STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

bex · Chanel

QUICK- need help ASAP!

Hermione · Kate Spade

first of all, steam your face over your sink with a towel over your head or in your shower

this will help enlarge the pores so it will come out easier and also help a little in bringing it more to a head

then either use two tissues or be VERY CAREFUL not to let your fingernails touch your skin (i have short nails so can do this no prob)

and press gently on two sides of the zit. i usually do side to side and then sometimes top to bottom if i think there's more "gunk" in there (ew ew ew)

if it doesn't come out readily after steaming, i wouldn't just keep squeezing it until it does pop, b/c you will have a humongous red spot on your chin and the skin may break, which is really hard to cover up and just looks nasty

Elle · Hermes

I hereby declare The Ginormous Chin Zit 'The Offender' .

Get a warm, wet wash cloth and hold it on the offender to soften the skin and open your pores, do it a few times if needed. Clean the offender with a bit of rubbing alchohol (no peroxide b/c it can cause scarring), and clean a small safety pin or needle with alcholol, too. Then, see if you can find the main pore in the offender - it might be obvious, but if not, very gently probe around, not puncturing unless it's very easy. If you are able to find the pore, your needle should almost just slide right in with little assistance, when it does, give it the tiniest wiggle. Remove the needle, and press down gently around the offender - not in toward it if you can help it. If you don't get anything, try going a teeny bit farther in with the needle, and attempt to press down around it again. Hopefully that will do the trick. Make sure you disinfect the area again with alcohol afterwards, and then apply some ice, and then some cortisone mixed with BP to help with swelling.

Sorry about the offender .

bex · Chanel

thanks guys.

i am seriously going to cry. i hate the "offender" i want him to die. i just steamed my face and tried to pop it but it didn't work. and it is hard and hurts like hell just when i touch it with the cloth... i don't think it is ready to go away just yet.

*sob* i feel like it is so huge that that is all people are looking at when they talk to me. i literally ran the other way when i saw one of my clients from my old job at a store today b/c i know he would talk to me if he saw me...

Elle · Hermes

Ohh, Bex - I soooo know that feeling!

Since it won't pop, do a couple of rounds of ice on it. Once you regain feeling in your chin, to the cortisone and BP, and when that sinks in/dries some moisturizer and concealer/powder.

Bleh, how do they always know when to show up at the worst times?

jj · Kate Spade

Ok, this is kind of gross, but sometimes when I have a zip that "pops" it gets all oozy and crusty afterwards. It may end up being worse than covering it up the way it is now.

Do you have time to hit up a make-up counter to get it masked by a professional before dinner? A good make-up artist could make it completely unnoticable.

Hermione · Kate Spade

ok, we're going to take the other approach then, if he won't come out, we'll ask him to go back in.

stick a spoon in the freezer. when it's good and cold. hold it on the offender for as long as you can stand - keep repeating this process (spoon in freezer, holding it on offender) a few times, and it should help reduce swelling and redness and get that guy back in there (he will come back, but this should help for tonight)

then i would do the super concealer approach - use your heaviest concealer, whether it be for undereye, whatever, and use it just on the spot, maybe apply with a brush, then set that with powder (i also use a brush for that) maybe do that a time or two - but only with a brush so you can apply just the amount you need! not too too much or it will look cakey!)

when you have covered as much of the redness as you can, put some foundation over it to make it match your skin tone - this is by no means perfect, but should get you through the night without the offender interrupting your conversations or trying to take a bite of your food!

-- Edited by Hermione at 15:41, 2006-01-13

bex · Chanel

Elle wrote:

Ohh, Bex - I soooo know that feeling! Since it won't pop, do a couple of rounds of ice on it. Once you regain feeling in your chin, to the cortisone and BP, and when that sinks in/dries some moisturizer and concealer/powder. Bleh, how do they always know when to show up at the worst times?

i swear Elle, my chin is a disaster area right now. like i said, i rarely break out. but i have "the offender"

on my chin and three other small ones starting to crop up too. *sigh* i don't know what is up. i clorox wiped all my phones and i haven't been touching my face. i washed my make up brushes (which then made them (the brushes) stink!) all to save my freaking chin area and has it repaid me by going away? NO! it just stays there that stubborn little bugger!!! grrrr

Elle · Hermes

I am always 'broken out', despite taking all precautions and measures, and seemingly without regard for hormonal fluctuations. They just ... happen.

The offender sounds like the perfect candidate for death by cortisone injection. I've never done it, but supposedly it only costs around $10 or so, if you can get an emergency 2-second appointment with a derm. Otherwise, at least it's the weekend ....

bex · Chanel

Elle wrote:

The offender sounds like the perfect candidate for death by cortisone injection. I've never done it, but supposedly it only costs around $10 or so, if you can get an emergency 2-second appointment with a derm. Otherwise, at least it's the weekend ....

meh, its a quarter til 4 on a friday. i'll just suck it up and quit complaining. i did, however, do the trick with the spoon in the fridge and it went down A LOT... thanks for that suggestion hermoine it was freaking brilliant- i never heard of it before!

thanks girls for all your suggestions and helpful hints. i felt like such a baby complaining about a stupid zit but it made me feel really uncomfortable... and i don't want to order double drinks tonight at dinner- one for the offender and one for myself! that could get expensive AND embarassing...

bleh!

Elle · Hermes

bex wrote:

i felt like such a baby complaining about a stupid zit but it made me feel really uncomfortable... and i don't want to order double drinks tonight at dinner- one for the offender and one for myself! that could get expensive AND embarassing... bleh!

I've never heard of the spoon trick either - Hermione, you rock!

As someone who has lived the last 13 years with mulitple zits on her face at all times, I know exactly how you feel, and I don't think it's something you should feel silly about either. I think alot of people (most doctors included) don't take seriously enough the impact it can have on your feelings/self esteem/mental state. Especially when you get one so big it looks like another appendage protruding from your face, so big that it creates it's own shadow, etc. Talk about making someone self-concious!

Anyway, I wanted to validate your feelings regarding the offender - hopefully he never shows his ugly little face again. Maybe you could try to drown him in alcoholic beverages ...

Liz · Kenneth Cole

What usually helps me is if I put an oil absorbing clay mask on the offending area. I use the Kiehl's one. That usually helps with swelling and redness. I also take an anti-inflammatory which also cuts down on swelling.

If all else fails, I just try to really play up my eye makeup to hopefully distract everyone from my chin, nose, or wherever else he crops up. I don't know if this actually works though. I think people mostly think,"Wow, nice eye makeup. It's too bad she has that huge zit on her chin." But it makes me feel a little better when I leave the house.

Hope you have a great time at dinner anyway!

sophie · Kenneth Cole

Elle wrote:

The offender sounds like the perfect candidate for death by cortisone injection. I've never done it, but supposedly it only costs around $10 or so, if you can get an emergency 2-second appointment with a derm. Otherwise, at least it's the weekend ....

I had this done a few times years ago. Incase anyone is curious, it works great but it still takes 1 or 2 days before it's completely gone.