4 Weird Places You Can Get a Zit and What to Do About It

Buttne is no fun, but there are ways to handle this form of acne. (Photo: Gallery Stock)

There’s no good place to get a zit. But there are some places that are particularly horrifying to experience a breakout. For instance, inside an ear or the crease of the buttocks. Not only can it be super sensitive and painful, but it is almost impossible to reach for treatment.

Traumatized by our own zit experiences, Yahoo Beauty interviewed Dennis Gross, a Manhattan-based dermatologist and the creator of Dr. Dennis Gross Skin Care, to find out how to handle acne in weird places. In his 25 years of practice, Gross says he has seen acne everywhere but the hands and feet, and also, the face, back, and groin are the most painful places to experience acne.

Here’s how to deal.

Related: Why Are We So Obsessed With Pimple Popping?

So you’ve got a zit in your ear:

“Remember the ear area overlaps face and scalp, so those areas form acne due to blocked oil glands,” says Gross. Basically, the skin in your ears is just like the skin on your face and can suffer from the same issues.

Since clogged pores are the main cause of ear acne, Gross would prescribe a retinol or retinoid to unclog them. If you don’t plan to visit the dermatologist, however, you can try dabbing on an acne medication like Mario Bedescu Drying Lotion and then leaving it alone. Poking and prodding will only congest the pores further. Prevent ear acne in the first place by cleaning your ears regularly.

Related: The Best Face Masks to Tackle Your Acne

Gross also recommends acne medication pads, such as his One Step Acne Eliminating Pads, for applying medication in hard-to-reach areas.

So you’ve got a zit in your nose:

A nose zit really sucks because your nose is full of nerve endings, making the area extra sensitive. Gross says an in-the-nose zit is similar to in-the-ear zit as far as cause. “The nose is part of T-zone and is an area of excess oil production. Blocked oil glands very often occur there as well.”

Related: Kate Bosworth on Adult Acne: It Sucks

He recommends a sulfur mask like the Clarifying Collodial Sulfur Mask to help dry out pores and reduce the quantity of sebum, leading to fewer breakouts.

You can also try boiling water and holding your face over the steam for 10 minutes before applying a small amount of topical antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin with a Q-tip. This will soften the skin so the medicine can penetrate the blemish and may also provide some relief if your pimple is inflamed and painful.

If a pimple inside your nose doesn’t go away or is accompanied by symptoms like fever or weakness, see a doctor immediately.

Related: This Girl’s Before-and-After Acne Photos Are Pretty Crazy

So you’ve got a zit on your butt:

Since you’re constantly sitting on and sweating into the skin on your cheeks, this area is particularly prone to breakouts. Exfoliate the booty regularly in the shower, and try a product that contains beta hydroxy acids, which are great for decongesting pores while exfoliating. We recommend Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting Liquid Exfoliant. Other good products for body acne of any kind are Peter Thomas Roth Blemish Buffing Beads and Murad Clarifying Body Spray. Or you can buy a soap that contains salicylic acid like this one.

Also try not to sit around in moist or dirty clothes, like, say, those yoga pants you wore out of the gym instead of showering. This can lead to the buildup of bacteria, which can cause breakouts.

Related: This Is What Happens to Your Skin When You Pop a Pimple

So you’ve got a zit near your groin:

If you thought butt acne was embarrassing, try getting a groin breakout. Don’t feel too bad, though. Gross says hormones and genetics play a huge role in this type of acne.

He also says that exercise can lead to breakouts in the groin area, especially biking or spinning. So now you have one reason to feel superior to people who go to SoulCycle regularly.

If you do get breakouts in your vagina area, the same general rules apply as acne anywhere else on your body: Try not to touch it with your fingers, and keep the area clean. You can try a warm compress to draw out bacteria, but you don’t want to use harsh medications down there. Bikini Bump Blaster pads are specifically designed for your lady area, or you can try Neosporin. If your “zit” is actually an ingrown hair, the treatment is basically the same. Either way, you’ve got a clogged, infected pore.

Related: Acne Treatments for Sensitive Skin

If the blemish doesn’t go away within a week, or if it burns, itches, swells, or has discharge, visit a doctor for an STD checkup.

Wearing cotton underwear and breathable fabrics can also help keep the area in your pants zit-free.

Ultimately, it’s hard to follow, but Gross says the golden rule of acne applies wherever you get it: “Do not touch or pop pimple! Apply medicine and leave it alone — you do not want to irritate the area further.”

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