I know why it isn't sensible to pick spots. I really do but when faced with a large and painful cystic spot it can be hard to do the right thing. The particular spot in question was just to side of my eyebrow. I put treatments on it but couldn't resist a fiddle. I soon regretted it when I woke up to a swollen face!
Initially, I hoped it was just fluid that would drain away. It looked a bit like an extreme version of puffy morning eyes. When it didn't disappear after a couple of hours, I knew I was deluding myself and that I had actually forced the infection from the spot down in to the tear duct and racing around my face. I rang the doctors, got an appointment with the nurse and when the she brought in the doctor, I had to answer yes to the "have you been picking" question. Not my finest moment!
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| I really do look like I've been boxing in this one! |
I was given a course of antibiotics and promised not to do it again (which met with some titters). It actually took a while for the antibiotics to rein in the infection and my face had swollen down to my jaw before they caught up. I'm pleased to report that they sorted it out within a couple of days and my face is completely back to normal now. It probably took longer to recover from the embarrassment of doing the school run looking like I'd had a bout in the ring!!
I share these pictures not to make you feel ill but to remind you the next time that you consider fiddling that it might not be such a good idea. Picking spots is bad, m'kay?
