Fungal Acne Vs Closed Comedones.

Written By Anna Wilkinson. Updated: November 2024.

Provided by BeautyClover (Photo: iStock by Getty Images).

Introduction

Fungal acne and closed comedones are both common skin conditions that can look similar at first glance.

It can be difficult to tell the difference between the two because they share many of the same symptoms, but there are some key differences that will help you see which condition you have.

Fungal acne tends to occur on the chest, back, shoulders, and neck while closed comedones are most common on your forehead and cheeks.

Both fungal acne and closed comedones can be caused by an overproduction of sebum which leads to clogged pores; however these two skin concerns have different causes so it’s important to know how each one occurs!

Table of Contents.

What is Fungal Acne?

Fungal acne is a skin condition that causes pimples, redness and swelling. It’s caused by a yeast called Pityrosporum.

The yeast lives on everyone’s skin but it tends to affect people with oily skin more often than those with dry or normal skin.

What are Closed Comedones?

Closed comedones are known as “whiteheads” or “blackheads,” and they occur when dead skin cells get trapped under the surface of the skin. They can be found on your forehead, nose, cheeks, chin and jawline.

Fungal acne is more common than you might think—it affects about 1% of people in their lifetime!

The good news is that it’s easily treated with prescription medications like Spironolactone (Aldactone) or Diflucan (fluconazole).

The Difference Between Fungal Acne and Closed Comedones.

Fungal acne is a skin condition caused by an overgrowth of yeast on the skin. Fungal acne can be treated with antifungal creams, which you can find at any pharmacy or drugstore.

Closed comedones are also known as “whiteheads” and “blackheads,” and they form when oil and dead skin cells become trapped in your pores.

They are white or black bumps on the surface of the skin that look like pimples but don’t have pus inside them.

Closed comedones are usually painless and may not cause any symptoms at all unless they grow large enough to block your pores completely, in which case it’s time for an extraction!

You can treat closed comedones with retinoid creams (like Retin-A), azelaic acid (like Skinoren Cream 15%), glycolic acid peels, salicylic acid scrubs/creams/washes (like Stridex), etc.; these products gently exfoliate away excess debris so that clogged pores don’t form again later down the road.”

Fungal acne and closed comedones can both be identified by clusters of tiny white or yellow bumps on the skin.

However, fungal acne is caused by a different type of yeast known as Pityrosporum (the same kind that causes dandruff) while closed comedones are caused by blocked sebaceous glands.

Fungal acne is treated with antifungal medications, while closed comedones are treated with retinoids.

Although they look similar at first glance, you can tell the difference between these two conditions because fungal acne will appear in areas prone to sweating (e.g., your back), whereas closed comedones only occur on dry skin such as your cheeks or forehead.

Fungal acne tends to occur on the chest, back, shoulders, and neck. Closed comedones are most common on the forehead, cheeks, and chin.

Fungal acne is more common on the chest, back, shoulders and neck. Closed comedones are most common on the forehead, cheeks and chin.

Fungal acne can be caused by a type of yeast called Pityrosporum. This type of yeast thrives in oily skin (which is why people with oily skin tend to get it more).

The hormones estrogen and progesterone may make your chances of getting fungal acne higher if you have adult acne that occurs around your period or pregnancy-related hormonal changes.

Both of these skin concerns can be caused by an overproduction of sebum.

Sebaceous glands are found all over the body, including on the face. They produce sebum, which is an oily substance that helps keep skin moisturized.

When you have too much sebum in your pores, it can cause clogged pores and breakouts on your face. In some cases, this might even lead to a fungal infection or an acne-like rash.

As you may have guessed from its name, acne is caused by an overproduction of sebum in clogged pores on the surface of your skin. It usually affects teenagers but also occurs in adults as well as children between 1 and 10 years old.

Both fungal acne and closed comedones are caused by Pityrosporum yeast (also known as Malassezia) which lives on the surface of our skin.

This yeast produces a lipase enzyme that breaks down sebum, causing it to build up inside a pore. If the pore is clogged, the sebum can’t escape your follicle and will start to grow bacteria, resulting in an acne cyst or whitehead.

Fungal acne occurs when there’s an overgrowth of this fungus on your skin.

When you have an excess amount of Malassezia yeast all over your face, it causes inflammation and results in pimples or cysts; so if you’ve ever had issues with clogged pores before but didn’t know why—now you do!

Both conditions can be treated using similar methods.

Wash the skin with a gentle cleanser two to three times per day. This will help to remove excess oil and dirt from your skin, which can lead to breakouts. Because of the tendency for fungal acne and closed comedones to occur simultaneously, you should use a cleanser that is designed for acne-prone skin or one that contains benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid; this is true even if you aren’t experiencing any other symptoms of either condition.

Use topical medication(s) based on your doctor’s recommendations; this may include an over-the-counter antifungal cream or prescription retinoid cream (a topical medication used to treat various skin conditions). Depending on the severity of your condition, these products may be applied directly onto affected areas twice daily until symptoms subside completely (usually in one week). If left untreated, however, it could take up to six weeks before your symptoms begin clearing up entirely. Please note: You should never apply these medications liberally because doing so can actually cause more irritation than good!

Apply a prescription topical antibiotic such as clindamycin phosphate 1% lotion once daily at bedtime until further notice from our staff – this will help get rid of all those nasty little organisms lurking deep within our pores.”

Closed comedones and fungal acne are similar in many ways but different treatments are needed for each condition so it’s important to tell them apart!

As you can see, the two conditions have many similarities. Both are caused by a buildup of pore-clogging sebum and dead skin cells that get stuck in your pores.

However, they both require different treatments because the causes of each condition is so different. Fungal acne tends to be more painful than closed comedones but it responds well to antifungal medication like nystatin or ketoconazole cream.

Closed comedones don’t require any medications since they aren’t caused by fungus but rather dead skin cells and sebum.

Conclusion:

We hope this article has helped clear up some confusion about whether or not you have fungal acne or closed comedones on your face.

If you think it might be fungal acne, we recommend a treatment plan that includes oral antifungal medication (such as an over-the-counter azole) coupled with topical treatments like drying agents and benzoyl peroxide.

For most people, this combination will clear up the condition within four to six weeks.