Treating Cystic Acne - Finding the Best Solution for You

Often known as nodulocystic acne, cystic acne has a stigma for being one of the severest types of acne known. If you're reading this and you know of cystic acne symptoms developing on your skin, let me offer this piece of advice, see your dermatologist without delay.

Any delays in doing so will increase your chances of getting permanent acne scars, since this form of acne is much more severe than other forms of acne.

What you will find in this article is a look at various forms of cystic acne treatment normally prescribed, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. That being said, it is perhaps more beneficial to understand cystic acne's characteristics first before diving into the available treatments.

When you have inflamed, deep blushes breaking out over parts of your body like your face, shoulder and back that could be a good indication that you might have cystic acne. Interestingly, if you have these signs, you may not necessarily have cystic acne unless actual cysts develop as part of your condition.

Cysts, simply put are fluid-filled bumps on your skin that are soft to the touch and seem to originate from under the dermis layer. While hard to generalize, its safe to assume their sizes are approximately that of standard pimples, if not larger.

Something that normally accompanies cysts are nodules. You can easily identify nodules because they resemble hard pimples and can normally cause pain when you touch them. If you find these lingering for a while, don't despair. They normally take longer to heal even with the best help available.

Over a long period of time, it has been observed that people coming from a background where their families regularly suffer from cystic acne seem to contract the condition more. Additionally, teens and adults below 35 years of age have the highest probability of being affected by cystic acne.

Contrary to mistaken beliefs, the following factors do not trigger cystic acne - bad dietary habits, not cleansing your face regularly or consuming sweet drinks. These reasons do not cause cystic acne. It is more likely that acquiring this condition  is more a function of your hereditary disposition.

The next section gives details on treatments for cystic acne available. It is advisable to speak to your dermatologist about what stage your cystic acne is at before progressing any further with treatments. Below I have described particulars of available treatment, highlighting each one's plus and minus points. The five most popular treatments are listed below in no particular order:-

a) Oral antibiotics

The most common form you find these in is orally ingested pills. Typically, you will be given these in blocks of 3 monthly supplies. No matter how much improvement you may see throughout the course of treatment, make sure you finish it so that antibiotic immunity does not develop in the bacteria. When you begin this treatment, density of the P-acne bacteria on your skin is reduced over time, thus effectively controlling the infection.

One caveat is that you need to make your physician aware of any and all allergies you have towards antibiotics. The plus point for this treatment is that it is generally quite affordable. As a negative, users may find they experience side effects such as stomach discomfort or perhaps even some nausea.

b) Isotretinoin

Isotretinoin comes in several different commercial brands, namely Amnesteem, Claravis, Isotane or the infamous RoAccutane. Isotretinoins treatments are commonly available in table and capsule form just like antibiotics, with a twist - these are pricier.

The flipside is that they give better results as they focus on not one but 2 different pathways of action. One way it operates is by constricting your sebaceous glands to reduce the amount of sebum your body produces.

The second mechanism of Isotretinoin is its anti-bacterial properties (similar to antibiotics), meaning it gradually eliminates acne causing bacteria. One negative effect of this treatment however, is the more noticeable side effects. People who use Isotretinoin find that their eyes, skin and lips are quite dry throughout the treatment period. An added side effect could be temporary early stage acne flareups, but these go away after a short time. On the balance however, few other cystic acne treatments work as well as this one.

c) Oral contraceptives (for women)

Avoid this method as the main means to control cystic acne- only use it if you had planned on using oral contraceptives anyway. The way these combat cystic acne is by scaling down testosterone production in your body, which subsequently results in reduced sebum production levels.

A word of caution, certain contraceptives work by increasing your testosterone levels, avoid these. Needless to say, these may actually cause your acne to become worse. The best advice I can give you is to let your pharmacist know outright that you are using these contraceptives to control acne, and to use only those prescribed as suitable.

d) Surgical excision and drainage

Surgical excision and drainage is a cosmetic procedure that does not target the previously mentioned mechanisms of acne. As with any surgical procedures there are some risks involved. As such surgeons typically only proceed if the cystic acne symptoms are deemed to be dire. As part of this surgery, tiny incisions are made across cystic acne blemishes that allow the cavity fluids to drain out. Many who have gone through this procedure marvel at the results they can see, but one consideration to take is that this procedure can be fairly expensive.

e) Intralesional injections

In this method, a doctor will inject various forms of drugs into your lesions to control your inflammation. As with surgical excision, this is generally a cosmetic procedure but has the added benefit of reducing acne scarring.

A few things should be considered, the procedure may be slightly painful and cost quite a bit but it can be worth the effort as positive results can be seen relatively quickly.

For a review of a guide that provides a wealth of ideas on reducing and eliminating acne permanently, go to Review of Acne No More.