Pimples that keep popping up around the nose are super frustrating and, oftentimes, flat-out painful. Unfortunately, your schnoz is a common area for acne breakouts because it has larger pore sizes compared to other areas on your face.
Guys get the worst nose breakouts because we tend to have larger pores than women. The good news is that you can usually banish breakouts around the nose by taking the right approach to treatment.
Here are three important things to know about breakouts on the nose:
- Picking at your nose pimples can lead to acne scarring and/or infection.
- Salicylic Acid is a gentle yet effective ingredient that works great on nose pimples.
- A regular skin care routine is key to keeping nose breakouts at bay.
If you’re fed up with pimples on the nose, there are a few tried-and-true approaches you can take to eliminate them. Below, we’ll outline five tips to help you treat breakouts on the nose.
1. Don’t Pick
There is something about nose pimples that makes them particularly tempting to pop. But as much as you’d probably enjoy popping them, it isn’t worth the risk of permanent scarring or infection.
Not to scare you too much, but there is something called the “face triangle of death” that you need to know about. It refers to an area on your face—which includes the corners of your mouth to the beginning of your forehead—that has an abundance of nerves and blood vessels.
Let’s say that you pop a pimple in this triangular area (which includes the nose) and it becomes infected. It’s only a short distance to the cavernous sinus in your brain, which can lead to blood clots and, eventually, death.
Though it sounds incredibly frightening, it’s also rare. Still, popping your nose pimples isn’t worth the risk, however small it may be.
2. Wash Your Face Twice a Day
Washing your face with the wrong product at the wrong frequency can worsen your acne. To properly treat breakouts on your nose, wash your face twice a day with a gentle facial cleanser formulated specifically for men.
Be sure to wash your hands with antibacterial soap before you wash your face. In a 2009 study published in the journal Epidemiology & Infection, researchers sampled 404 regular commuters in UK cities and found fecal matter on the hands of 28 percent of participants (see claim: “Of the 404 people sampled 28% were found to have bacteria of fecal origin on their hands.”)
3. Apply a Topical Treatment
When it comes to treating your nose pimples, the last thing you want to do is apply harsh chemicals to your acne that might make your breakout worse. Instead, stick to using an acne cream with Salicylic Acid, a powerful ingredient that’s well-known for being tough on breakouts and gentle on the skin.
Salicylic Acid regularly beats Benzoyl Peroxide in the battle of acne-fighting ingredients and is particularly effective at cleaning out your pores. According to a 2012 review published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, Salicylic Acid not only encourages natural exfoliation of the skin to help unclog your pores, it can also make your pores appear smaller (see claim: “The ‘physiological’ desquamation provided by salicylic acid provides smoother texture and appearance to the skin and can give the illusion of decreased pore sizes.”)
For maximum effectiveness, make sure that you use Salicylic Acid in an acne cream as opposed to an acne wash. Washing off the active ingredient isn’t going to do your nose pimples any good.
4. Treat Nose Pimples by Type
There are several types of acne that can appear on your nose, and knowing which type you have is key to treating nose pimples effectively.
One of the most common acne types to appear on the nose includes blackheads, which are open comedones that aren’t inflamed. Treating these pimples is usually simple: Just follow a regular skin care routine for men that includes exfoliating your face two times a week.
For stubborn and inflamed pimples on the nose, use an ice cube to decrease the pain and swelling. Apply an acne cream to the pimple and allow it to heal.
5. Lower Your Stress
While stress may not directly cause acne, it can have an effect on your breakouts. The nose is part of your t-zone, a t-shaped area of the face that produces more oil.
Stress can trigger stress-related hormones which bind to receptors in the skin’s oil glands. This binding can stimulate your skin’s oil production, which worsens your acne.
To keep stress from making your nose breakouts any worse, try incorporating stress-busting activities into your routine. For instance, consider getting a men’s pedicure, practicing mindfulness or exercising.
Wrapping Up
Breakouts on the nose can be embarrassing and even painful. If you’re tired of treating large pimples and pesky blackheads on your nose, don’t give up hope just yet.
To keep nose breakouts under control for good, give our Acne Treatment System a try! It’s dermatologist-recommended and proven to combat existing acne while preventing new pimples from forming. Let us know what you think!
