Closed comedones and fungal acne are among the most prevalent skin conditions many people experience in their lifetime. While it is not always as severe as it may be on all skin types, acne skin breakout can be painful and embarrassing.
There are two types of acne usually seen: closed comedones (aka whiteheads) caused by excess sebum production; or fungal acne caused by the overgrowth of yeast on the skin.
The differences between these two types of acne include how they appear, how they feel, where they occur on your face, and treatment options for each one.
This blog post will discuss what to look out for when distinguishing between closed comedones vs. fungal acne, so you know what’s happening with your skin!
What are closed comedones?
Closed comedones are the type of acne that don’t look red and inflamed. They’re more like little bumps across your skin, but they still hurt just as badly! A closed comedo develops when a bunch of oil builds up in one spot on your face.
The type of acne that looks like tiny bumps across the surface, closed comedones don’t look red and inflamed. These are just tiny whiteheads on your skin’s outer layer which aren’t visible to some people unless a microscope magnifies them.
A person can get these if their pores clog with too much oil production or dead skin cells caused by stress hormones in our body when irritated by heat, smoke, sun exposure, etc.
Closed comedones need time to heal themselves. So it is possible for them not to be noticed at first glance; only until you take out the microscope will you notice how different this form of pimples are than what we call simple pustules – those things all teenagers seem to get when their hormones are going through a rapid change.
What do closed comedones look like
As many people hardly know or understand what causes their acne skin breakout, it’s not strange to learn that the same is for those with closed comedones or blackheads as they are more commonly known.
Typically, Closed comedones appear like dark bumps across the skin’s surface with a small plug of sebum and keratin inside.
They can sometimes be evasive to treat, but with a good skin cleansing product in your hands, closed comedones can be treated quickly and kept in check so they do not re-occur.
In general, Closed comedones are like dark, little bumps across the skin’s surface that don’t have red and inflamed pus. They’re small pores with a plug of sebum inside them. The closed comedones can be either open or shut, depending on what is blocking it from getting out naturally.
Causes of closed comedones
Closed Comedones acne is primarily caused by sebum oil buildup with dead skin cells inside the skin hair follicles. Still, other main culprits in closed comedones are oily foods, processed fats, and fried food.
What these foods do is clog up your pores due to their high-fat content, which will then harden and collect dead skin cells.
Closed comedones are basically pimples that stay closed to the surface, unlike their open counterparts.
What causes this is a buildup of bacteria inside your pores, which will eventually harden and form into blackheads. These blackheads can be found on your nose, forehead, jawline and sometimes on your back.
Treatments for closed comedones
Closed comedones acne typically resolves itself over time. However, there are skincare products that can be used to diminish their severity and appearance. When treated with a selection of skincare products, closed comedones eventually disappear.
The best products to treat your acne prone skin is those with a concentration of Benzoyl peroxide, Azelaic acid, Salicylic acid +/- sulfur and resorcinol, Glycolic acid, Retinoids such as tretinoin, isotretinoin and adapalene.
What these ingredients do is to exfoliate and unclog pores. You also want to wash your face twice a day using an acne cleanser that will keep your skin clean. What does this do? It keeps bacteria out of the pores. This also reduces the number of dead skin cells build up inside your pores.
Preventing closed comedones from happening again in the future.
According to Dr. Caren Campbell, a San Francisco based dermatologist, attempting to pop your closed comedones or any other acne type is the most common way to escalate the spread of pimples and blackheads all over your face. Instead, wash your face regulary using a facial cleanser with Salicylic acid or AHA and BHA. These skincare products are gentle with your skin and helps to exfoliate your skin, preventing the sebum oil buildup inside your hair follicles.
Common misconceptions about closed comedones
There are plenty of myths and beliefs about closed Comedones acne breakout. Some say that when you have closed comedones is a sign of purging.
Closed comedones are not a sign of purging. Typically, Skin purging only occurs when you deliberately use a skincare product or use a chemical cleanser to induce the skin regeneration process. It speeds up the skin’s cell turnover, leading to tiny open or closed comedones that usually manifest as whiteheads on the skin.
For example, if you purchase a product that contains retinol and start using it directly on your skin, the retinol will dissolve the topmost layer of dead skin cells. The dissolved cells will release oils and other substances into your pores. Your body’s natural response is to push out these substances through the opening of your hair follicles or pores.
Steaming Your Face Helps closed comedones Go Away
Another common misconception is that steaming your face helps closed comedones open up and eventually go away. While steam has been used to help pores open up, the results are short-lived if you have no follow-up skincare routine. Exposing your face to steam alone can not help to get rid of closed comedones. What steam can do is pull out some impurities from your skin so you’ll have that super squeaky-clean feeling. And, if you follow that up with glycolic creams or Salicylic acid face washes, you can give your skin a fighting chance.
How to get rid of comedones?
There are plenty of ways to get rid of Comedones, but it’s not all that easy. The most common and effective way to getting rid is with a skin cleanser containing Salicylic acid which will help unclog blocked sebaceous glands and pores by stimulating exfoliation activity. You can also try applying ice or chemical peel for the best results!
If you want acne-free, smooth skin that is not covered in nasty pimples and bumps, be sure to exfoliate regularly. Chemical exfoliators are great because they allow the user to target specific problem areas like your jawline or forehead without having any adverse effects elsewhere. They also give users an opportunity for deeper penetration of chemical agents into pores so all those nasties can come out too!
2. What is fungal acne?
Fungal acne is a skin condition that can cause breakouts on the face, chest and back. When left untreated, it can lead to permanent scarring. Acne treatments such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid are often used to banish blemishes caused by fungal acne from your skin and prevent future breakouts.
However, you should take many other steps if you want to treat this type of acne effectively. Fungal acne occurs when fungi enter into pores in the skin and grow rapidly because they thrive on oil from sebaceous glands.
The good news is that this type of acne is not contagious so you don’t have to worry about passing it onto others with close contact like kissing or shaking hands.
To get rid of fungal acne, you should not focus on topical medications alone, but also try to make sure that your living conditions are clean and hygienic, so you don’t suffer aggravating outbreaks of this skin condition.
Causes of fungal acne
Fungal acne is caused by yeast overgrowth on the skin. Unlike closed comedones acne, which is caused by overproduction of sebum oils and dead skin cells, fungal acne is caused by an overgrowth of yeast.
Oil and sebum production are a big part in feeding bacteria that cause the pimple-like bumps associated with it, but these factors don’t entirely lead to outbreaks as they would for other types of skin issues like blackheads or whiteheads.
Fungal infections can be treated through topical medication such as ketoconazole cream or fluconazole tablets; however, one should also avoid picking at their face due to its role in worsening symptoms which may require more serious treatments if left unchecked
Signs and symptoms of fungal acne.
Fungal acne breakout presents symptoms and signs that separate it from others, like the closed comedones acne breakout appearance.
Typically, the signs of fungal acne are the size of the acne, the location where your acne breakout occurs, and whether the acne-prone area is itchy too. Fungal acne symptoms are also often characterized by clusters of small whiteheads, redness, and tiny puss-filled bumps that may ooze or bleed, leading to the formation of larger bumps in a short period of time.
Another fungal acne symptom is spreading fungal infection from one spot to another, as it spreads through the hair follicles.
Men are more likely to get infected with fungal acne skin breakout than women. Though fungal acne impact can be debilitating, many acne treatment options are available to address fungal infections that can help you get back on track with your daily activities.
Treatment options for fungal acne
To treating fungal acne, you need an OTC antifungal treat regimen that you can incorporate in your daily skincare routine. Use effective facial and body cleansing wash and keep a tight hygenic routine for yourself. Always remember to keep your skin clean and free from dirt, without drying it out too much.
Getting rid of fungal acne is possible
If you believe that you are suffering from a severe form of acne breakout with puss-filled bumps, please seek the help of a dermatologist who is familiar with treating fungal acne so you can get the help you need fast.
Fungal acne is best targeted by using shampoos and body washes containing antifungal compounds like shampoo with selenium sulfide, Pyrithione zinc, or ketoconazole like Selsun Blue or Nizoral. You can also use soap bars that contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to get rid of fungal acne.
Is Comedonal acne the same as fungal acne?
If you’re suffering from acne, it can be hard to tell what type of acne you have. Comedonal and fungal acne are two different skin conditions, but sometimes they can be mistaken because their symptoms overlap.
Closed comedones and fungal acne are not the same. Fungal acne typically looks like small red bumps with rows on the forehead, jawline, or cheeks, while closed comedones cause blackheads and whiteheads all over the face near hair follicles.
Fungal acne is a rare type of skin condition that causes small red bumps in rows. It’s most commonly found on the upper back and chest, but it can also be seen around the forehead, jawline, or cheeks.
At first glance, this particular form of acne may look like closed comedones because they both contain tiny red bumps close together. However, there are significant differences between them, such as their appearance (fungal often has smaller individual spots) and where you find them on your body (closed comedones usually start near hair follicles).
Overall, when you compare closed comedones vs Fungus Acne, you will find that closed comedones pores will typically have blackheads or whiteheads, while fungus doesn’t produce these types of blemishes.
Recent Comedonal acne research that looked at causes and over-the-counter treatments has shown that Comedonal acne is actually caused by a buildup of dead skin cells on the sebaceous glands around your hair follicles, while fungal acne is a result of an overgrowth of bacteria or yeast on your face.
The best way to determine if you have one or the other is by looking at how deep your pimples go into the surface layer of your skin; comedones only reach down to about 1/4 inch below the surface, while fungal acne will penetrate much deeper.
The difference between closed comedones And Fungal Acne.
Fungal acne and closed comedones have some similarities, but they differ in severity. Closed comedones are caused by an overproduction of sebum underneath the skin, while fungi cause fungal acne, which is much more severe to deal with.
Fungi thrive when it’s warm, so make sure you wash your face twice a day for at least ten minutes each time, or else the yeast will grow unchecked on your delicate facial pores if too moist, whereas clogged follicles from excess oil can be cleared up using benzoyl peroxide lotion treatments based off what bothers them most: bacteria buildup, whiteheads, redness around blackhead openings etcetera.
In general, Fungal acne is a more severe, hard-to-get rid skin condition that doesn’t happen because sebum has overgrown underneath the layer. Closed comedones, on the other hand, are less severe and can be addressed by simply reducing how much oil you have on your face in order for it not to clog pores anymore.
Does exfoliating help closed comedones?
Exfoliating helps to get rid of closed comedones, these nasty pimples that lay hidden in pores. Chemical exfoliators are the best way to clear up surface bumps on your forehead or jawline while also clearing all those clogged pores and sebum inside skin hair follicles.
How do you get rid of comedones?
There are plenty of ways to get rid of Comeddones off your skin once and for all. The most common and effective way to getting rid of comedones acne breakout is to cleanse your skin regularly with a skin cleanser. Skin cleansers with Salicylic acid are the best for getting rid of comedones. You can also open up your closed comedones by applying ice or a chemical peel to stimulate exfoliation activity, which will help unclog blocked sebaceous glands and pores.
Gently exfoliate with AHAs and BHAs
Gentle exfoliating body washes with AHAs and BHAs are also another highly recommended way to get rid of comedones on your skin.
As closed comedones refer to the pre-acne stage in which an oil gland is clogged and filled with dead skin cells shed from the surface, it makes sense that by keeping your skin exfoliated, you eventually get rid of it root cause of comedones acne.
Closed comedones are easy to identify as they look like whiteheads without the head part (the opening of the pore). That’s why the most effective way to prevent closed comedones is to cleanse your face regularly with a gentle exfoliating body wash rich in glycolic acid or salicylic acid.
Conclusion
Closed Comedones vs. Fungal Acne: Closed comedones are not a form of acne but rather an indication that your skin may be congested and the pores clogged with oil or debris.
The best way to look after your acne-prone skin is to cleanse and hydrate the skin regularly to prevent them from becoming infected by bacteria-causing inflammation.
They can also indicate hormonal imbalances like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which requires medical attention before they become worse than closed comedones themselves! If you have been struggling with PCOS, don’t hesitate to seek the help you need to get your skin back on track!
