Of all the types of acne someone can get, cystic acne is both the most frustrating to treat and can be the most damaging to the skin. Acne cysts can cause scarring because it stretches and damages the surrounding tissue deep within skin leading to indentations and red, dark or purple marks. (Read: How Can I Fade My Acne Scars?)
What is cystic acne? Hard, painful blemishes that develop deep within the skin, often appear on the chin or jawline and can linger for weeks.
Here are solutions for acne cysts:
Do not pick. Despite being sore, you’ll never get that infection out. If you attempt to, you’ll most certainly have a scar that will linger for months. The rule is: If a whitehead does not form (which they never do if it’s a true cyst) then hands off!
Prevent cysts by cutting out your intake of dairy. When you develop cystic breakouts, specifically on the chin, jaw line and neck area, it might be a sign that you’re getting more dairy in your diet than your body can tolerate. Your skin acts as an excretory system to get rid of things that your body is not in agreement with, so when you eat too much dairy (and since dairy is naturally harder to digest) it comes out in the form of cystic blemishes in the lower area of the face…
The best way to determine if your acne cysts are directly related to your intake of dairy is to completely cut dairy out of your diet for two weeks. If you don’t develop any new cysts and you normally would have by now, then this might solve your problem! It doesn’t mean that you cannot eat any dairy at all. Slowly introduce dairy back into your diet, and if you start breaking out again, that’s your body’s tolerance level.
Treat the cyst immediately. Dab on Renée Rouleau Anti-Cyst Treatment as soon as the cyst forms and it will dramatically reduce the infection and cut the healing time, at least by half. The longer the cyst has time to develop, the more you’ll increase your chances of scarring the skin. You need to put the fire out—fast!
Apply ice to reduce inflammation. If you don’t have a bottle of our Anti-Cyst Treatment, applying ice to the cyst can help take down swelling to reduce soreness.
Read: How To Get Rid Of A Blemish Fast
Prevent cysts from appearing. Our amazing Anti-Cyst Treatment can also be used to prevent new cysts from forming. When used twice a week on areas prone to cysts, you may find they won’t show up at all! How to use: Perform your regular night time routine and then using a damp tissue, wipe the area clean where you are prone to getting cysts. Apply a thin coat of Anti-Cyst Treatment to the area and let dry. This can be used every night for severe cases (those who get new cysts appearing daily), but if you’re only getting them occasionally (once a week), twice a week should do the trick. If you’re prone to getting them during your cycle, use it three days before.
Optional: Get a cortisone shot. It can certainly work well, but who has the time to wait around at a doctor’s office? Plus, some people can experience injection atrophy, where the skin indents from the cortisone and can take up to 9 months to naturally fill back in.
Read: Eye Makeup Remover That Won’t Make Eyes Sting
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Celebrity Esthetician & Skincare Expert
As an esthetician trained in cosmetic chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 30 years researching skin, educating her audience, and building an award-winning line of products. Her hands-on experience as an esthetician and trusted skin care expert has created a real-world solution — products that are formulated for nine different types of skin so your face will get exactly what it needs to look and feel its best. Trusted by celebrities, editors, bloggers, and skincare obsessives around the globe, her vast real-world knowledge and constant research are why Marie Claire calls her “the most passionate skin practitioner we know.”
Comments:
Hi Renee,
I get cystic acne on my forehead. I have read a lot about cystic acne around the chin area, but nothing really about getting it on the forehead. I have had this problem for a few years now. I can’t find a pattern to it, but it gets worse every time I eat chocolate. I know this sounds crazy, but my face can be clear and I accidentally eat chocolate, and wake up the next day with a painful cyst on my forehead. If you have any advice on this matter I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
Posted By: Amy |
You very well may have solved it. I have heard some people say chocolate is the cause of their breakouts so this might be the case for you.
Posted By: Renée Rouleau |
Hi there,
I had a what I thought was a boil (developed over 3 weeks) so I had it drained a month or so ago.
5 weeks later and it’s hard, bumpy and red under the surface, I’ve been told that this might mean it was a cyst. I’ve been to the dermatologist I am on antibiotics. I am due to go back in 5 weeks. If it hasn’t settled he suggested cortisone injection as a last resort. He did mention it could cause an atrophy.
My question is does this product work on a cyst that has already been drained? I am getting married in 7 months and I am so desperate to get this sorted. I’ve been dealing with this for over 2 months now.
Posted By: Paula |
It’s difficult for me to say how this product will work for your situation, but if it were me, I would definitely try it first, in place of getting a cortisone injection. This product certainly will not cause the skin to atrophy so it’s important to exhaust all of your other options.
Posted By: Renée Rouleau |
Thank you Renee!
Posted By: Paula |
Hi Renee,
I have a clutter of red and purple cysts on both of my cheeks, on one side they seem to be disappearing, as far as the other they don’t seem to be going away. They are extremely visible not even makeup can cover them up and it seems I get a new cyst before my cycles. I was wondering if you carry any products for scarring? Also, if I have had the same cysts for a little over a year will this treatment prevent them from becoming inflamed again?
Thanks, and am looking forward to your response.
Posted By: Kyr |
Dear Renee
If hormones can be the problem for cysts would going thru menopause help? Something to actually look forward to if your answer is yes. I also found silicone pads can help bring swelling down along with your anti cyst product. One more ? can you become immune to anti cyst product if you use it too much? I know certain meds don’t work after a while. Thank you look forward to hearing your answer.
Posted By: Angie |
Hi Angie, No, you can’t become immune to Anti Cyst Treatment. As for menopause, any kind of hormonal changes can improve (or worsen) acne, if in fact the cause of your cysts are hormonal, which it’s really hard to know.
Posted By: Renée Rouleau |
hello,
Is your anti cyst treatment safe to use while pregnant? I am 15 weeks and starting to get that awful pregnancy acne rather than the promising “glow”
Posted By: Jackie |
Yes, Jackie. It’s safe to use during pregnancy.
Posted By: Renée Rouleau |
Hi Renee, the cyst is still there and it feels take taking forever to get it healed (6 weeks and I’m using anti-cyst treatment for 3 weeks now, applying 4 times a day or more). Any other advices?
Posted By: cyntia |
It sounds like it’s not an infected cyst if it’s not responding to all the treatment you’ve been doing. It’s best to see a dermatologist to see what it is.
Posted By: Renée Rouleau |
Thank you for answers Renee- Happy Thanks Giving!
Posted By: cyntia |
I also apply more than twice a day, perhaps 4 times… I am so eager to get this cyst out of my face. Is it OK?
Posted By: cyntia |
Yes, it’s okay to apply the Anti Cyst Treatment more than twice a day. As for eating yogurt, every person’s body responds differently to dairy so you just have to experiment to see if it’s affecting your skin negatively. For some people, eating dairy is NOT the cause of their cystic acne but for many it is. For those who are affected, some can’t eat any dairy at all but many can eat a little but not a lot.
Posted By: Renée Rouleau |
Hi Renee, I have been using your acne cyst treatment for nearly a week now. I was using other product like Kate Somervilles and Differin before. It gets smaller but still there. Averagely how long it takes for the cyst to go away with this product? Thanks!
Posted By: Cyntia |
Every skin will respond differently based on your body’s own chemistry. Most will find they get a 50% quicker recovery than not using it at all. So if your cysts take two weeks to go away, then perhaps it would go down within a week.
Posted By: Renée Rouleau |
Thank you for your quick response- this cyst is annoying located between my eyebrows. I don’t eat a lot of dairy products except taking 200g yogurt per day. Is it too much?
Posted By: cyntia |
Hi,
Do you ship to the United Arab Emirates?
I only get cysts on my forehead for some reason and I cannot pin point exactly why i’m getting them. I have dairy occasionally and I’ve tried everything, from herbal blends/pills, to ointments.
Please advise, thank you so much!
Posted By: Nadia |
Yes, we sure do. Our website accepts all UAE orders.
Posted By: Renée Rouleau |
I suffer from PCOS and since coming off the pill, in order to try to conceive, I’ve been battling horrendous breakouts. I’ve replaced dairy with hazelnut milk, and try to eat only sheep/goats cheese, avoid gluten. I have perfect skin from my forehead down to my lips, my chin, is a total warzone. I tend to get cysts in clusters that are horrendously painful and almost disfiguring, to the point my bottom lip can swell from it.
I’m UK based, do you have any UK stockists? Are there any other products you would recommend aside from the anti-cyst gel?
Posted By: Mini |
The Renée Rouleau products are sold exclusively http://www.ReneeRouleau.com and in our two Texas skin care spas. We currently have no future plans to have them sold elsewhere but our site does accept all international orders, so shop on line. We send to the UK all the time. As for other products, the BHA Clarifying Serum is amazing as is the AHA/BHA Cleansing Gel. Choose your skin type and it will suggest products. Click here https://www.reneerouleau.com/pages/skin-type-quiz You’ll love the line!
Posted By: Renée Rouleau |