What is a Blind Pimple

Find out what a blind pimple is and how to get rid of a blind pimple with NIVEA

What is a blind pimple?

Many people have never heard the term ‘blind pimple’, so… what is a blind pimple? A blind pimple is also known as cystic acne, which forms under the surface of your skin and may be hard to notice. As blind pimples develop under the skin, they are referred to medically as pimples with subcutaneous swelling. You may notice these as small bumps, they can be painful, inflamed, and reddish in colour.

Read on to find out what causes blind pimples and how to get rid of a blind pimple.

Blind pimples on the chin and forehead

Blind pimples/underground pimples most commonly form on the face, in particular, the chin and forehead region; they may also form on your upper back or chest. To best find blind pimples, you can run your finger across the surface of your skin, and you will often feel a bump; this, however, is not always the case. You should avoid trying to pop blind pimples; this is not how to get rid of a blind pimple. This is especially for those on your chin and forehead, as this can often lead to scars or infections, pushing the contents of the pimple deeper into the skin and leading to inflammation. You may notice them form more regularly on your chin and forehead due to make-up and touch being some leading factors for what causes blind pimples.

What causes blind pimples

Blind pimples are like regular pimples in that they develop when the pores on your skin become blocked with sebum (oil produced by your body), dirt, bacteria, dead skin and hair. There are multiple reasons why your body may be struggling with regulating these factors; these include:

Hormonal Changes

When teenagers experience puberty, they are prone to acne breakouts as the hormone levels shift. This can also be seen in women during their menstrual cycle or pregnancy.

Sweat

Activities that make you sweat can worsen acne and blind pimples, especially if you wear tight clothing or a hat/helmet.

Bad hygiene

If you do not shower or wash your skin regularly, you will see oil and dirt built up on your skin which will encourage acne and blind pimples.

Medication

Blind pimples and acne, in general, can be caused by drugs that contain corticosteroids, testosterone, or lithium.

Family history

Acne can be due to family history as it is seen to run in the family; if your parents suffered from it, there is a good chance you will also. This is the same for blind pimples.

Skincare products

Wearing thick makeup or heavy moisturisers can clog pores, encouraging zits and blind pimples to form.

How to prevent blind pimples

If you find yourself with blind pimples consistently, here are our recommendations for how to prevent further blind pimples from forming:

- Clean skin regularly
It is essential you clean your skin regularly and maintain good hygiene if you want to prevent further blind pimples from occurring, we recommend washing your face with a cleanser in the morning, before bed and after you sweat.

- Use appropriate skincare/make-up products
We recommend staying away from any oily products, oily skin is a critical factor that leads to acne and blind pimples occurring, we recommend switching your face cream to an oil-free face cream such as our NIVEA Mattifying Day Cream. If wearing makeup, you should try and keep it to a minimum, heavy amounts of makeup can lead to dirty skin and clog your pores.

- Let them be
One of the worst things you can do is try and pop or continue to touch a blind pimple, this will only make the area more irritated and can lead to infection or scarring. Once you have cleansed and applied products, ensure you leave the area alone.

Stubborn Blind Pimples

If you still find yourself with stubborn underground pimples for months after trying these tips on blind pimple treatment, we then recommend seeking a personal specialist to help you find an individual personalised blind pimple treatment. You should seek a healthcare specialist if the underground blind pimple is severely inflamed, or if you are witnessing signs of infection such as sweats or fever.