If you're in your 20s or 30s, you've probably experienced stubborn breakouts on your chin. And no matter how much you exfoliate or get facials, a few stubborn lumps won't go away. Welcome to the wonderful world of cystic acne!
Cystic acne differs from your everyday, run-of-the-mill pimple farm. This kind of spot is buried under the skin, so it won't come to a head no matter the amount of poking and prodding you do. Worse yet, the cysts can be red, tender and sore. And lucky for us women, hormones make them more common for us than for men—which is why these devils pop up around that time of the month. To find out what you can do about cystic acne, just read more
Unfortunately, there's no magic treatment to clear up cystic acne. Don't even think about trying to squeeze the cysts, as you'll just wind up with a lot of pain and potential scarring. (Really, don't do it!) In a few weeks or even months, most of these zits clear up on their own. In more extreme cases, a few treatment options can improve the situation:
- It won't eliminate cystic acne, but gently applying a warm-to-hot wet washcloth on the pimple seems to help it disappear a little more quickly. It could just be the placebo effect, but at the very least, it's soothing and calming.
- Birth control pills regulate hormones, which minimizes the breakout factor; but, as is the case with any other medication, you might experience side effects. I use YAZ, a low-dose pill approved by the FDA to keep women minimally zitty (and minimally pregnant). I still break out a little bit each month, but nowhere near as badly as I used to.
- Topical retinoids such as Retin-A Micro can help clear up cystic acne, but things might get worse before they get better—be prepared for peeling, redness and photosensitivity. I tried Retin-A Micro a few years ago and decided the side effects weren't for me, but your experience could be different.
- Accutane is considered the last-resort option for severe, recurring cystic acne. While it's largely effective, most dermatologists I've talked to say they won't prescribe it unless it's the sole remaining option due to the side effects (which can include birth defects).
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Interesting, thanks for the info.
1This is really interesting. I have had a few of these and I freaked out. I thought there was something wrong with the way I was taking care of my skin, almost as if I was exfoliating and skin was growing over a pimple.
This is a good article, thanks!
2I get so many of these and I hate them! They're huge, red, PAINFUL, and they take forever to go away. Plus they're really difficult to cover with concealer.
3Hmmm. I had no idea about this!
4you always was seem to be right on topic for me. i had one of these last month and it HURT. it was really bad, definitely not like normal zits. and i think i am getting another one again now. gross. last month i stole my bro's retin-a to try on it and you are right, all it did was make the skin on top red adn peely- nothing for the actual bump. it did eventually go away- but still, these are annoying!
5I get these around my cheeks and undder my eyes and on my eyelids they turn into blackheads after you TRY to pop them and i am only 18 and i get them!
6Right now I have an ugly one on my forehead and one on my lower chin. I need to get rid of them before a big costume party on Saturday! I hate the ones that pop up right before big event!
7I had a couple once and I just couldn't bring myself to prod at them. They seemed like .. pretend moles trying to pop out. Ew..
8Wow, I never knew... I started getting these pretty bad in the last few months, which I thought was weird because the rest of my complexion has gotten significantly better in the past year. (Whoever said their 20's wasn't the most fun and liberating beauty period never had bad skin as a kid.) Phew. I'm not a freak!!!
9ughh, i get them on my chin all the time and i have a pretty clear complexion. what's worse is getting them on my nose!!!
10ugh! I am sitting here feeling ugly because i have a huge gash on my chin... the result of picking at what was inititally a medium size cystic pimple. I just went to the dermatologist last week after not going for years because i felt i had tried everything... even accutane when i was a teenager. Nothing worked. No I am trying Differin cream every 2 days (because it dries out my skin too much) paired with Clenia to help calm the skin. At first I thought it was helping but two more small cysts came up days later. The differin DOES say it might get worse before it gets better.
My advice... try anything but DON'T use accutane. It permanently shrinks oil glands which is why I now have dry skin that is sensitive to everything and yet it did nothing for my acne. I got one year of clear skin after I took it, but that was it and that was 9 years ago.
11This sounds awful and I'm starting to wonder if a friend of mine may have this. Up until 2 months ago she had perfect skin, but she has all of these symptoms
12Xlove33, don't feel ugly! It sounds like we all get these nasty spots. How do you like Clenia? I, too, was prescribed it but it didn't do much for me.
13It sounds like this is what I used to have. My derm never told me what it was, just generally referred to it as acne. Ive been on Clindagel and Differin for a few years now, and it works great. I only have one blemish every month or so (due to those pesky hormones).
14My derm prescribed me Benzaclin, a topical treatment and I haven't had a cyst since! I have to admit it was very drying at first and my face hurt so bad I thought it was going to fall off, but I cut back from the recommended twice daily application to once every other day. That was enough for me and my face is completely clear without any dryness or pain going on a year now.
15Well it's only been a week, but I think the Clenia really helps to calm the skin and it helps it heal. On the down side I have found that, although it's not supposed to be drying, it has had that effect on my skin. It is also supposed to help with rosacea. I have very subtle rosacea which my derm said was likely the result of the Accutane.
All in all, I have high hopes for it. The Differin is going to be harder to stick to due to the drying effects.
16If you have these see a doctor... now. I had this problem and no matter what I tried nothing worked. My doctor prescribed me a low dose antibiotic that I take twice a day everyday and I haven't had another one since. Now my skin care regiment is dove soap and moisturizer. I wish I would have known that it wasn't the way I took care of my skin a long time ago.
17While I know Accutane does not work for everyone (I have one friend who has taken two rounds of it), I found the results to be well worth the inconvenience of monthly blood tests and doctor's visits. I suffered with severe acne on both my face and back for years. Prescription topical creams staved it off for several years, but once my body built up an immunity to them, it came right back. Accutane was a lifesaver. Though I still get breakouts here and there on my face, it has made a world of difference for me.
18I get these along with regular breakouts. I was prescribed Differin and I used for about 9 months. I wasn't really satisfied. I was also prescribed an antibiotic which I stopped after three or four months. It didn't seem to do much and it lowers your birth control effectivness.
19I'm with Wilkam. I used to get BAD cystic acne, since I went on Accutane about 11 years ago, I hardly ever get bad breakouts anymore. Just a few zits before my period and that's it.
I am a big supporter of Accutane, I know there's a lot of bad press on it but it's the only thing that worked for me. The only side effect I had was really dry, chapped lips that my derm gave me a subscription lip treatment for. I know about the birth defects, however I took it before I was sexually active. They give you pics of what your baby would look like if you conceived on Accutane, it was not pretty... They recommend 2 tried and true forms of birth control before taking it.
20Another thing to try... if you are open to it. Is seeing an herbalist. I initially went because my period didn't come back after I stopped taking birth control. While being helped for that it also became clear that the herbs helped my skin too. I go on and off the herbs and each time i am off of it for too long the cystic acne comes back. Also taking Omega 3's and flax oil has helped a lot too.
21I have two right now, and it totally sucks, but I just switched to YAZ a few days ago, so I am hopeful this will help with the two I get every month! I am a clean freak, so it is refreshing to know that it is not a cleanliness problem, but rather hormonal.
22I've had a few on my chin before, and the way I get rid of them is pretty barbaric: I clean a pin with alcohol and stab the pimple as deep as I can. As soon as my eyes stop watering I can drain it. But you have to wait till the zit is big and feels hard. You're right Bella, no amount of regular popping will take care of them. Ugh, I hate those things!
23I've got a nasty scar on my cheek from not leaving one of these alone. Any advice on how to get rid of it? The meloderma scar gel doesn't seem to be working.
24I usually get one or two on my chin every month. I figured it was normal though because my mom who is in her 40's just started getting these. They are horrible! They hurt so much, don't cover up and they are huge!
25Ugh these are awful. I have to wonder if it's also genetic because my mom still gets them. I just have to force myself to leave them alone and they do eventually go away in a couple weeks. It's just so weird to have lumps in your skin.
26I am so glad you put up this article about cystic acne. I think these are something that not many people recognize or make products to treat and I had always told my friends about them [acne cysts] but all of my friends are fortunate enough to have beautiful clear skin. I have found the most relief by using the NuvaRing (a vaginally inserted birth control device) and by using prescription Differin Gel. They are both life savers! I am 23 and for the first time in my life I have clear skin (except around my period when I do get a few smaller pimples and maybe one acne cyst). I hope this info helps someone because my aunt is the one who recommended the Differin Gel to me because she gets them also (and she's in her 30's!). The gel is good for spot treatment, but the hormones in the NuvaRing really have made my skin very clear. I've been on many different types of birth control to help regulate my periods and help my pimples, but the NuvaRing is by far the best birth control product I've found. Not only do I have about a 3 day period, but I only have to think about it once every 21 days! (You put it in for 21, take it out for 7 and then put a new one in on your eighth day). Seriously the biggest life saver!
27Smartypantssuga, have you been to a dermatologist? I think he or she might be able to help. Don't quote me on this, but certain laser therapies could minimize the scar, depending on how large it is.
28Vitamin E used topically also will help scars appear less noticeable or help them disappear.
29yes -- laser treatments are wonderful for cystic acne! levulan with blu u is especially effective! the befores and afters are amazing. levulan is this stick that comes in powder form and applied on the face and then it is "activated" by light. a mild sunburn is created and that's when you start to peel. I've seen befores and afters of people with severe cystic acne and they look like completely different people. In this day and age, there's so much you can do without relying on things like Accutane which in my opinion is WAY over-prescribed.
30I get these and so does my sister. We both have found different products that help us, but both have glycolic acid asthe key ingredient .
I use La Thérapie Glycolic Lotion Renew (http://www.timetospa.com/product.asp?category%5Fname=135&product%5Fid=10...) w/ 10% gylcolic acid. It can dry a little at first, but now I use it every night. Whenever I've run out of it, I start to get the littl perma-zits again. Once I start using it, they're gone about 2 weeks later.
My sister like the Juice Organics line (http://www.juiceorganics.com/). Her chin and mouth were really breaking out, but now she only gets one about once a month.
31Aww, I hate cysts so much!
32:| I still have this one that was on my nose...it's from 2 years ago... T_T
They're so hard to cover with concealer... It looks like a big purple spot...or a tumour, as my friends call it, lol.
ahhh so this is what they are called!! they hurt soo bad I HATE THEM andi dont get them to often but when i do.. wow its painful and i always try and squeeze it! soo now i knnow not to touch! i also find tannin helps me a little bit when i start to break it cuz it drys my face a little bit, make me look darker too which hides most of my scares!
33I hate those bumps! They are annoying and sometimes painful.
34glad to know i'm not the only one lol thoug hi never got them til recently. i got some normal zits every so often, but never these huge monster things. i wonder if its stress also. i used to have horrible skin but i've been on the pill for years and that totally helped. i feel bad because my brother has tried every cream and medicine under the sun and nothing helped him.. i lucked out being a girl and being able to take birth control!
35the first time I had one of these I pick and proded and ended up with a scar. So DON'T do that. Now I just use a hot compress, that really does seem to reduce the swelling. I haven't tried switching to YAZ, maybe I should consider that too.
36I get one or two of these a month. The best thing I have ever tried for them is hydrocortisone cream--it makes mine disappear in three days instead of three weeks. You just can't use hydrocortisone for more than a couple of days at a time, because it thins your skin.
37Does the Zeno work for Cystic acne if you catch it early enough???
38I have one of these right now!! And one that started about 6 weeks ago that is still just a bump. All on my chin!!! I am 32 yrs old and too old for pimples.
39interesting read
40Mario Badescu's buffering lotion really does help when you have them and once you've picked them which i am learning to avoid, their whitening mask REALLY does make the scars go away but it takes weeks.
41Cystic acne takes patience to overcome - i also use Aveeno's Correction Treatment which is great for getting rid of scars.
i get these all the time, it seems to be the only type of acne i get anymore. they hurt so bad! i really have to tell myself not to pick at them, because all that happens is more pain. i wish that they would go away! i'd take antibiotics to get rid of them, but i'm on the pill and antibiotics make the pill ineffective. and my skin is really dry, too, so the fact that i get acne under my peeling dry skin makes me wonder wtf am i doing wrong?
42I, too, went on Accutane when I was 17 years old (I'm 28 now). The pictures of the birth defects were enough to scare me away from any kind of sexual activity. I had HORRIBLE acne until I went on Accutane. I have some scarring on my cheeks from before, and I do still have problems with dry skin related to taking the Accutane. I have the occasional pimple that dries up on its own in 1-2 days, and it was covered by my dad's insurance, so it was well worth it for me!
Cystic acne sucks!
43JBlondie–
44I looked into the ZENO thing in hopes that it would be great for these awful bumps but it says that it is not for use on cystic acne. If only it could have been that simple, right?
I have one on my cheek. I actually just went to the doctor this morning to find out what I can do about it. He gave me a shot of something which helped the cyst go down a little but he said that I might have to get it removed surgically!
45Wow, I am so happy to hear others talk about this! I went on Accutane 6 years ago, which did wonders for my inflammatory acne. But nothing has ever done anything for the cysts. I swear I have had some that were in my skin for MONTHS. It is so liberating to have one finally surface and be gone.
I started using Physiodermie products about 3 months ago, and I have seen a huge improvement in my skin overall. It actually looks healthy! I bought it out of the country, but it can be found online in the states. They have a line made for "skin with impurities". I liked the stuff so much that I ordered more and just received it today.
They have a product that actually claims to dissolve cysts... I just started using it, so hopefully it will work. The only problem is that the products are WAY expensive- and they don't say what is in them, except that they are all natural. I think it is a national secret in Switzerland. But, at least they don't make my face a red peeling mess!
Keep your fingers crossed, if anyone is interested I can let you know how this new product works.
46I JUST developed one of these two days ago and have been wondering what it is, I can't believe that I found my answer just browsing through the Sugar Network! Unfortunately, I'm always bad about picking, so now it's worse than just a bump, but I'll know to leave it alone.
47i get these on my cheeks sometimes! and before I knew anything about them i picked and picked (im a picker
) and now i have scars...it is awful, i always had clear skin and just started getting these on my cheeks in the past few years (i'm 27). my bareescentuals covers them pretty
well but i still hate them. ive given up hope of clearing the scars (they are still red some of them) because i cant afford dermatology. i just exfloate and no longer pick! one time i had a
massive breakout (about 2 weeks after a very very very stressful event) and i got a prescription from my doctor to clear them up, i wish i had health insurance now. anyway, it sure is nice to
see others talking about these darn things.
48Zeno helps when I get those huge cystic pimples because it makes the healing process faster and less tender. At least, this has been my experience. I know Zeno is expensive but I love it. Consider having friends/family pitch in to buy Zeno as a special gift which is how I got my lovely pale blue Zeno.
49I think this is what I get when I react to my SPF face cream
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