What Does Early Stage Acne Look Like?

Understanding those sneaky blind pimples hiding beneath the surface.

Do you ever “feel” the painful bump of a pimple forming before you see it or know you’re about to get a zit somewhere? It might be Early Stage Acne or “blind acne” hiding beneath the surface of your skin. Sometimes these won’t have a head to pop (which you shouldn’t!), they’re stubborn, and can linger for weeks!

Let’s see what the differences are between an Early Stage and a Mature pimple before jumping into how best to treat them!

The Differences Between Early Stage Acne & Mature Zits

	Early Stage Acne	Ready-to-Pop Acne
Appearance	Large, inflamed bump without a visible whitehead or pus	Raised, red bump with a visible whitehead or pus
Pain Level	Often more painful due to inflammation beneath the skin	Tenderness, but less painful compared to Early Stage acne
Surface Texture	Smooth surface, no visible opening or pore	Whitehead or pus-filled center with a potential opening
Redness & Swelling	Red and swollen and may extend beyond the bump	Redness and swelling may be localized around the pimple
Readiness To Pop	Firm to the touch, no apparent point of exit for pus	Slight softening around the whitehead & may be ready to pop
Risk of Scarring	Higher risk of scarring due to deep inflammation	Lower risk of scarring if treated properly and cleanly

How to Treat Early Stage Acne or Mature Zits

Treating Early Stage Acne

When your zit hasn’t come to a head, you should avoid squeezing or popping to prevent infection and scarring. Typically, you would wait for these to mature before any treatment - though we’re tackling Early Stage Acne “head on”!

Our new Early Stage Acne Dot will have you saying “Bye Bye Blemish!” before those zits mature and steal the spotlight. Armed with 430 self-dissolving microneedles to deliver some powerful acne-fighting ingredients:

• 2% Salicylic Acid (BHA): an active acne-fighting ingredient that penetrates to unclog pores and target acne blemishes
• Niacinamide: Anti-inflammatory powerhouse that fades hyperpigmentation, increases elasticity, and strengthens skin barrier function
• Succinic Acid: Helps to control and balance excess sebum production to reduce shine and excess oil; also helps to unblock pores and prevent them from clogging again leading to a reduction in overall pore appearance and size

You’ll want to apply an Early Stage Acne Dot and leave it on for at least 6 hours to allow for the acne-fighting ingredients to be absorbed. While results may vary, you can expect a reduced pimple size, less redness, and calmer skin after one use.

What if the blemish remains after using an Early Stage Acne Dot?
Sometimes a zit could use a little more treatment. Since our Early Stage Acne Dot uses a higher concentration of Salicylic Acid, you should only use a dot a blemish every 2-3 days, or you could irritate your skin further.

You can use multiple dots on multiple blemishes, but be sure to give your skin a break when treating the same blemish!

Treating Mature (Ready-to-Pop) Acne

We’d be lying if we said we never thought about giving our zits a good squeeze. I mean - deep down there is a little popaholic in all of us, right? But you really want to avoid popping these pimples! Popping a zit can introduce new bacteria to the blemish, cause skin tearing & scarring, and even encourage new zits to form!

To properly treat these ready-to-pop pimples, use one of our Acne Healing Dots or Day Dots (if you need a nearly invisible solution). These dots are infused with 0.5% salicylic acid, aloe vera, and vitamin A, making them both powerful and safe for even the most sensitive skin.

You can check out all of our acne fighting solutions here. Do you still have some questions about Early Stage Acne? Let us know!