Pustules (2024)

FAQs

What is the main cause of pustules? ›

Pustules may form when the skin becomes inflamed due to an allergic reaction to food, environmental allergens, or poisonous insect bites. However, the most common cause of pustules is acne. Acne can develop due to hormonal imbalances in the body and result in skin pores becoming clogged with oil and dead skin cells.

Pustule Home Treatment

Gently wash the area with soap twice a day. Use clean cloths each time. Apply an over-the-counter treatment like calamine lotion, cortisone cream, salicylic acid, or benzoyl peroxide gel. Stay away from products that can irritate your skin, like cosmetics or sunscreens.

Pustules are a type of pimple that contains yellowish pus. They are larger than whiteheads and blackheads. Home remedies and over-the-counter creams may help treat pustules. Pustules appear either as red bumps with white centers or as white bumps that are hard and often tender to the touch.

While pustules can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, most cases can be treated by over-the-counter acne medications. But because pustules can be very similar to blisters, they may require professional treatment if they don't respond to the acne products in your bathroom after several weeks.

It's tempting, but popping or squeezing a pimple won't necessarily get rid of the problem. Squeezing can push bacteria and pus deeper into the skin, which might cause more swelling and redness. Squeezing also can lead to scabs and might leave you with permanent pits or scars.

A 2016 study found that people with acne have lower levels of vitamin D than those without the skin condition. This deficiency may be a factor in the development of acne. According to a study from 2014, Vitamin D also blocks P.

Pustules are small lesions on the skin filled with pus. They are easily identified upon physical examination as red bumps with white or yellowish centers. If severe, they may be accompanied by additional signs and symptoms surrounding the lesion, such as pain, tenderness, swelling, soreness, and warmth.

Pustules commonly have the following characteristics:

Contains white head or pus-filled with white or yellow fluid. Pus that comes out when pierced.

Can pustules be hormonal? ›

Hormonal acne may be triggered just before, during or after a menstrual period in a predictable way. Hormonal acne resembles usual acne but may cause more deeper nodules and cysts, that last for long periods. Hormonal acne causes spots on the chin and jaw line & also around the mouth.

By leaving the inflammation alone, you can reduce redness and prevent spots from spreading or getting larger,” says Dr Anjali. “The only way for a pustule to spread is if they are due to an infectious cause such as bacteria or fungi,” agrees Dr Justine. “You cannot spread acne pustules per se.”

It can introduce more bacteria into the open wound, leading to infection and scarring. Additionally, picking can delay the healing process and cause the pimple to become more inflamed.

Antibiotic ointment may clog your pores, so you want to keep it just in the area where it's needed. Similarly, corticosteroids like Neosporin, are not acne treatments and are meant to reduce redness, itching, and swelling.

"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. Popped improperly, it can linger for weeks or lead to scarring.

Pustules often result from infectious diseases due to bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. However, they can also develop in other non-infectious skin conditions, such as acne, rosacea, and psoriasis.

Stress, anxiety, and fear might also worsen acne by triggering the production of cytokines, tiny proteins that stoke inflammation, including inflammation of the area around sebaceous glands, the glands that produce oil. Stress-related disruptions in healthy habits play a role, too.