Cover Dot Acne Care (36 dots) Skin Blemish Treatment with Hydrocolloid | Clear, Waterproof Patch | Latex-Free

I never really got acne as a teenager and thought that I had lucked out. Unfortunately when I was twenty-two and just starting grad school, the nightmare that is cystic acne began. It was so painful and I wished I had just gotten the non-cystic kind back when I was a teenager and everyone else had it. When it first started I would try to pop them, using my fingers or one of those pimple extractor tools. What a huge mistake, which left me punished by an even more disfiguring skin condition called impetigo. As a result, I started seeing a dermatologist. The dermatologist prescribed me a multitude of topical treatments, but nothing seemed to work. Right when my skin would start clearing up, a new cyst would pop up. I would try to schedule an appointment to get cortisone injections right when I felt a cyst forming, only to be told the soonest I could come in was a week later. For those that struggle with cystic acne, you probably know how these little cysts like to grow and conquer a huge portion of your face (forehead for me) as well as your self-esteem in the matter of days. So there was no way waiting days to get an appointment was an option for me. Especially when traveling where a dermatologist visit is not possible.However, I finally perfected a skin routine that keeps my acne manageable, and my skin looking great. It is not a cure to acne, but it has lessened the frequency and quantity of my acne and treats the infrequent cysts and blemishes that I do get with extremely fast results.1. Every morning and night cleanse your skin with a non-exfoliating, gentle cleaner using just your clean fingertips and warm water. (DO NOT USE a washcloth, face brush/polisher, Konjac sponge, etc.). Let your skin air-dry.-I cleanse my skin with  Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, For all skin types 2. Then apply a small amount of acne spot treatment to your cyst or blemish.-I personally like  Philosophy Clear Days Ahead Fast-Acting Salicylic Acid Acne Spot Treatment .3. After the spot treatment is dry place the cover-dot over the blemish/cyst.-These things are great, however I think they are noticeable in public even if you try to cover them with makeup, which is why I only wear them when I am at home, sleeping, or on an airplane.-I also use these Cover-Dots for non-acne related skin irritations, like split lips I get from having chapped lips.4. Wait about five minutes to make sure the adhesive bond between the Cover-Dot and your skin has formed. Then apply whatever moisturizer works for you over the rest of your face.-I personally like using  Glo Therapeutics Oil Free Moisturizer  or  Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion .5. When the Cover-Dot turns white or you need to be seen in public, remove the Cover-Dot.-I try to keep the Cover-Dot on for as long as possible so it has more time to heal and it comes off easily.6. Repeat steps 1&2 (Face Cleanser and Acne Spot treatment gel).7. Apply your moisturizer to your entire face (don't avoid the acne)8. Next apply a sunscreen that works for you, making sure to avoid your eyes.- I hate using sunscreen outside of the SPF contained in my makeup because it makes me break out or it stings my sensitive skin, even the glorified EltaMD. If I'm not spending the day at the beach, I only use sunscreen as a spot treatment over my blemishes, acne scars, and smile line wrinkles. -The sunscreen I use is  Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby Sunscreen . I'm sure there is a better sunscreen out there, but this one I know does not sting my irritated skin.9. If you wear makeup, apply it now.-The makeup routine that works best for my acne troubles is as follows:I apply  Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 30 . It is amazing. Because of the way this foundation fills in my pores and kind of has a priming effect, I apply concealer on top of it. I use a makeup sponge and apply  Glo Minerals Camouflage Oil free Concealer Makeup  or  Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer  over any blemishes, scars, marks that remain visible. Then I use bareMinerals Warmth as a cheek contour, bareMinerals blush, and bareMinerals mineral veil.10. Spray your face with  Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater  for the finishing touch!-This step is especially helpful for me since it helps set my powder makeup.P.S. I have also tried the 3M Nexcare Acne Absorbing covers and Dream Dots, but these SMARTMED Cover-Dots are my #1. The Nexcare ones are much thicker and harder than these. The Dream Dots are similar to SMARTMED's Cover-Dots and I wouldn't say they are better or worse than the SMARTMED brand, but the Dream Dots are more expensive and only come in packs of 24 dots for $16.99, while you can get a 48 Cover-Dot pack for $15.75.P.P.S. I know my review was long, with lots of product recommendations, so I feel the need to let you know that I DID NOT receive any free product or compensation for this review.

I've been dealing with cystic acne for 30+ years and have tried everything you can think of to rid myself of acne. I've taken Accutane 3 times (this works wonderfully until about 6 months after I stop, then it all comes back) , Curology, Murad, Rodan & Fields, Proactive, as well as anything and everything else that's been on the market claiming to work for severe acne. Years of antibiotics, creams, serums, etc. Nothing helps, ever. I assumed the same would happen with these but my Curology NP recommended that I try them and WOW I cannot believe that they work! I used 10 of them my first night and woke up the next morning to 9 flat cysts. Tonight will be my 2nd time using them and I can't wait to see the results. If you've tried everything, give these a shot and you might be surprised.

Update 01.08.18:These things stick to skin like it's nobody's business... Seriously, these things would survive the apocalypse and still be stuck right smack dab where you stuck 'em.Okay, jest aside, been using and reordering these for a few months now, and I'm throughly impressed with their stickiness. As long they are applied to clean, dry, skin, they will stay put for 7 days (maybe more but I take them off by then). SEVEN DAYS!!! That's with no lifting around the edges or any gross stuff. Yes, they stay put through showering and even cleansing on top of that. Honestly, I have no idea what more people could want from a product like this.- Sticks on you through the apocalypse? Check.- Keeps your grubby hands off your spots? Check.- Sucks out the nasty from those nasty spots? Check.- Free of any weird side effects or reactions? Check.- Plays well with makeup? Check.- Incognito even sans makeup? Check.- Doesn't break the bank? Check.Do the math. It's a no brainer.Original review:Perfect. Seriously. They're thin, but thick enough to conceal, and tapered around the edges which allows them to blend in with your skin surprisingly well. Barely visible without makeup on, they can be worn under makeup to where they're practically invisible - jackpot!

These are awesome! If I get a pimple, they help it go away by treating it, and the dots also keep my moisturizers away from the area so I don’t make it worse. I just put the dot on clean, dry skin before bed, and then apply my skincare products on the rest of my face. The dot is really discreet, so i can hardly see it and it covers any redness, actually making my skin look better. As far as daytime use, I would probably wear these out and about running errands, but I would not wear them to work. Although the color blends seamlessly, the texture is different. Since I work face to face with the public, I think it could be visible, and I’d rather just wear concealer.I have tried dream dots, and these are basically the same except I like this packaging better. These are packaged in a thin cardboard envelope-type of box, so they don’t take up any space in my medicine cabinet.

These patches heal popped pimples either overnight or within a few days. I never travel without them and I always stock up.But I'll be honest. All brands of hydrocolloid patches work equally well, and I've tried several. If you're going to bed or you don't care how you look, order the Exuderm thin patches. They're cheap, a pack lasts forever, and you can cut them to size if you're having a massive breakout.This brand excels when you want to be discrete and wear them in pubic. These are the thinnest dots Ive found on the market and they're matte, so they blend well into the skin. They can make an angry red spot less noticeable. All the other brands are shiny and thick and much more noticeable.A couple of tips: They're hard to peel off at first without folding an edge. Pull them off the backing with a tweezers. Secondly, don't apply right after you've put on moisturizer or they'll slide down your face. If your face is dry, they'll stay put until you peel them off.