Blind pimples are usually triggered by a surge in hormones, which is why they commonly pop up around your menstrual cycle.
Hormonal acne is also usually pretty specific in its location on the face: jawline, chin, neck. And it's appearance: big, often blind pimples under the skin's surface and cyst-like – they're usually painful to touch.
Blind pimples can develop when sebum (oil), bacteria, and dirt become trapped deep within a hair follicle. The end result is a painful lump under your skin that doesn't have a “head” as other pimples might have. If you have oily skin, you may be more prone to blind pimples than people with dry skin.
While it might seem like leaving it alone is just giving it more time to get worse, blind pimples that are left untouched often go away on their own. "If left alone, a blind pimple will usually resolve by itself, but it takes a very strong will not to pick at it!" Dr. Squire said.
Does hormonal acne go away? Acne can't be cured, but with careful treatment you can keep it under control. The severity of the symptoms of hormonal acne are different for everyone. If you develop acne during puberty, it tends to peak at age 17-19 and for most people will go away by their mid-20s.
Trying to pop a blind pimple can result in permanent scars, a more-noticeable pimple, the pimple becoming more painful, or an infection. Squeezing the blind pimple also risks pushing the contents of the pimple — a blend of oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria — deeper into the skin.
Here's the deal: Blind pimples can go away on their own (Dr. Schultz says 50 to 80 percent of the time, they do), but because of all that inflammation within the skin, Dr. Yadav says it can take weeks or even months (months!) for the discomfort to subside.
"Zits reappear in the same place because a pore may have gotten damaged and keeps getting re-infected," explains celebrity estheticianRenée Rouleau. "Picking at a blemish can loosen the cell lining of the pore and cause the clogged oil to slip deeper into the skin, creating an inflammatory reaction."
You can tell if acne is hormonal or bacteria by its severity if flare-ups occur during hormonal imbalances, and whether topical treatments resolve the issues, or if systemic medications are needed.
Acne commonly starts during puberty between the ages of 10 and 13 and tends to be worse in people with oily skin. Teenage acne usually lasts for five to 10 years, normally going away during the early 20s. It occurs in both sexes, although teenage boys tend to have the most severe cases.
For women, hormonal changes relating to pregnancy or the menstrual cycle can also trigger acne. Falling estrogen levels may increase the risk of acne around menopause.
A blind pimple, also known as cystic acne, is a pimple that lives beneath the surface of your skin and doesn't come to a head. It is often in the form of a red, painful bump beneath the skin. Blind pimples are caused by oil getting trapped beneath the skin.
These under-the-skin pimples are sometimes called "blind pimples," but their correct term is a cyst or cystic acne. Cysts are painful, annoying, and difficult (but not impossible) to treat.
Sanitize a needle or pin with rubbing alcohol. Gently prick only the very top of the whitehead with the tip of the needle. Do so on an angle that is parallel to the skin. Don't go so deep that you draw blood.
Benzoyl peroxide is another key ingredient for treating blind pimples: The ingredient, Dr. Zeichner says, kills acne-causing bacteria on the skin and subsequently reduces inflammation.
Pimple patches may work on surface-level acne like pus-filled pimples and blackheads, but aren't effective for cystic acne. They're made with zit-drying hydrocolloid, and many products have additional acne-fighting ingredients.
Androgens. Androgens represent the most important of all hormones regulating sebum production. As of puberty, androgens stimulate sebum production and acne formation in both sexes. This androgen-dependent secretion of sebum is mediated by potent androgens such as testosterone and DHT and likewise with weaker androgens.
"About two-thirds of acne-prone women will note worsening of their acne typically occurring anywhere from a week to a few days before the start of their period," says Dr. Mahto. "This is because female hormones are at their lowest, and male hormones (androgens) are higher at these points."
Tea tree oil
It heals the pimple and prevents scarring as well. Dilute a few drops of tea tree oil in water and apply the mixture on blind pimple. Leave it on overnight.
Blind pimples, aka cystic acne, are painful zits that exist under the skin and never come to a head. To treat blind pimples, try benzoyl peroxide, a cold compress, and avoid attempting to pop it. For strong treatment, try retinols, oral antibiotics, or hormone medication.