An infected pimple may be larger than a regular pimple because of swelling. It can also be warm and sore to the touch. There may also be more redness when a pimple becomes infected. An infected pimple is also going to be more painful and inflamed.
The healing time of pimples varies a lot, depending on their severity and how you treat them. Generally, infected zits can take as long as six weeks to go away completely.
An infected pimple will usually clear up after a few weeks without the need for medical treatment. In severe cases, however, more invasive treatments may be necessary to kill the bacteria causing the infection.
Neosporin does not kill the most common acne-causing bacteria, so it won't typically be effective at fighting pimples or cystic acne. Because it has many moisturizing, skin-healing oils in its ingredients, Neosporin may temporarily tame irritation and also heal areas of damaged, broken skin.
A blackhead may look like dirt stuck in pores. But actually the pore is congested with bacteria and oil, which turns brown when it's exposed to the air. Pimples are raised red spots with a white center that develop when blocked hair follicles become inflamed or infected with bacteria.
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.
Antibiotics. For moderate to severe acne, you may need oral antibiotics to reduce bacteria. Usually the first choice for treating acne is a tetracycline (minocycline, doxycycline) or a macrolide (erythromycin, azithromycin).
Take an antibiotic for the shortest time possible
When including an antibiotic in your acne treatment plan, your dermatologist will prescribe it for the shortest time possible. Because acne takes time to treat, this usually means three to four months. However, some people who have acne need more time on an antibiotic.
Though there are many different families of antibiotic acne treatments, we most often recommend tetracyclines, which tend to be the most effective at treating acne with fewer side effects. The most commonly prescribed medications are doxycycline, minocycline, and sarecycline.
Fungal acne causes clusters of small, itchy, red bumps (papules) on your skin. Sometimes, the bumps get a bit larger and turn into whiteheads, small pockets of white or yellow pus (pustules).
Given the increase in oil production, she says your skin will usually look greasier and slightly more inflamed. Zeichner adds that stress acne can also look like a combination of blackheads, whiteheads, red bumps, and pus pimples.
What causes cystic acne? Pores in the skin can clog with excess oil and dead skin cells, causing pimples. Bacteria can enter the skin pores and get trapped along with the oil and skin cells. The skin reaction causes swelling deep in the skin's middle layer (the dermis).
Fungal acne, however, is cause by an overgrowth of yeast, called Malassezia on the skin and infection of the hair follicles. Benzoyl peroxide in not an anti-fungal treatment so while it is very good for treating traditional acne, it is not the best product to use when addressing fungal acne.
Fungal acne appears on your face due to yeast overgrowth, which may be due to trapped moisture, more moisture, a suppressed immune system, tight clothes, or humid environments. While having some fungus and bacteria on your skin is normal, an imbalance can lead to an overgrowth of yeast.
BENZOYL PEROXIDE:
Can be an effective ingredient (antimicrobial) to fight both acne bacteria and yeast. However, is best when applied and left on the skin for 10-20mins then rinsed off to avoid dehydrating the skin.
There's no evidence that hydrogen peroxide can safely and effectively cure acne. In reality, hydrogen peroxide may actually increase scarring on the skin by interfering with the wound-healing process. It can also cause skin irritation and burns if used at too high of a concentration.
Because inflammation is a key aspect of cystic acne, hydrocortisone cream can help, at least to some extent. While hydrocortisone can usually make this type of acne appear less red and swollen, it's a temporary, cosmetic fix, rather than a long-term solution.
If you're bleeding, she says to “gently blot the area with a clean tissue or cotton pad and clean the area with alcohol.” Once the blood has stopped, she advises applying a spot treatment containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid as mentioned above.
Using a cotton ball or gauze strip, drain your pimple. Instead of trying to push the bacteria and pus out of it, hold your skin taut so that the other layers of skin drain the pimple for you. This can keep you from pushing bacteria back down into your skin.
That can cause the pimple to become more red, inflamed, swollen and infected, and may even lead to permanent scarring. "It's best to let a pimple run through its life span," Rice says. Left alone, a blemish will heal itself in 3 to 7 days.
For infected pimples, it is important to keep the affected area clean. This can be done with a mild cleanser. It may also be helpful to swipe the area with hydrogen peroxide. If the infected skin lesion is a staph infection, it may require medical attention and prescription medication.