Beware of Acne Cysts

As a teenager dealing with acne, every day can come with a new frustration. It’s almost unbelievable that you can go to sleep one night, and wake up the next day with aesthetic additions on your face. While whiteheads and blackheads are truly aggravating in terms of their daily or weekly intrusion, they can be managed.

Dealing with Acne Cysts

However, acne becomes a lot more serious when dealing with problems associated with acne cysts, or what is commonly referred to as cystic acne. What is the best way to treat an acne cyst, and what are the possible effects of having to deal with them in a chronic nature? They can be quite severe, and they do require a consistent treatment to be “dealt with” as well as prevented in the future.

Understanding Acne Cysts

To set aside the improper methods of treating acne cysts, you need to understand that no matter how badly you want to squeeze, pop, pick, prod, poke, scratch or cut, you must not do so. It’s not good to deal with any form of acne in such a manner, but attempting to deal with an acne cyst, or cystic acne in this way can lead to permanent damage in the skin.

To gain a better perspective on treating acne cysts, it will help to have a better understanding of how cystic acne forms differently from whiteheads and blackheads. In truth, there are more similarities between the types of acne than there are differences, yet one slight variable makes acne cysts occur.

All acne forms from the combined components of dead skin cells, bacteria from the skin’s surface and sebum (skin oil) clogging a follicle. Acne cysts are different because they form much deeper in the skin. This is what makes them severe, why they don’t have a “head” like other pimples, and what makes the infection potentially dangerous to the overall health of the skin.

Treating an Acne Cyst

If you have chronic problems with acne cysts, it is worth scheduling a consultation with a dermatologist. Because chronic cystic acne can lead to severe acne scarring, it’s not something that should be “waited out,” when the problem continuously persists. For occasional or rare acne cysts, it is best to be patient, increase water intake as well as eating foods that promote the health of the immune system, so the infection can be fought from the inside.

There is no external “spot treatment” that will get rid of an acne cyst in a day’s time, or even a couple days. Depending on the severity of the actual cyst, it may take several days for the swelling and infection to subside. However, with a consistent, quality skin care regimen, there are ways to deal with and prevent cystic acne from developing and becoming a regular problem.

Developing a Quality Skin Care Regimen

A quality skin care regimen capable of preventing acne cysts is as simple as combating acne where it begins. You can aid the skin in the removal of dead skin cells through exfoliation, constrict the pores with the use of a quality toner or astringent and use a quality acne cream to treat and prevent all forms of acne. A liberal application of a benzoyl peroxide based cream will aid in the skin shedding process, while also creating an oxidized environment on the skin, killing bacteria, while drying excess sebum from the surface of the skin.