That's probably a reaction from something you ate, or like you said some sort of viral infection.

If they are just red, inflammed cysts then icing will help.

I rarely get serious acne anymore but when I do it's a big inflammed cyst; and this is what I do. I can have a full blown cyst 80% gone in 48 hours when I do this.

It might take you awhile to ice all the individual spots, but it will be time well spent.

If it was something you ate, it might take a week before it clears out of your system and your skin calms down. Drink lots of water and some sort of diuretic (the caffeine in coffee or tea will work fine) so that you can flush your body out as quickly as possible.

You just restarted the regimen so that could also be purging which happens to many who start an acne treatment. You can try cutting out foods for a month and seeing how that helps. Give the regimen 3 months to do its thing before you throw in the towel

Yeah, just give it time. I think it's a an issue with your recent change of diet too.

This isn't herpes, it's acne. It looks similar to the acne I get. If you have oily skin, try this neutrogena "Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner" it worked like a charm for me. My face is clear now.

It could also be your toothpaste or mouthwash, since the breakout is concentrated around the mouth area.

It could also be your toothpaste or mouthwash, since the breakout is concentrated around the mouth area.

You know actually, I recently found a topic here on this forum wherein a girl talks about getting breakouts around the mouth from the EXACT same Crest toothpaste I've been using religiously these past three days.

I can't help but think that's the cause... I'm going to ditch the paste, and if things improve, I'll switch to Tom's of Maine, which I was using last fall without incident.

I've also cut out anything diet-related that I've started recently, just to get rid of all potential triggers.

Thank you for giving me peace of mind guys. Acne I can deal with... herpes I don't really want.

Happy Fourth! Gonna go see the fireworks now.

It could also be your toothpaste or mouthwash, since the breakout is concentrated around the mouth area.

You know actually, I recently found a topic here on this forum wherein a girl talks about getting breakouts around the mouth from the EXACT same Crest toothpaste I've been using religiously these past three days.

I can't help but think that's the cause... I'm going to ditch the paste, and if things improve, I'll switch to Tom's of Maine, which I was using last fall without incident.

I've also cut out anything diet-related that I've started recently, just to get rid of all potential triggers.

Thank you for giving me peace of mind guys. Acne I can deal with... herpes I don't really want.

Happy Fourth! Gonna go see the fireworks now.

Crest is the worst! It gave me redness and discoloration around my mouth and it took me months to figure out what was causing it. Tom's of Main has SLS so I avoid that too, but if you didn't have problems with it then switch to that one. I prefer sensodyne, and I recently also started using a baking soda toothpaste with no problems. Mouthwash can also be an issue if you are using one. Whenever you brush, try not to get the toothpaste/ mouthwash around your mouth as that may be what's causing the irritation too.

bakind soda used daily isnt the best option for u.its harsh on ur teeth enamel.so although its natural,i wouldnt suggest that wishclean.

Well I have to say, only 24 hours since using the Crest toothpaste as well as ceasing any potentially irritating foods, things are looking better! Haven't had any new form since yesterday afternoon, things are MUCH less red and irritated, and a lot of the pain has subsided. Not celebrating just yet, but I think I'm on the right track.

Now I just need to find the least irritating toothpaste possible... maybe my teeth won't look so nice anymore, but hey, at least I won't have a ring of fire around my mouth! XD

bakind soda used daily isnt the best option for u.its harsh on ur teeth enamel.so although its natural,i wouldnt suggest that wishclean.

Arm & Hammer has a baking soda toothpaste, especially formulated for teeth. That one is gentle enough to use every day. A lot of people use plain baking soda, diluted in water, to brush their teeth. I personally don't.

Wormbat: Great, looks like you are on the right track!

bakind soda used daily isnt the best option for u.its harsh on ur teeth enamel.so although its natural,i wouldnt suggest that wishclean.

Arm & Hammer has a baking soda toothpaste, especially formulated for teeth. That one is gentle enough to use every day. A lot of people use plain baking soda, diluted in water, to brush their teeth. I personally don't.

Wormbat: Great, looks like you are on the right track!

Yup, I certainly hope so... it's getting close to evening now and the results haven't really been dramatic, but I guess I can't expect overnight changes. Some of the pimples are looking a little inflamed, maybe a little larger than yesterday, but the important thing is that there haven't been any new ones (at least not any new scary inflamed ones around my mouth) in over 24 hours. Can't expect overnight changes after all, gotta take things in little bitty steps at a time. Gonna keep limiting sugar and staying away from that Crest and hopefully this breakout will run its course and I can move on.

Well, another update... some things that were just red marks on the last day of using the toothpaste / first day of the low-sugar diet have gotten bigger, seems like a new one the lower-left of my upper lip... but almost all the pain is gone... I just wish they weren't so red and visible. I'll see how things are by the end of the weekend.

Again, I appreciate all the help from everyone. This shit makes me feel sooo dirty and unsociable but I'm hoping there's a light at the end of this.

happy for u.

good luck!

About a month ago my jaw/chin area broke out horribly in very large and painful cysts. Went to the doctor for an annual physical and found out I was deficient in Vitamin D. Not sure if it is just a coincidence but ever since I began supplementing 2000IU of Vitamin D daily I have not gotten a single cyst along my jaw.

I would give it a try- can't hurt anything.

About a month ago my jaw/chin area broke out horribly in very large and painful cysts. Went to the doctor for an annual physical and found out I was deficient in Vitamin D. Not sure if it is just a coincidence but ever since I began supplementing 2000IU of Vitamin D daily I have not gotten a single cyst along my jaw.

I would give it a try- can't hurt anything.

Hmm...I do spend time in the sun though, so I don't see why I would have a deficiency... I'm also VERY cautious of supplements as I've always reacted badly to them.

Honestly, I'm blaming this stupid toothpaste... just hope the reaction stops soon. It's definitely quieted down, but tonight there seems to be a new painful pimple in my left mouth corner, and some old stuff that I thought was on its way out seems to have swelled up again.

All I'm asking for at this point is IMPROVEMENT... it seems like some things go away, but others swell up... at least there hasn't been much in the way of new acne... feel really depressed right about now, but I guess it's only been 48 hours since I discontinued the paste, who knows how long the acne is going to do its thing...

Interesting thing is, while my back used to be a problem, throughout this whole debacle of terrible mouth / lipline acne, my back has stayed constantly clear-ish. Which is why I'm hoping that these mouth eruptions can be attributed to a) irritation of the mouth region via pore-clogging cosmetics / harsh treatment / scrubbing and b) this damn toothpaste ... and that would make them a TON easier to solve than trying to find a dietary trigger.

I get those. Used to only get one a month, got a minocyline and now get a ton. It's a pain in the ass. oh well..mine are hormonal.

It could also be your toothpaste or mouthwash, since the breakout is concentrated around the mouth area.

I get those. Used to only get one a month, got a minocyline and now get a ton. It's a pain in the ass. oh well..mine are hormonal.

It could also be your toothpaste or mouthwash, since the breakout is concentrated around the mouth area.

That's what my Esthetician told me. Unfortunately it wasn't my problems.. my mom had the same problem when she was my age. Mine is hormonal but that could be what is causing his.

I hope mine is not hormonal, because treating male hormonal acne is apparently one of the hardest things to do...

I've been breaking out in the same areas for the past 3 years too. Honestly I never remember having any pimples when I was younger but now (I'm now 32) I get to have acne problems... honestly I don't know how to cope with it.

Mine are maybe a little different from yours () in the sense that each and every pimple I get has a pus-filled head and generally inflamed. Tried a little bit of everything too, including dietary changes (I've lost 15kgs these past 4 months and now I'm getting way too thin). Like you, I have no idea what is causing this...I feel you when you say you're depressed and don't feel like socializing. Same thing happens to me.

Sorry can't help you with your problem, but at least you're not alone..

I've been breaking out in the same areas for the past 3 years too. Honestly I never remember having any pimples when I was younger but now (I'm now 32) I get to have acne problems... honestly I don't know how to cope with it.

Mine are maybe a little different from yours ( http://www.acne.org/messageboard/topic/330902-what-kind-of-acne-is-this-please/ ) in the sense that each and every pimple I get has a pus-filled head and generally inflamed. Tried a little bit of everything too, including dietary changes (I've lost 15kgs these past 4 months and now I'm getting way too thin). Like you, I have no idea what is causing this...I feel you when you say you're depressed and don't feel like socializing. Same thing happens to me.

Sorry can't help you with your problem, but at least you're not alone..

Turns out, at least in this particular breakout, mine do come to heads as well.. They start off red, inflamed and tender with a really deep, under-the-skin pain. Eventually they come to heads, and the pain becomes more of a surface pain. Then at some point they either pop and create an awful mess, or kinda dry out to the point where I can just flake them off.

But you know what... ever since I ditched this stupid Crest toothpaste, they seem to have receded... I started the paste last Monday evening, and from there until Thursday morning, which was the last time I used the paste, the inflammation was just awful. But since then, the breakouts seem to have decelerated. I've gotten a couple new ones around my mouth since then, but they were smaller and less inflamed, and I also haven't had a new near-mouth pimple in well over twenty four hours now. Considering it's been only four days since I stopped (what I thought was) the offending substance, I'd say that's pretty good!

Anyway, while I think (fingers crossed!) the toothpaste caused the major inflammation around the mouth, my upper lipline pimples were caused by something prior... they stopped coming in maybe a week ago, not long after I ditched concealer and the harsh bp wash / sa moisturizer I was using at the time. I'm assuming those were caused by excessive irritation to the area, or perhaps pore blockage / a bad reaction to the concealer.

It's just a waiting game now. I have no reason to expect anything from positive changes from here on... if the breakout does get worse, then I'll be pretty damn concerned, as I'm almost 100% certain I've pinpointed the cause / effect. It's certainly not sugar, as I initially thought, since I had a bunch of sweet stuff yesterday, and I daresay I haven't had a single new pimple since then.

I've been breaking out in the same areas for the past 3 years too. Honestly I never remember having any pimples when I was younger but now (I'm now 32) I get to have acne problems... honestly I don't know how to cope with it.

Mine are maybe a little different from yours ( http://www.acne.org/messageboard/topic/330902-what-kind-of-acne-is-this-please/ ) in the sense that each and every pimple I get has a pus-filled head and generally inflamed. Tried a little bit of everything too, including dietary changes (I've lost 15kgs these past 4 months and now I'm getting way too thin). Like you, I have no idea what is causing this...I feel you when you say you're depressed and don't feel like socializing. Same thing happens to me.

Sorry can't help you with your problem, but at least you're not alone..

Turns out, at least in this particular breakout, mine do come to heads as well.. They start off red, inflamed and tender with a really deep, under-the-skin pain. Eventually they come to heads, and the pain becomes more of a surface pain. Then at some point they either pop and create an awful mess, or kinda dry out to the point where I can just flake them off.

But you know what... ever since I ditched this stupid Crest toothpaste, they seem to have receded... I started the paste last Monday evening, and from there until Thursday morning, which was the last time I used the paste, the inflammation was just awful. But since then, the breakouts seem to have decelerated. I've gotten a couple new ones around my mouth since then, but they were smaller and less inflamed, and I also haven't had a new near-mouth pimple in well over twenty four hours now. Considering it's been only four days since I stopped (what I thought was) the offending substance, I'd say that's pretty good!

Anyway, while I think (fingers crossed!) the toothpaste caused the major inflammation around the mouth, my upper lipline pimples were caused by something prior... they stopped coming in maybe a week ago, not long after I ditched concealer and the harsh bp wash / sa moisturizer I was using at the time. I'm assuming those were caused by excessive irritation to the area, or perhaps pore blockage / a bad reaction to the concealer.

It's just a waiting game now. I have no reason to expect anything from positive changes from here on... if the breakout does get worse, then I'll be pretty damn concerned, as I'm almost 100% certain I've pinpointed the cause / effect. It's certainly not sugar, as I initially thought, since I had a bunch of sweet stuff yesterday, and I daresay I haven't had a single new pimple since then.

Good luck there. Really wish it's just something you're using instead of something you're digesting. That would be much harder to fight.

Just putting up a one-week update... the breakout has more or less slowed to a crawl. I got a new pimple above my upper lip on Tuesday, that's about it... the rest is just old ones cycling around, some dying, some coming back up after initial recession. Overall though, things are a lot smaller and a lot less inflamed. Haven't tried a 100% natural toothpaste yet, but did use Tom's of Maine (fluoride-free) this morning. Fingers crossed there's no bad reaction. Also been using the full Regimen since Tuesday night (as opposed to just haphazardly smearing my face with BP), not sure how much that has helped... although it's certainly reduced the dryness / flaking thanks to cleanser / moisturizer.