White Stretchy Plugs

That makes sense serene. How are you treating yours?

It's just the process of acne...unless you take accutane or antibiotics it's going to keep happening. I guess products such as retinol and retinoids can also help to resurface the skin and make it less prone to acne in the long run. The best thing is to just allow the pimple to mature without picking it too soon. The plugs are the roots of the pimples and I have to learn to accept the process without trying to fix it. There is also the component of these plugs origination underneath scar tissue....which looks worse because the whole scar area seems to rise up and make the skin look more bumpy. And if you pick at scar tissue it takes longer to heal. Most comedones are acne stuck underneath scars. Scar tissue doesn't expand as normal skin and often traps the inflammation underneath. I notice most of my acne occurs under scars.....so this is why it's important to not pick at acne in the first place. The cycle only gets worse.

And for an active spot which I have previousy picked, I take out the plugs using pointed tweezers. That way I damage less tissue around them and the tweezers are excellent at grabbing the tiny plugs. I don't understand users on here who throw out their tweezers. I have cleaner wounds and faster healing when I use tweezers... particularly the pointed ones by Tweezerman. It allows for precise extraction. I did more damage when I would squeeze with my hands or blunt large tweezers. I rather have tiny wounds caused by instruments than large swollen areas of damage due to squeezing with my fingers. What are your thoughts on that? I find it odd that some users villify the instruments. I don't believe that throwing away my tweezers will make me stop picking. I will still squeeze and try to get stuff out...I am past the denial stage at this point.

Your information is most helpful serene. Thank you. Yes, I use tweezers as well and a dental instrument to expose the plug. I have tried to just leave mine alone but the pain forces me to remove them. I removed a large one last evening under scar tissue. There is much relief today. I am continuing the hydrogen peroxide and benzoyl peroxide as this is the only remedy I have found that is helping. When mine "Mature", they become a hard white ball which eventually either rises to the surface of the skin or are visible enough for me to scrap away. For me, it is the pain I am experiencing from the swelling of the follicles/glands. Pushing against nearby skin which have nerves. I agree with you that the removal of the plugs are beneficial.

The best way to expose the plug is to wash the area with warm water until the skin becomes softened. The plugs are then much easier to see and extract. I heard people on here saying that they think its demodex mites because they tend to at times dive down and disappear underneath the skin...this is simply not true. These glands are attached to the lower levels of skin, and when you squeeze the surrounding skin, the gland (plug) can temporarily pop up towards the surface and then disappear back down when you relax the pressure. I sometimes am only able to extract them when I use a round ended pore extracting tool to apply pressure while I tug the little plug out with a pair of tapered tweezers. I must warn individuals to not get carried away with delusions...because this condition can easily turn into a delusion of parasitosis. Justsomeguy, I understand when you write about the pain which bothers you. This is what drives me to pick as well. Do you notice that as soon as you remove the plug the pain seems to decrease dramatically? I am wondering...since the plugs are often deep down...they might be closer to the nerves at the dermis levels of skin. Removing the plugs can at times decrease the pain instantaneously or withing the next 24 hours....that relief itself is addictive. When you pick under the scars, do you try to slice the scar in a straight clean line? I have watched extraction videos where dermatologists use small scalpels to nick the scars and extract the contents...so I learned that the cleaner the cut, the faster the healing. This is important because scar tissue takes much longer to heal. If you pick a circle into it, it might take up to two weeks to heal up (with regular use of hydrocolloid bandaids). Otherwise it can take even longer if the scar is not given sufficient moisture to regenerate. Tell me, do you use benzyl peroxide and hydrogen peroxide as a toner all over the face daily/multiple times a day....or do you apply them to the area after you have extracted a plug? Do you use hydrocolloid bandaids to speed up healing? I am trying to understand if you are using these peroxides in order to diminish the chance of the plugs regenerating before the wound heals. Otherwise, if you apply hydrogen peroxide or benzyl peroxide on an already formed plug...will it help to wither the plug away or will it simply calcify it (harden the pustule)? Maybe this is why you say that they tend to harden and rise to the surface. Does this happen even if you dont put any peroxides on the skin?

Lol - this area of my face is the cleanest pat of my body. I am 54 years old and my acne days are long past however I do get the occasional white head. I, like you, try to be as less intrusive as possible when I am removing these plugs. If the plug is visible through the skin, I will make a few swipes with my dental needle to expose the plug. If things go well, I am able to grab the plug with my tweezers and out it comes. Sometimes I have to work at it with my needle to loosen it up. Worse case scenario is when it breaks in half and becomes too small to attempt to remove.
From what I gather, the mites are microscopic meaning you need really good eyesight (Ha Ha). I do not think this is the cause. I have only been using the peroxides for two weeks now.
Our conversation gave me an idea. I went to the pharmacy and purchased and anti-inflammatory cream. Oh my! Wish I had done this a year ago. The pain is barely noticeable. If, I can find relief from the pain, I will let this wound heal. It is situated near my chin, below my lip. Every time I move my mouth, eat, talk, smile, laugh, there is pain. The only relief has been when I sleep
Thank you so much serene for taking the time to help here
This has been the only place I have found where this skin infection has been identified and discussed

Guy....What antiinflammatory cream?

It is Voltarin. Oh boy! It feels great

Very interesting idea. Has your compulsion to pick been diminished with this first use of Voltarin? If you look in the mirror and notice inflammation, do you feel the urge to extract? Or is it only the sensation of pain which solely acts as a trigger? And how long have you been struggling with compulsive skin picking? I'm 30 and it's been a 15 year struggle so far.

Have you noticed that if the plug breaks in half it tends to regenerate later? So the best method is to try to extract all of it at once. Same thing with large cysts....if a small portion of a cyst is left in the lesion it will regenerate all over again. I get small whiteheads and painful bumps (comedones). At my worst I tend to go looking for anything to pick..such as clogged pores. Everything affects my skin picking behavior. I recently noticed that a lack of proper sleep intensifies the impulse to pick.

Hmm I don't consider myself a picker serene, it is solely the pain that is my motivation. I have had this in the past, they have healed, but this one is taking it's sweet time. While I do look for blemishes, I am not a fanatic about it. I am old and married - I do not have to look good anymore (Hee Hee). The voltaren is working. Not only is it reducing the pain, it is drying up my wound. I am able to move the muscles around my face, which I do to gauge the pain, there is very little. Yes. When the plugs break in half, they only continue to grow. You are correct. They need to be removed in their entirety. I am very optimistic about how I am proceeding. The Hydrogen peroxide is the normal kind you get. 3% The benzoyl peroxide I found is 5%. I will give an update again Dec 24th Thank you :-)

My wife has been good through all of this. I noticed something different about one plug over the weekend. I did not say anything and asked her to take a look. She said "There looks like a hair in that one". Yes, I noticed the hair in the plug as well. I have since removed similar plugs. I think this is an infection of the hair follicle. Instead of producing hair, something makes the follicle grow these plugs. I removed a large plug on Saturday which has been responsible for a great deal of my pain. It was along a crease. I removed at least 100 plugs since my last post. For me, there will be a section of skin, above the plugs, which is scab-like, but translucent. I am able to see the tops of the plugs through the skin. Nothing is shrinking or killing them so I have to remove the dead skin to remove the plugs. I have one more area to clear and I think I will be okay. As I have mentioned, I have had this in the past, on a smaller scale. The only method that has worked for me in the past is the removal of these plugs. I am still using the peroxides and anti inflammatory cream (even though they sting immensely). I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and speedy recovery. If anyone thinks I am able to assist, I will look for questions. Otherwise, I will post again when I am healed and/or if my doctor determines what I have. Thanks :-)

My wife has been good through all of this. I noticed something different about one plug over the weekend. I did not say anything and asked her to take a look. She said "There looks like a hair in that one". Yes, I noticed the hair in the plug as well. I have since removed similar plugs. I think this is an infection of the hair follicle. Instead of producing hair, something makes the follicle grow these plugs. I removed a large plug on Saturday which has been responsible for a great deal of my pain. It was along a crease. I removed at least 100 plugs since my last post. For me, there will be a section of skin, above the plugs, which is scab-like, but translucent. I am able to see the tops of the plugs through the skin. Nothing is shrinking or killing them so I have to remove the dead skin to remove the plugs. I have one more area to clear and I think I will be okay. As I have mentioned, I have had this in the past, on a smaller scale. The only method that has worked for me in the past is the removal of these plugs. I am still using the peroxides and anti inflammatory cream (even though they sting immensely). I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and speedy recovery. If anyone thinks I am able to assist, I will look for questions. Otherwise, I will post again when I am healed and/or if my doctor determines what I have. Thanks :-)

Sebaceous glands are attached to hair follicles. Something is causing inflammation, any particular changes in your skin care/overall allergies/ or maybe even dry weather season?

I have what I believe are sebaceous plugs on my breasts. I squeeze them all the time. A couple of times, while trying to get everything out of the pore that I could, I poked into the pore with a needle. It bled a little and I kept squeezing at it and basically got through the pore into the skin behind the pore and there is this small white stretchy plug. I pulled at it with tweezers and I was able to get it all out after awhile. Then, because I do have a bit of a picking issue, I was poking at it again a couple days later and it appears that the white plug grew back. I think what it is, is the hair follicle shaft itself. https://www.gabelcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Follicle-Anatomy… I never experienced any pain or sores from this. I think some replies on this may be talking about a follicle but other replies may be talking about a different condition.

Yah man. Would be nice to know what this is, how it is caused - but I will leave that up to the medical community. I only play a doctor on TV. I just wish to be rid of it. Sorry - I am more concerned about treatment than cause. I am healing. I found benzoyl peroxide at 11% in my Arm & Hammer toothpaste. I am applying this. I am noticing an improvement in appearance and much less pain. My plugs are much smaller and fewer. I anticipate two more weeks and I will be completely healed. I hope this information helps someone. :-)

Which arm and hammer toothpaste precicely?
Hope it does the trick....any overdrying? And when do you put it on?

Thanks snipzie. It is a whitening toothpaste. Perhaps Extra White. I will look when I get home. I listed the ingredient incorrectly as it is hydrogen peroxide at 11%. I have not noticed any over drying but you are correct in that it dries the area. I am applying Polysporine for pain relief and moisturizing. I apply the toothpaste twice a day. In addition to applying the liquid hydrogen peroxide twice daily as well. I have the benzoyl peroxide cream which I apply roughly four times a day. The anti-inflammatory I am using (Voltaren) also dries the wound. My wound is about the size of a person nail on their baby finger. Most of the sharp pain has disappeared. Just a burning sensation and tightness still remaining. :-)

Hi..thanks.
Have you had them biopsied?

Lol. Maybe - my doctor took a swab. Early November 2018. Asked me to return in two weeks if the anti fungal cream he prescribed did not work. I waited three weeks. I called my doctor's office for an appointment. I am on a waiting list. If I am lucky, it will be March 2019 when I can see him. Yah man. Canadian Health Care. Not as good as everyone thinks. The name of the toothpaste is Arm & Hammer Advanced White. If I do not pass away before I see my doctor, I will return to let everyone know the results of my swab.