"cystic acne"

[jigga_jenn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashk36 I've found that if you put the bp on while your face is still partially damp, it spreads even thinner and makes a tiny bit go a long way. What kind of moisturizer do you use, by the way? I'm still searching for something I like, with spf, that doesn't make me feel greasy, that won't break me out, and isn't ridiculously expensive! Is that too much to ask?

I totally know what you mean, I hate spending money on some product that has potential, only to find that it doesn't and makes things worse. It's so difficult to find the right stuff!

Hmm, what kind of moisturizer do I use? That's a question with a complicated answer

b/c of my very complicated face!

I bought Philosophy's Hope in a Jar b/c of its great reviews. After using it for a week, I found it was breaking me out--not in cysts (thankfully) but just tiny little red acne. So now it's sitting in the bathroom cabinet, collecting dust.

Nowadays, at night I use a clear, liquid moisturizer by Kanebo (Japanese brand) called Moistage Essence lotion. I like it b/c it absorbs quickly and I don't need to use a lot at all and I just pat it on my face. In the mornings I use Cosmedicine Medi-Matte. It's an oil control lotion with SPF 20. It is pricey though--small tube for $40, eek--so I only use it on my cheeks and T-zone and use another SPF for my whole face.

I recently bought Neutrogena's Age Shield Face sunblock with SPF 90 and I've been applying that all over my face and neck after applying the Medi-Matte. I've used it for 3 days and, so far, it's not too bad. No complaints here just yet. I haven't broken out and my face isn't any more oily than usual. I don't apply TOO much of it b/c I really hate sunblock and the way it smells, but I do make sure I have my whole face & neck covered.

HTH!

 

[IDontKnowMomo]

I have cystic breakouts from time to time and I've tried everything except for Accutane. I'm thinking about trying it soon, but idk if it's worth the hassle :[
Getting blood drawn monthly sounds pretty bad.

 

[Krista7]

I use Origins' Dr. Weill product, Plantidote, as a liquid in a pump container. You put a tiny amount on the affected area and it promises to cure "the fire within." It does a pretty good job of taking cystic acne and hurrying them along to healing. I can't say anything about breaking the cycle yet--haven't found that!

 

[Sashan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawaii02 I'm in the same boat. My dermatologist suggested microabrasion because my skin is so bumpy. However, currently, I'm doing the antibiotics and Differin.

Microdermabrasion is amazing. I had perfectly clear skin until about a year ago and then started breaking out all over my chin. I visited doctors, beauty therapists and dermatologists who did nothing but load me up with topical treatments to try. My skin continued to get worse and I wasn't keen on oral antibiotics, so that wasn't an option for me.

I was finally recommended microdermabrasion and it saved my skin. I'm now completely acne free, don't even get hormonal pimples each month, and after a few VPL treatments my scars are barely noticeable.

I didn't have cystic acne though, so it may not be suitable for you but I definitely recommend at least looking into it.

 

[mtrimier]

I have cystic acne as well, and was on oral antibiotics until they left me with some crazy side effects. They cleared my face, but caused other places to dry out and peel and crack. For now I just use the Differin cream mixed with a little clyndamicin phosphate lotion from my dermatologist whenever I feel one coming up, and resist the urge to pick at it.

Hope you find a regimen that works out for you!

 

[Pimpinett]

I have them too, and for me they are definitely hormonal - deep under the skin and quite painful. I had them in my teens, didn't see a single one for almost ten years, and then they resurfaced in my late twenties.

I switched birth control pills to a sort that is made especially to counteract hormonal acne, and that has helped a lot. I still get them occasionally, but it's one every three or four months instead of a couple of those huge, painful buggers every single month. Spot treating with benzoyl peroxide helps them go down quicker for me when I do get them, and I second the advice about not touching them.

 

[Breanne Angelo]

Anibiotics!!! Just make sure you eat plently of yogart when you take them. My father in law is a doctor and this is what he recommends and it works!!

 

[HustleRose]

i'm a little clueless when it comes to this subject. cystic acne is when you get pimples that are like bumps that feel hard like tumors and can also be somewhat painful? if so, that's what i have.

i have 2 on the left side of my face by my jaw that i swear have been there for two months. they are just bumps. they aren't even red! i've been using cetaphil, benzol peroxide 2.5%, and oil of olay moisturizer for sensitive skin and it's managed to keep every other part of my face clean except for that spot.

there was a post in the last page that someone mentioned digestion problems? i'm starting to wonder if it could be something like that or even in corrolation to my diet. or lack there of. the past year has been hard and i've gained like 30lbs and it seems my skin got worse as i gained more weight. this could possibly be the problem.

do any of you have any opinion on my guess here? i'm just wondering if maybe it's something i'm doing, ya know?

/rant over

 

[jigga_jenn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HustleRose i'm a little clueless when it comes to this subject. cystic acne is when you get pimples that are like bumps that feel hard like tumors and can also be somewhat painful? if so, that's what i have. i have 2 on the left side of my face by my jaw that i swear have been there for two months. they are just bumps. they aren't even red! i've been using cetaphil, benzol peroxide 2.5%, and oil of olay moisturizer for sensitive skin and it's managed to keep every other part of my face clean except for that spot. there was a post in the last page that someone mentioned digestion problems? i'm starting to wonder if it could be something like that or even in corrolation to my diet. or lack there of. the past year has been hard and i've gained like 30lbs and it seems my skin got worse as i gained more weight. this could possibly be the problem. do any of you have any opinion on my guess here? i'm just wondering if maybe it's something i'm doing, ya know? /rant over

HustleRose, I am in no way a doctor, but I have a very close friend who gained a lot of weight w/in a short period of time (a year, give or take) and had cystic acne that got worse and worse as her weight increased. She went to the doctor and was diagnosed w/ PCOS. He put her on birth control and she got better.

Definitely not trying to scare you or anything, just telling you from my experience what I've learned. I've found out that, more often than not, cystic acne is caused by hormonal issues (as in my own case). But again, I'm not a medical professional, and I'm just relaying what I've been through and what I've heard.

Hoping that things just kinda go away on their own for you; but if not, you should probably go check w/ a doc.

If the cystic acne is bothering you, you could go see a derm anyway.

Wishing you the best of luck! <3

 

[leenybeeny]

^^^ I agree, definitely see a derm so that you can pinpoint the root cause and treat that.. not just the pimples