Cystic Acne, also known as nodulocystic acne is one of the most severe kinds of acne that you can get. It differs from regular acne in that it is much deeper, it affects your skin tissue much further into your body than regular acne does. This makes it more troublesome and difficult to deal with and harder to figure out how to get rid of cystic acne.
Before we look at why it is troublesome it is helpful to look at the cause, the acne consists of cystic abscesses, which are caused when the oil ducts on the skin gets infected, deep under the skin. The fact that the infection is so deep causes cysts which are a lot deeper than traditional acne and therefore more difficult to get rid of.
The deepness and severity make it a problem for a few reasons, the main one being scarring – scarring is unfortunately very common with cystic acne. It is caused by the deepness of the infection which damages the collagen at the deep skin level, which can leave some unfortunate scars.
Nevertheless, despite the deep and damaging nature of cystic acne there are some methods of how to get rid of cystic acne – both home remedies that you can implement right now, and medical remedies – which you would have to make a doctors appointment for. Below I have listed some of both.
Home Cystic Acne Remedies
Baking Soda
Baking soda is an effective remedy to reduce the appearance and scope of your acne, it is even effective against this severe form of acne due to its antiseptic properties.
To use baking soda as a remedy you need to take 1-2 tablespoons of the soda and add water, keep mixing while adding the water until a paste is formed. Apply the paste to your face for around 20 minutes then wash off with water and then moisturize your skin. If you keep doing this you should see a reduction in your acne after a while.
The baking soda also soaks up excess oil from your face, decreasing the chance of further acne forming.
Do Not Pinch, Pop Or Squeeze
One thing you must absolutely not do, no matter how tempting is to pinch, pop or squeeze your cystic acne. While it is true that in some severe cases doctors will lance the acne – doing it yourself can be extremely risky, you risk causing severe permanent scarring to your face. Also if you don’t get the root of the cyst – which can be very deep, then it will just regrow and potentially come back significantly works than it was before.
The only circumstance where it is OK to pinch, pop or squeeze on your cystic acne is if it has downsized and become a normal pimple filled with pus – that you would pop anyway. But if you have any doubt leave at alone – as you really do not want scars.
Monitor Your Diet
Although diet is not everything when it comes to acne, cleaning yours up will certainly help. Recent evidence suggests that a low-glycemic diet – rich in , veggies, beans, and whole grains can help you improve your acne (not to mention it is a healthy diet anyway).
Studies also suggest that taking in less dairy is beneficial, you do not need to completely eradicate it from your diet but a significant cutback should see an improvement in your cystic acne.
Toothpaste
Some might consider this to be useless advice but it really does work and for the little effort that it takes it is definitely worth a shot.
Simply apply a dab of toothpaste to each cyst (gel based toothpaste only) and in the morning your cysts should be noticeably smaller. This is achieved because the alcohol and fluoride that are contained in toothpaste kill the bacteria within and dry up the acne. Make sure you leave the toothpaste on for at least 15 minutes, or overnight if you can as this will lead to the best results.
A Daily Routine To Help Reduce Cystic Acne
If you follow this daily routine you can help to reduce your cystic acne.
Firstly when you get up wash your face with a water soluble cleanser, this will help prevent oil build ups which keep you from getting clogged pores which can increase cystic acne. Then moisturize, both after you have washed your face and several times throughout the day. Make sure you exfoliate at least once a week, use a salicylic exfoliant which is acid-based, as this will peel off the dead skin.
Finally make sure you use anything that has been prescribed by your dermatologist, do all of these things every day and slowly but surely your cystic acne will clear up.
Medical Cystic Acne Remedies
Visit A Dermatologist
Although some of the other remedies can certainly help you on your quest of how to get rid of cystic acne you must visit a dermatologist if you do have it. It is the most severe form of acne so it is best to have a professional look at it as they can recommend some proper treatment including various creams and ointments that you will not be able to get over the counter. There are also a variety of oral antibiotics as well some minor surgical options that can help treat you.
Use the advice that you get from your doctor in conjunction with some of the other tips and you are bound to see a significant improvement in your cystic acne.
Steroid Injections – The Fastest Way To Reduce Cysts
If you are looking for a speedy way to reduce your cystic acne then you need to get a corticosteroid injection from your doctor. It is not a lasting solution but it is the best and quickest way to temporarily reduce the size and appearance of your acne.
When you visit your doctor he will inject the corticosteroid straight into your cysts, this will cause almost immediate reduction in size.
Conclusion
Whichever method you choose you are going to have to understand that it is very difficult to completely fathom how to get rid of cystic acne due to its severity but take the steps above and you can reduce it significantly. Remember, eventually it will go away so don’t get too down about it.
