26 Simple Ways to Treat Cystic Acne

Pimples and acne on the face are not very welcoming. Every time they appear, it causes concern and sometimes embarrassment or discomfort. These pimples may sometimes end up leaving scars on the face.

The concerns are even higher in the case of cystic acne, which forms pimples from beneath the skin and develops into uncomfortable red bumps.

These bumps are painful and usually stubborn. Unlike normal pimples, special care is required to treat and eliminate cystic acne. Read through this HealthSpectra post to learn about the causes, symptoms, and natural ways to treat cystic acne.

What Is Cystic Acne and What Are The Causes?

Cystic acne is a condition where pimples form beneath the skin. They are painful and tough to eliminate. The clogged pores are filled with oil, and the dead, inflamed skin slowly develops into cystic acne when the pore ruptures and inflames the surrounding tissue. A cyst then forms to stop the further spread of inflammation.

These cystic pimples need special care; otherwise, scars can form. They may linger for weeks or even months and can harden over time.

The main causes of cystic acne are hormones and stress. They can form on any part of the body, such as the face, neck, back, hands, and thighs.

Excess androgen hormones overstimulate the sebaceous glands, producing excess oils. The overproduced oil gets trapped in the pores, trapping bacteria, which multiply and cause inflammation. Such hormonal changes are common during puberty, as well as days before and after menstruation.

Types Of Cystic Acne

Broadly, cystic acne can be classified as nodules and cystic nodular acne. Nodules are generally larger than other acne types, such as papules and pustules. They are very painful and solid, as the bacteria and oil spread deep inside the pores. They can also infect follicles. Gradually, they harden into deep cysts and may leave scars.

Cystic nodular acne is a severe form of acne. They are hard, deep, painful, pus-filled, and can cause permanent scarring. This type is most common among young boys and men. Immediate dermatologist attention is recommended for cystic nodular acne.

Symptoms of Cystic Acne

The physical symptoms of cystic acne include red, swollen bumps on the face, with pimples forming beneath the skin. They are painful and inflamed and cause swelling in adjacent nerve fibers.

Cystic acne can be identified if these symptoms are observed:

• Large white bump
• Redness
• Pus-filled cyst
• Painful to the touch

Treatment for Cystic Acne

Get rid of cystic acne with simple treatments, such as taking your daily dose of multivitamins. Zinc reduces skin inflammation, and Vitamin E helps heal your skin. Talk to your doctor before consuming any multivitamins.

Stop picking at the skin to avoid the formation of scars. Several treatments can help reduce the appearance of acne scars. However, the focus should be on first treating active acne and then addressing the scars. Dermatologists may use different methods, such as chemical peels, dermabrasion, and laser resurfacing, to remove the acne scars.

1. Warm Compress For Cystic Acne

Apply a warm compress on the affected skin for 5 minutes, three times daily. Avoid picking at zits to prevent permanent scarring.

2. Cortisone For Cystic Acne

If the situation worsens, see your doctor, who may inject the pimple with cortisone. Cortisone is a steroid that reduces inflammation under the skin. It shrinks the swelling around the infection. With this injection, the cyst shrinks and becomes less painful within 48 hours.

According to board-certified dermatologist Mara Weinstein at Schweiger Dermatology Group (1), “Cortisone is a steroid that is injected directly into the cystic acne to calm the inflammation and help it resolve more quickly, thus minimizing the risk of scarring.”

Your doctor may also suggest oral medications to treat more severe acne. Certain OTC antibiotics, like Doryx, Zithromax, and Bactrim, help kill infection-causing bacteria (2). A strong oral medication, such as Accutane, may decrease the oil production of the sebaceous glands (3).

3. Isolaz Treatment

Isolaz treatment involves suction with intense pulsed light to empty black pores. It can be done weekly or twice a month. This procedure can eliminate the potential side effects of oral medications (4). It is an effective technique for inflamed cysts and blackheads too.

4. Topical Antibiotics And Retinoids

Topical antibiotics and retinoids help relieve cystic acne (5). Topical creams, gels, and lotions contain antibiotics that help heal redness and inflammation. These should be a part of the daily routine. Topical retinoids help clean clogged pores and regulate cell turnover. Cystic acne is responsive to prescription-strength formulas of Avage, Avita, Differin, Retin-A, and Tazorac.

5. Isotretinoin

Isotretinoin is prescribed in more severe cases of nodulocystic acne and patients resistant to other treatments. It works by regulating skin cell shedding in hair follicles and shrinking enlarged oil glands (6).

Diet for Cystic Acne

Specific foods should be avoided or included in the diet when dealing with cystic acne. Below is a list of foods to avoid and include in the cystic acne diet.

Foods to Avoid With Cystic Acne

• Dairy: if you are lactose intolerant, avoid conventional dairy products, as they are usually hard on the digestive system. Avoid cheese, milk, ice cream, etc. If you’re unsure if dairy is the actual culprit, try eliminating dairy products for 2 weeks and check for improvement in cystic acne. If it helps, stop dairy for some time, then gradually reintroduce it after the condition subsides.
• Chocolate and Caffeine can contribute to cystic acne due to their caffeine content. An overdose of caffeine is linked to hormonal imbalance, so avoid it until cystic acne clears up.
• Sugar: is a high-glycemic food that increases inflammation and worsens cystic acne. Do not consume excessive grains and sugar products if you already have skin acne, as they negatively affect gut and skin health.
• Processed Foods: fried foods, junk food, and fast foods can make existing acne worse. These foods are full of hydrogenated oils, chemicals, sodium, sugar, and flavorings.

Foods to Consume With Cystic Acne

• Probiotics: probiotic-rich foods are good for gut health and promote beneficial bacteria.
• Zinc: foods high in zinc help people with acne by supporting the digestive tract and skin health. Zinc is abundant in cashews, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, and grass-fed beef.
• Vitamin A-rich foods, like spinach, sweet potatoes, kale, and carrots, can fight infection and speed up healing.
• High-Fiber Foods: such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and oatmeal, encourage colon cleansing and promote healthy gut bacteria.
• Protein: a high-protein diet, including organic chicken, grass-fed beef, fish, and eggs, can help fight cystic acne.
• Liver-Supportive Foods: like cauliflower, broccoli, leafy vegetables, apples, and pears, can help clear up acne.

Natural Remedies to Treat Cystic Acne

Many simple yet effective remedies can help cure cystic acne at home. Try any of these to get relief from those under-the-skin red bumps.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar for Cystic Acne
2. Aloe Vera For Cystic Acne
3. Baking Soda For Cystic Acne
4. Banana Peel For Cystic Acne
5. Garlic For Cystic Acne
6. Ginger For Cystic Acne
7. Green Tea Cystic Acne
8. Turmeric for Cystic Acne
9. Epsom Salt For Cystic Acne
10. Potato For Cystic Acne
11. Ice For Cystic Acne
12. Lemon For Cystic Acne
13. Benzoyl Peroxide For Cystic Acne
14. Salicylic Acid For Cystic Acne

Facial Masks For Cystic Acne:

15. Egg White Mask For Cystic Acne
16. Clay Mask For Cystic Acne
17. Honey Mask For Cystic Acne
18. Aspirin Mask For Cystic Acne

Essential Oils For Cystic Acne:

19. Tea Tree Oil For Cystic Acne
20. Coconut Oil For Cystic Acne
21. Castor Oil For Cystic Acne
22. Clove Oil For Cystic Acne
23. Grape Seed Oil For Cystic Acne
24. Lavender Oil For Cystic Acne
25. Neem Oil For Cystic Acne

1. Apple Cider Vinegar:

Apple cider vinegar is known to cleanse the skin and prevent bacterial growth. The nutrients present in it can nourish the skin, tighten it, and keep it healthy.

How to Use:

1. Mix 3 tbsp raw honey with 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar in a bowl.
2. Massage a small amount over the face and leave it for deep cleansing.
3. Rinse thoroughly after 5 minutes.

2. Aloe Vera:

Aloe Vera has astringent properties and can remove excess dirt and oil from the skin. It can reduce inflamed cysts and relieve pain from swelling. Its antibacterial properties can help clear acne breakouts.

How to Use:

1. Mix 2 tbsp aloe vera gel with a few drops of lemon juice to form a mixture.
2. Apply the paste to your neck and face. Leave it for an hour.
3. Rinse off and repeat twice a week.

3. Baking Soda:

The antibacterial and antimicrobial properties of baking soda can stop acne-causing bacteria. Its anti-inflammatory properties heal inflammation and skin pain. It also works as an exfoliating agent.

How to Use:

1. Mix baking soda with a little water to make a paste and apply it to the cyst.
2. Leave it for 20 minutes and rinse off thoroughly.
3. Dry gently and apply moisturizer to prevent dryness.
4. Repeat twice a week.

4. Banana Peel:

Banana peel can act as a cleanser and retain the skin’s natural glow.

How to Use:

1. Wash your face with a cleanser and dry it gently with a towel.
2. Massage your face with a banana peel for 10 minutes, using a fresh piece if it turns brown.
3. Rinse thoroughly after 20 minutes.

Check here to learn more the benefits of banana peel.

5. Garlic:

Garlic is a well-known natural remedy that helps with skin healing. It is a natural remedy that greatly helps subside cystic acne.

How to Use:

1. Wash and cut garlic. Gently rub it over the affected skin area.
2. Repeat 2 or 3 times a day.
3. Consumption of fresh garlic pieces also helps.

6. Ginger:

Ginger is a natural home remedy for several ailments and general health. It can also be used for acne treatment.

How to Use:

1. Consume ginger regularly to show a positive effect on cystic acne.
2. It can also be mixed with other natural ingredients and consumed to maintain skin health.
3. Consume more ginger in tea, snacks, and cookies, or add it to soups, curries, and salads.

7. Green Tea:

Green tea is a popular beverage known for its numerous health benefits. It is also known to reduce inflammation and skin redness caused by cystic acne outbreaks.

8. Neem:

This Ayurvedic remedy can treat several skin problems, including cystic acne. It purifies the blood and detoxifies the entire system.

How to Use:

1. Collect neem leaves, wash them, and boil them in water for 5-6 minutes.
2. After cooling, strain the water and drink it to find relief from cystic acne.
3. Regular intake helps kill bacterial infections.

9. Turmeric:

Turmeric is an age-old natural home remedy with anti-inflammatory properties. It can help alleviate pain and redness in cystic acne bumps.

How to Use:

1. Make a smooth turmeric paste by adding some water.
2. Apply the paste onto the affected skin areas and leave it for about 5 minutes.

10. Epsom Salt:

Plain Epsom salt can be directly applied to the skin or mixed with water and applied to treat acne, blackheads, cystic acne, etc. Epsom salt can help unclog the pores and reduce inflammation.

How to Use:

1. Mix 2 tsp of Epsom salt in a cup of lukewarm water and mix well.
2. Apply the paste to the acne-affected skin area using cotton.
3. Leave it for 5 minutes to dry and rinse thoroughly using warm water.
4. Repeat three times a day until you get relief.

Alternatively:

1. Add 2 cups of Epsom salt to your bathtub and run warm water.
2. Soak yourself in the bathtub with warm water for 20 minutes.
3. Rinse off thoroughly with a plain water shower.
4. Repeat three times a week.

11. Potato:

Potato can help clean the skin and reduce skin inflammation. It is a good natural remedy for cystic acne.

How to Use:

1. Wash, peel, and cut potatoes.
2. Add the chopped pieces into the blender and make a paste.
3. Apply the paste directly onto the skin affected by cystic acne and leave it for 10 minutes.
4. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.
5. Repeat 2 times a day.

12. Ice:

Ice can also work for cystic acne as it cools down the inflamed areas on the skin.

How to Use:

1. Apply ice cubes directly on the skin affected by cystic acne for a few seconds.
2. It helps constrict the blood vessels that are feeding the painful cyst.
3. Thus, the size and redness of the cyst decrease immediately.

13. Lemon:

The citric acid present in lemon works as an astringent and contains anti-bacterial properties. Its acidity can help remove dead cells and assist with cyst breakdown.

How to Use:

1. Cut a lemon and squeeze a piece to extract the juice.
2. Apply a little lemon juice on the affected area and leave it for 10 minutes.
3. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.

14. Benzoyl Peroxide:

Benzoyl peroxide works as a great antibacterial agent and helps treat cystic acne. However, it should not be used excessively.

How to Use:

1. Use a good face wash containing 5% to 10% benzoyl peroxide.
2. Do not overuse it.

15. Salicylic Acid:

Glycolic and salicylic acids can be used as cleansers and treatment pads, followed by benzoyl peroxide lotion.

Facial Masks For Cystic Acne Treatment

16. Egg White Mask:

Many natural face masks can be prepared and used to treat cystic acne. One such mask is the egg white mask, which is a great source of enzymes and lysozyme that can kill bacteria. It helps with skin tightening and deep cleansing. The drying effect removes excess oil from the skin.

How to Use:

1. Take one egg white in a bowl, add 1 tsp of milk and ½ tsp of honey.
2. Mix well and apply it on the face as a mask.
3. Leave it for 30 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water.
4. Repeat twice a day.

17. Clay Mask:

Clay masks can also work as a good face mask. Its absorbent, exfoliating, and astringent properties help draw excess sebum, open skin pores, eliminate dead cells, and cleanse the affected areas.

How to Use:

1. Add 2 tbsp of clay to enough water. Mix to form a paste, and add ½ tsp of honey and 2 drops of tea tree oil.
2. Apply the mixture to the neck and face and allow it to dry for 20 minutes.
3. Wipe with a clean, wet cloth to remove the mask.
4. Rinse off with normal water and pat dry.
5. Apply moisturizer and repeat the process once a week.

18. Honey Mask:

Honey has antibacterial and antioxidant properties that fight against bacterial and free radical attacks on the skin, thus preventing damage to the skin. It has anti-inflammatory properties that soothe the redness, irritation, and discomfort caused by acne cysts (7).

How to Use:

1. Dab some raw organic honey on the skin affected by cystic acne with a cotton ball.
2. Leave for 10 minutes and wash off with warm water.
3. Pat dry the skin. Repeat twice a day for a few days.

Alternatively,

1. Mix 1 tsp of cinnamon powder in ½ tsp of organic honey into a paste.
2. Apply on the affected areas and wash with warm water after 10 minutes.

19. Aspirin Mask:

An aspirin mask also helps heal cystic acne.

How to Use:

1. Crush aspirin tablets using a pestle and mortar and mix the powder with warm water.
2. Apply the aspirin paste on the affected area and leave it on the skin for 10 minutes.
3. Repeat daily for a week.

Essential Oils For Cystic Acne:

Essential oils help significantly in fighting cystic acne. The best method of using essential oils is to apply a few drops over the affected skin areas.

Tea tree oil and lavender oil can be applied directly over the skin with cystic acne. These oils can also be combined with carrier oils like coconut or jojoba oil for sensitive skin.

Avoid exposing the skin to sunlight when treated with essential oils, as UV rays may make the skin even more sensitive and increase redness and irritation.

20. Tea Tree Oil:

Tea tree oil is naturally antimicrobial and antibacterial and can reduce cystic acne breakouts. According to a scientific review, acne treatment with tea tree oil effectively reduces the number of lesions in patients and has high tolerability.

21. Coconut Oil:

Pure coconut oil can clear up acne outbreaks with its natural antibiotic properties. Topical application of coconut oil on the cystic acne area can kill the causative bacteria and avoid over-drying.

22. Castor Oil:

Castor oil should be applied with a facial steam. It will not block or clog the pores.

How to Use:

1. Apply a little castor oil on the skin and massage gently with your fingers.
2. After 5 minutes, lean over a container with boiling water to steam your face.
3. After 5 minutes, wipe off the face with a clean towel.
4. Repeat once every day.

23. Clove Oil:

Oil extracted from cloves can fight pimples. However, it may not suit every skin type. Talk to your doctor before using it on your skin.

24. Grape Seed Oil:

More research is needed on applying grapeseed oil for cystic acne, even though many use this oil as a home remedy to treat cystic acne. Consult your dermatologist before using it on your face.

25. Lavender Oil:

Lavender oil is known for its antioxidant and antimicrobial characteristics. It nourishes and soothes the skin and helps with dry skin, treating acne and reducing dark spots. Thus, the oil promotes overall skin health, making it radiant.

How to Prevent Cystic Acne?

Simple care and measures can help keep your skin free of cystic acne, i.e., underground pimples. They include:

1. Regular Cleansing: Deep-cleaning washes or the use of salicylic acid two times a day help clear skin debris as well as oily pores. Topical treatments with over-the-counter creams help with pimple-fighting ingredients like benzoyl peroxide. See a dermatologist for stronger topical prescriptions.
2. Skin-Clearing Diet: A healthy diet can help in many ways, especially in keeping the body and skin healthy. The nutrients and vitamins from the diet keep hormone levels under control. For example, Vitamin B6 in whole-grain cereal and bananas and beta-carotene offer a smoother texture. Wear sunscreen every day.
3. Birth Control Pills: Certain types of birth control pills help regulate breakout-causing hormones and may improve the acne. Consult your doctor to choose the one that best suits you.
4. Oil-Free Products: Use “non-comedogenic” and “oil-free” makeup products. Do not go to bed with makeup on.
5. Manage Stress: Identify and reduce stress linked to acne breakouts.
6. Reduce Sugar: Avoid foods with high glycemic levels like white bread, pasta, and rice, as well as sugary treats.

Often, acne cysts are stubborn and may require a dermatologist’s help to clear up. Sometimes, cystic acne may also cause significant scarring. Basic skin care measures are essential to avoid the possibility of cystic acne cases.

Conclusion

Cystic acne is a challenging condition that requires special attention and care to manage effectively. Understanding its causes, types, and symptoms is crucial for effective treatment.

While various medical treatments, such as cortisone injections and isotretinoin, may be necessary for severe cases, incorporating natural remedies and dietary changes can significantly aid in reducing symptoms and preventing future outbreaks.

Simple methods like warm compresses, topical treatments, and natural ingredients like apple cider vinegar and aloe vera can provide relief.

A balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals, combined with lifestyle adjustments, can further promote skin health. By adopting a comprehensive approach, individuals can manage cystic acne more effectively and improve their skin’s overall condition.

• Feb 2018
  Written by Sumana Maheswari
• Nov 2024
  Edited by Lakshmi Gayatri