Everything You Need to Know about Treating Cystic Acne

The Cystic Acne Lowdown

Cystic acne, marked by inflammation and bacterial involvement, results from the infiltration of pores by a combination of bacteria and sebum when the skin is inadequately cleansed. What sets cystic acne apart from its common counterpart is how it forms beneath the skin.

Cystic acne exhibits a deeper structure with a protective barrier of skin surrounding it. Despite the instinctual urge to address it by popping, this is not a viable solution. Notably, cystic acne lacks the characteristic pus content that would typically indicate its readiness for extraction—therefore, the absence of a white surface.

These persistent cystic acne lesions, devoid of the telltale sign of ripeness, persist for extended periods, significantly impacting the quality of life for those affected. Furthermore, their healing process is notably prolonged compared to typical acne lesions.

To effectively manage cystic acne, it necessitates a targeted approach to reduce inflammation, curb excessive oil production, and address bacterial overgrowth. Importantly, attempting to extract or "pop" cystic acne is strongly discouraged for optimal skincare outcomes.

How to Treat Cystic Acne 

Treating cystic acne often requires a comprehensive approach to address both the symptoms and underlying causes. Here's a guide on how to treat cystic acne:

1. Use Ice Right Away: Iceing the site of your cystic breakout will help bring down the swelling, making your acne less sore and noticeable. While also decreasing itchiness, pain, and redness. (DO NOT put ice or ice packs directly on your skin! Too much cold can cause frostbite or cold-exposure hives called urticaria). Lay it against your breakout in 30 to 60-second increments for up to 5 minutes. It should have a gentle numbing effect.
2. Topical Treatments: Skip the OTCs, most over-the-counter acne products are targeted at surface-level breakouts, not at the deep-dwelling issues that fuel cystic acne. So don’t bother unearthing that half-used bottle of OTC acne wash. Even if you start washing with it eight times a day, the active ingredients won’t penetrate far enough into your skin to make much of a difference
3. Maintain a Healthy Skincare Routine: Use a mild, non-comedogenic cleanser to prevent further irritation. Avoid harsh scrubbing, as it can worsen inflammation. Use a non-comedogenic moisturizer to prevent excessive dryness, especially if using drying acne medications.
4. Encourage Drainage: Apply a warm compress to the affected area, after you’ve cleansed, to help reduce inflammation and encourage the cyst to come to a head. Choose what you’d like to use as your compress, and soak it in warm or hot water, wringing out the excess. You can then lay the warm compress over the affected area for 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat up to three times a day to help shrink that stubborn cyst!
5. Avoid Picking or Squeezing: As tempting as it may be, avoid picking or squeezing cystic acne. This can worsen inflammation, lead to scarring, and potentially spread the infection.
6. Stress Management: Practice stress-reducing activities such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises.
7. Try a Spot Treatment: Now that your cyst has been thoroughly cleaned, drained, and soothed, you can apply a spot treatment to help detoxify your skin and balance the oil production around your breakout. Keep in mind, spot treatments are only as good as the product you use. The Clear Skin Elixir works overnight and uses mineral-rich ingredients like coral and French pink clay to restore and purify acne-prone skin. Plus, the Elixir is designed to be worn overnight, so you can let those healing ingredients sink in without drawing extra attention to your breakout.
8. Cleanse Away Dirt and Bacteria: Nothing can replace a good face cleansing. Use a sensitive-skin face wash to target bacteria and pore-cloggers like dirt and dead skin cells. Clearing these impurities can help undercut your acne’s severity. Just don’t go overboard with harsh synthetic cleansers, instead, focus on skincare that clarifies and nourishes your skin without stripping away its natural moisture. 
9. Dietary Changes: Include a diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Some individuals find reducing dairy or foods with a high glycemic index beneficial, though scientific evidence varies. Eliminating refined sugars and dairy, including milk, cheese, and yogurt, from your diet for at least a few weeks, you can see improvement quicker than you think.

Cystic acne doesn't have to be a permanent, life-long sentence to unhappy days. You can achieve the ideal skin that you've always dreamed of, and it can happen sooner than you imagined. The main goal is to use products that won't clog pores, reduce inflammation, and stop cystic acne at the root. 

The final and most important step in your fight against cystic acne? 

Don’t give up!

What to Do Next? Try Averr Aglow’s Clear Skin Kit

Tired of feeling lost and confused about what you should do to get clear, smooth skin? Order the Clear Skin Kit.

The Clear Skin Kit contains products specially crafted with the perfect blend of natural ingredients that help soothe and calm red, irritated skin while also clearing up breakouts. If you struggle with sensitive acne/breakout-prone skin, hormonal acne, cystic acne, or rosacea, then you’ll be happy you found this complete routine.

Please understand, that results may vary, we’re not selling you a miracle product and would never try to position or state that you will get a true result in only a few days. In our clinical trials, most users found the most results at the 30-day and then the 56-day mark by sticking with our routine.

What is Averr Aglow®?

Averr means Truth. We have pioneered a revolutionary no-rinse cleansing routine specifically tailored to address problematic skin issues.

Hi, I’m Camille, founder of Averr Aglow, and I help adult women who are battling breakouts and acne get clear skin results like they have never seen before, even if nothing has worked for them in the past. 

After battling breakouts for over 16 years, trying every skincare product under the sun, and visiting countless professionals like dermatologists, nutritionists, and hormonal doctors, I finally learned why nothing seemed to work on clearing up my skin, what truly causes breakouts and acne, and EXACTLY what to do to get clear skin results – and I want to help you do the same. 

Let me help you! Read my full testimonial here.