Cystic Acne – Causes and Treatment
Cystic acne treatment begins with an understanding of what cystic acne really is. Cystic acne is also known as nodulocystic acne and is, quite basically, a severe type of acne. It consists of inflamed breakouts that can occur not only on the face but also on other parts of the body.
The blemishes can be quite substantial. Some may even be several centimetres wide. Cysts are the most severe manifestation of an acne blemish. They can be both uncomfortable and painful, and appear as soft bumps under the skin’s surface.
Some individuals may also develop nodules – firm bumps of varying sizes under the skin’s surface. These nodules can often cause damage that takes some time to heal.
These are the symptoms of cystic acne, but what causes it?
Causes
Cystic acne is actually attributed to the same causes of acne in general. Sebaceous glands produce excess oil, dead skin cells block pores, a predominance of bacteria on the skin that cause acne, and a susceptibility to infections.
Inflamed blemishes happen when a follicle wall breaks and an infected substance finds its way into the dermis. The depth of this break impacts the severity of the resulting blemish. If the infected substance infects nearby follicles then nodules can develop.
Similarly, cystic acne blemishes develop when there is a deep break in the follicle wall and a membrane grows around the infection.
Effects
This type of cystic breakout causes damage to healthy skin tissues. Because of this, these breakouts often result in scarring of the skin. Touching and picking at cystic acne should avoided at all times, as it will only make the situation worse. You may contribute to the scarring that you are trying to avoid and often spread the bacteria or infection.
Psychologically, cystic acne can also make you shy away from social situations. This is the most difficult impact of it to live with. You may find yourself limiting your lifestyle just because you are not happy with your appearance. This is obviously not the best option, and you should always be looking to improve your lifestyle sooner rather than later. Tempus fugit.
Treating Cystic Acne
Treatment can help to decrease the immediate symptoms and the damage that your skin experiences in the form of scarring. For this type of acne, prescribed medications are often necessary. The first attempt at treatment is not always successful, but with subsequent attempts progress can often be made. Accutane is generally the treatment of choice offered by most medical practitioners for cystic acne, but as you probably already know there are numerous possible sideeffects to consider.
Personally, I am a firm believer that a healthy, properly functioning body can deal with almost any ailment. If you achieve and maintain a healthy pH balance (6.5 – 7 pH) then you will find that the majority of sicknesses disappear or can be prevented. If you are interested in avoiding serious medications to treat your cystic acne I suggest switching to a raw vegetable diet for at least a month and trying to keep active with some regular, intensive exercise. Of course, despite its frequent success and the definite improvement you will see there is always the off-chance this won’t eliminate your cystic acne completely, but if nothing else then you will at least feel a lot better, both physically and mentally.
Some other possible treatments include oral antibiotics, surgical intervention or drainage, intralesional corticosteroid injections and sometimes oral contraceptives for female patients. These treatments may or may not be effective on their own, or they may need to be combined to fully combat your cystic acne.
Just because your first attempt at dealing with cystic acne does not work, that does not mean that no further attempts will either. You do not have to just accept cystic acne. Be persistent. There are many treatments available, and you can always work with a doctor to find an effective treatment regimen for you if no other remedies are working.
Cystic acne treatment can help you in getting your lifestyle back. Resist the negativity that is being put out there by other sufferers; they have given up. By seeking treatment you can make progress toward clearing up your skin. And with clearer skin and the consequential renewed confidence you will see that I was right.
Jessica Alabama says:
Hi there!
Nice blog…and very informative too. Cystic acne are really painful…I agree with the writer that people should not loose heart if the first treatment doesn’t work. People have different skin types, so its not necessary that what suits your friend would you too. Before opting for any acne medication for cystic acne, patients should consult with a good dertmatologist.
August 1st, 2009 at 8:09 am
michelle says:
The Made from Earth Rosehip & Hibiscus Face Serum is EXCELLENT for controlling my acne breakouts. I’ve tried many more expensive products, even those recommended by various dermatologists but the products didn’t give me consistent acne control.
Then my doctor (not a dermatologist) suggested I try the Made from Earth Rosehip & Hibiscus Face Serum and I’ve never looked back. It works well under make-up, and with other skin care products and I saw immediate results as my breakouts got less and less and now I just have one or two (if any) mild pimples a month, when I used to get from six to ten bad pimples in a month, many during the same week. Also my pimples come less frequently so my face has more time to heal and blemishes disappear.
Even if you only bought it once, this product is much cheeper than many acne products out there claiming to help heal or control acne prone skin. I’ve told so many people of all ethnic skin types, age groups, and sexes about this product, even strangers, because I know that they are looking for a product that works to control acne. If I had only found it sooner I could have avoided some of my acne scars and wear on my skin. That’s why I telling you now; for the price you should BUY IT/TRY IT. Made from Earth also has great acne cleansers, like the Green Tea Toxin Cleanser and other products; including wrinkle creams.
Since I have sensitive skin I only use the Rosehip Face Serum and the Green Tea Toxin Cleanser – best combination and finally cleared up my face!!
September 12th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Skin Care says:
I recently came across your blog. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Very informative and nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
October 6th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
skyler dance says:
thanks i will try tht. my recomendations are eating healthy and exersising. i know tht many ppl feel thts just a myth but it really helped me. it makes sense really if u exesise u can sweet out the bacteria tht breaks ur face out. if u eat the right foods it’ll help from the inside out. also u need topical things i recomend a microdebrasion kit (the one from biore is only $7 from walmart) tates natural acne miracle is good. burts bees also is VERY good. also try crushing asprin with vinegar and leaving it overnight ( try it as a mask first to see how sensitive ur skin is u may not wanna leave on all night)
December 31st, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Acne Resource Center says:
Thanks for the very informative post, is retin-a also used for treating cystic acne?
March 6th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Melanie says:
Changing your diet really helps with cystic acne. I’ve always had occasional cysts on the chin thoughout my 20′s but also long stretches where I had clear skin. Anyway, I moved to NYC for Grad school, where I had no kitchen to really cook, and was on a budget! I’ve always had a problems with eating a lot of junkfood, sugar. I was hardly eating all day for one. I’d eat a lot of chocolate, candies and Starbucks Lattes daily, chips..etc. I also have problems with chronic constipation and rarely have normal Bowel Movement. Anyway, I got a massive outbreak of cysts on my chin that I couldn’t control…they were even getting severely infected! So I decided to go on a crazy health kick. I started drinking three cups of green tea a day, took a multi-vitamin, Vitamin B complex, and an Omega- 3 capsule. On top of that I tried a fiber cleanse at the health food store so I could fix my constipation problem and drank more water. I also ate one massive salad a day with as much greens and vegetables as possible! I also cut out chocolate and sugar (as best as I could) and how about it…all my cysts went away and I have perfect skin right now.
So, Dermatologists love to tell you, what you eat doesn’t matter but it does. Studies show that sugar can cause wrinkles and pre-mature aging! If it can cause wrinkles, it can cause acne! If you’re unhealthy on the inside, you will look unhealthy (acne, other problems) on the outside. Also if you’re constipated, you have toxins in your body and those toxins will come out in different ways, in some cases acne!
So, of couse, exfoliate and wash your face well, (use the acne creams..etc) but also be as healthy as you possibly can on the inside and it might help!
May 8th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
George Cleanthous says:
Hi Melanie,
Thanks you for sharing that information!
I have always promoted healthy diet as the best treatment for acne, despite all the negative responses, so it’s great to hear your story and for others to see it as well.
If you’re interested, I wrote an article a while back on the reasons diet plays such a big role in causing acne: http://www.myacnereview.com/2006/10/29/what-causes-acne-behind-the-science/
And also, if it helps, there is a raw vegetable cleanse/fast that I find effective as an alternative to pharmacy-bought cleanses, and it is the fastest-acting treatment I have seen for those occasional outbreaks: http://www.myacnereview.com/2007/02/05/the-first-step-to-curing-acne/
Hope you find the information useful and thank you again for your comments.
George
May 31st, 2010 at 2:05 am
forehead acne treatment says:
thanks for this info!
this really helps me!
Hope you find the information useful and thank you again for your comments.
Michael.
August 30th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Watti says:
Thank you a lot guys!
I find this site really among few that doesnt’t want to promote a certain drug or estetic treatment but really help people. I admire you Mr Cleanthous for doing this site for free and just want to help people. I am a student in Molecular Biology and during a puberty I have had no problems with my skin, but from some years I have a cystic acne and it is really difficult to deal with. I have been always searching for natural cure and trying different chemicals prescribed to me by dermatologists. My acne appears and goes away. It is not so serious but I am affraid of scarring because it stays forever and I have enough already. I am a student and I don’t have much money to spend for expensive procedures or chemicals. Accutane is a quite expensive drug but for sure I will take Vitamin A and all vegetables containing it. I will try the Vinegar washing and to drink Green Tea and Lemon juice. I remember some months ago my skin was quite well and I was thinking is because of the essential oils (Tea tree, rosmarin and lemon) that I used to solve in milk and apply to my skin, but probably the fact I was taking every morning my favourite Orange juice with real lemon juice inside has had some effect on my toxin’s level.
So I think it is a time to meet a healthier life and try also some exercises and be careful what I am eating.
If you have something to recommend to me about scars, I will be very grateful. I have read about Helichrysium oil but I don’t know if it could have any effect.
Good luck and I sincerely hope all of us to find a correct treatment!
P.S. I apologize for my English, but I am not a native speaker.
October 3rd, 2010 at 4:08 pm