath which could be those white plugs I long to pull out. They are itchy and I am dying to pull them out!
None of us are doctors, but I don't think there's one doctor or medical professional on the face of the planet who would agree that mechanically removing anything from a wound/irritation is a good idea and likely to work out long term. For newcomers, I'd strongly recommend disregarding this dangerous, misinformed idea and focusing on long-term identification and treatment of the problem. With that said, has anyone looked into heat rash? As soon as I stop the tretinoin or miss too many days, the white plugs/redness begin to come back. I hate the idea that I'm so dependent on this topical, and it still doesn't address why this is happening in the first place. One thing I've noticed are small beads of sweat on the affected skin. That got me thinking that maybe this is something to do with the sweat glands. One form of heat rash is miliara rubra, which means milia, which means keratin plugs. Actually the description of heat rash includes: 'glands can become occluded by keratinous plugs.' Miliara rubra causes these plugs in the mid-epidermis. It says treatment is usually anhydrous lanolin and isotretinoin. I ordered the anhydrous lanolin. I'm going to add that to my tretinoin routine and report back. Also very important that anything you put on your face is super non-comedogenic.
Also, tretinoin is the strongest form of topical vitamin A available. So I'm curious if people are having relief from other forms of vitamin A. However with any topical vitamin A product, it takes months for the skin to become acclimated. It can take a full year just to work up to the stronger stuff. Be careful if you're taking oral vitamin A. It can build up in the liver and be toxic.
We're all here for the same reason...
Either we're desperately searching for relief and a cure or we found something that works for us and don't want others to suffer as we have.
Here is a list (and link to photo for you visualizers...copy and paste in your search bar https://ibb.co/vLRxkB5 ) of what prescriptions and products has cleared up this issue for me after 5-6 years.
Scripts:
•Spironolactone 100MG twice a day
•Valacyclovir 1 gram a day
•Tretinoin 3x a week
•Clindamycin daily
•Ketoconazole as a face wash as needed for dryness
Over the counter:
•La Roche-Posay Moisturizer
•La Roche-Posay Hydrating Cleanser
•Tarte Knockout Exfoliating Cleanser
•The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid
•The Ordinary Buffet
•Cerave PM Lotion (NO SPF)
•Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser
•Essano Clear Complexion Toner
Again I do not promote picking at anything, ever.
For myself this sore with plugs would not heal until the plugs were out by whatever means.
For context I was on these products alone for two years with minimal help: •Spironolactone 100MG twice a day, •Tretinoin 3x a week, and
•Clindamycin daily.
It wasn't until the valacyclovir was introduced approx. 6 mos again that I have experienced complete relief.
Best of luck to all.
I tend to agree with you PlugPlague. And, vitamin A will take months to work. The Mrs mentioned Botox, for the pain, might be a path. I received a follow up call from the Health Center here to see if I'd be interested in seeing a psychiatrist. Figure I have nothing to lose, worse case scenario is Jello in a rubber room. I see him next week. Will report back.
Hi everyone. My story is the same.
I came here to make a connection between the antiviral medication and the condition called Lymphomatoid papulosis. If you take a look, the skin condition is so similar. The people on the FB group have success with Valacyclovir and a few other drugs. The funny thing is that their biopsies come back with nothing for years until they came across a specialist on LyP (as it’s referred to)
It’s worth looking into. Symptoms are extremely similar, especially those posted on the FB group.
Methotrexate and UVB light therapy helps to put their spots into remission (referring to the Lymphomatoid papulosis FB group)
It’s been about 3 months since I posted last. The zinc treatment I used (head & shoulders soothing leave on scalp treatment cream with pyrithrione zinc) cleared up my skin on my face, which had been tormented by painful, itchy, scabby, runny, super slow healing pustules with those little white clumps of keratin or whatever inside, for over a decade. I believe I had a fungal infection, and each of my wounds were getting infected and I just couldn’t NOT pick them. I had been diagnosed with OCD because I couldn’t stop picking. Well, 3 months later and I’m all clear. I used the dandruff cream - 3 small tubes - after I washed my face every day and then moisturized. As my skin began to improve, and when I didn’t have any more active wounds (just scarring), I had a professional facial with dermaplaning to “boost” my skin. I’m comfortable going out or taking photos without makeup on now and I can’t believe it. Whether it’s yeast, fungal, viral, or whatever, don’t give up. My skin barrier was damaged and it took time to heal. These are the products I use: ceraVe cleanser, Thayers toner, CeraVe moisturizer, Elta MD clear sunscreen. I have new skin! Wishing you all recovery as well.
Yah man. "The rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated." Mark Twain - lol. Okay. Met with the psychiatrist. He says I am okay mentally. No depression, no anxiety and no OCD. Whew! We spoke for nearly an hour. I think I know what is happening to me. It makes sense now why the biopsies, swabs and ct scan came back showing no "invasive species". My immune system is attacking a foreign object, namely, my hair follicles. It may start with one ingrown hair. My course of action will be to do nothing. Don't apply any lotion, don't shave and don't pick. I know my body is capable of healing itself. Back in a month. May you keep Christmas in your heart all of the year. :-)
Anhydrous lanolin completely cleared me. I use that and Tretinoin gel. I believe mine was basically a heat rash aka miliaria. The anhydrous lanolin will not get rid of existing plugs. You have to remove them or wait for the tretinoin to work over 5-6 months. It completely prevents new ones though. My skin has never looked like this. I thought I had terrible scars before, but 95% of the texture and redness issues that accompanied the plugs is resolved after 2-3 weeks of anhydrous lanolin. Please look into heat rash/miliaria if other theories are getting you nowhere!
Picky Picker - Lymphomatoid papulosis..interesting read. May definitely help some others. Doesn't seem to have the "plugs" but that could be a secondary issue. Happy healing all.
...
...I need to know what it is
Yah man. I am certain I do not have a bacterial, viral or fungal infection. Nor do I believe I have parasites of any sort. The tests performed by the doctors I have seen, support this. I also am certain the cause of my aliment is/was an ingrown hair. It was not until I mentioned the spot to my doctor on an annual physical did it turn nasty. He, unknowingly led me down the wrong path so to speak, thinking I had an infection. Razor burn. Then a viral infection. Then .......... However, I share the responsibility because of the damage I have done to the area by picking. And, my research into other possible causes which led me here. Many of you have written that after leaving the area alone, for a few months, applying lotion or taking valtrex, the area has cleared up. The same amount of time an ingrown hair takes to heal. I see my family doctor in a few weeks. My advice to everyone - when a bump develops, get some Tylenol. Leave it alone. Apply warm compresses frequently. Allow your body to heal itself. Going forward, consider another method of hair removal or just keep the are trimmed and not cut. I don't think I will return here. Find light in the beautiful sea, I choose to be happy. You and I, you and I, we're like diamonds in the sky :-)
Saw my doctor last week. He put me on Gabpentin. It slows down/blocks the nerves. Oh my! It is a game changer! Saw a surgeon too. He thinks I will heal. Ha Ha! No way but up from here. Had to share. You guys be good.
Gabapentin Sorry
I had this problem as well tiny white stretchy plugs under my skin on my face. After many dermatologist and doctors and no one being able to figure out what the problem was it turned out I had pancreatic cancer neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer what's causing these little white plugs on my face and when I pulled them out they would bleed heavily hundreds of little white plugs. everyone after I had my Whipple procedure for my cancer they went away and have been gone for 90 days I could be totally off base but my little face bumps are gone so please if you are having this get checked for neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas they cause hormones that cause these little bumps on your face
praying the gabapentin brings you some relief! i’m exploring the wart route. this sucks!
I have been suffering with the same thing for a couple years. My face got REALLY bad at one point. I have a client who deals with the same thing. She gave me a book on morgellons. She also saw the specialist who wrote the book and she tested her for Lyme disease, and apparently that’s what causes it and the flare ups. I hate these stupid painful ugly plugs.
I've been to this same post over the years fir many years as I suffer the same thing. Ive tried everything. All the face care skinncare treatments,, Soolantra, ivermectin, antifungal antiviral, antibacterial, retinoids. And was even on isotretinoin fir a few months. That actually stopped them from popping up for a while but they came back... It even It gets worse with stress. I know everyone comes here saying they know what it is and blah blah. But I took one of those many plugs that I'd find myself plucking over the years, and put it under a microscope. I compared that to many many manyyyy skin lesion images.
We all may be suffering from different things, but I know what my stretchy white plugs are. While I stated isotretinoin worked for me, I dont reccomend it to anyone. It works by stopping the production of oil. So ok, no oil... no plugs.... great? Except your skin suffers greatly.
So I looked at the gland that produces oil, sebaceous gland. Images show its a small little guy next to your hair folical... but what I'm plucking is basically a whitish clearish plug almost similar to a hair folical without a hair, and it usually has a red tip where it was connected to a blood vessel, thus the bleeding... so not what I'm looking for... until I discovered a not-so-popular habit of sebaceous glands. . . Which ibcall the takeover.
Sebaceous hyperplasia. Your Sebaceous gland basically overruns your hair folical and becomes its own "bump" with its own blood supply. These glands can have hairs, (usually ingrown with oil feeling like a tiny bump under the skin which people assume is millia) or they can not have hairs... and they can reach all the way up to the surface and give that "chicken skin" look which makes people think it's ket. pillaris... but not all of them come to the surface, some are under the skin... which makes some people claim it's mites or demodex... (morgellons).
But what it is, or at least what mine is, is actually called sebaceous hyperplasia. But before you cheer yay, a Google search doesn't validate your case. Those images aren't what I have... BUT it appears differently on different people, and what I have doesn't look like that because I pick, and examine, and then ibgoogle and all I see is the above explanations of what it is, and not sebaceous hyperplasia. . . But the cell examination matches science research on subaceous hyperplasia.
As far as treatment? Well. There's options, but none immediate.
I have images I can send if yall are interested. Just look up my name on Instagram, it's call . Me . Artemis and I can send em to you. Check out some of the studies on this. I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere in here.. if you need help understanding the cellular level pics in the research studies I can help you.
Finding this gave me relief that I wasn't crazy and that I wasn't suffering from a hybrid disease of a simpler skin issue... like P K. Or that worms weren't living inside me like morgellons. Lolol.
Anyway, I'm trying out different solutions for getting rid of them permanently. JUST KNOWING WHAT IT IS FOR SURE made me happy. Hope I help someone.
Some of you likely have Morgellons caused by Lyme Disease. The only way to know is to get to a Lyme Literate MD. Most work with out of state patients so don’t let the fact that there is no one local dissuade you. Research on Morgellons / Lyme connection has just come out since 2018, but confirms the connection using a large study pool (97% of Morgellons sufferers had Lyme - a most compelling discovery, as is the fibers, plugs, etc are produced by your body often in or around the hair root follicle. The ONLY way it is cured is through treatment which normally includes multi-antibiotic treatment along with more holistic immune supporting treatments. It will NOT go away on its own, and although some of the home treatments shared here may assist in reducing skin symptoms, NONE will cure it. It requires the antibiotics and a knowledgable Lyme literate MD. Good luck and try to not pick. Spend that effort on getting the right doc and you will be happy you did.