Acne! UGH!

[celstu1]

I am 36 years old and still dealing with acne!!!

I started getting acne right before I turned 30, never had it before then. I don't have surface acne, so topical cleaners/lotions/creams anything, does not work for me. I have cystic acne. I get large welts under my skin. They last for YEARS. Nothing gets rid of them except oral meds but I can't take them because they burn my esophagus. I was on oral meds for 4 months, doxycycline and minocycline, only to have severe abdominal pain and had to come off. I just sort of dealt with the acne and now it seems like I am finally clearing up. My dermotologist told me by the time I'm 36 or 37 it should go away since my hormone cycle will change around then.... and it is going away.

Right now though I have a HUGE bump on my cheek.... I mean smack in the middle of my face. I'm so embarrassed! Its been there for at least 5 years but I think it's coming to the surface to clear up and go away. However this is slow, painful and sooooo awful looking! Ive been looking up treatment for cystic acne and found that Castor Oil sack with a warm compress done 2x a day should make it come to the surface and go away after 3-5 days. I'm having my doubts though.

Has anyone ever heard of this or tried this? Does anyone know any other good homeopathic remedies for getting rid of cysts? That is basically what cystic acne is, cysts under the skin that don't go away. I need this one gone though.

[rubymoon2072]

i dont have any advice to offer but wanted to say i hope it comes to the surface and never returns. i hope someone can help you ease the pain a bit with advice here. please dont be embarrassed it is not your fault. wishing you a solution soon.

[KimInMD]

I dealt with the pain and embarrassment of cystic acne, so I do understand what you are going through. A couple years back, I went away for a week on vacation, and my acne cleared up. The only difference was that I had no milk products for the week (no cows on the island). As soon as I got home, it started again. I went off milk at home, and it went away again. I found my answer. If I were to eat yoghurt, or drink milk, I would be covered the next day with large, painful cystic acne on my face, arms and chest. It also causes me to get patches of psoriasis on my skin, and painful, blotchy, burning itchiness around my eyes. Could yours possibly be caused by a food allergy of some sort? It's just a thought.

[Maximo]

I had cystic acne as a teen and antibiotics did nothing for me. Finally tried Acutane, which helped, but I would not recommend using this is if you plan on becoming pregnant.

The biggest change for me came when I stopped trying to dry out my skin with astringents, soap, and acne topical creams. Dryness and lack of nourishment plugs pores and makes for unhealthy skin.

I started using mild cleansers (Burt's Beeswax Apricot Scrub) and dabbing organic olive oil or coconut oil on pimples -- even cystic ones. It was really hard mentally to make this change from drying my skin out to oiling it. The oils have anti-bacterial and healing properties that are better than Neosporin. Buy good stuff, cold-pressed, organic, no preservatives.

Like Kim, diet changes also helped. For me, curbing my intake of heavily processed foods made a big difference.

[celstu1]

Thanks ladies..... I need to cut out my sugar intake. After the holidays Im going to take a whole new lease on my diet and cut out sugar. I don't typically eat processed foods, but yogurt, ice cream, milk, etc... its all in my current diet and probably more than it should be. I did stop eating yogurt. I used to eat it every single day. I think I need to find some soy based yogurt, and milk for my coffee and cut sugar out of my diet.

In the meantime I have a big lump on my cheek that I need to get in check like right now. Any advice on that? Ive been reading on this oil based cleaning and am shocked! I even went to a dermo who told me not to use oil based products. Maybe I need to change my thinking! Im using Castor oil and steam right now to try to get this one lump to go away.

[tokipoki]

I also had terrible cystic acne which got so bad in college that I finally ended up seeing a dermatologist. I was on minocycline (I think?) for a while which did jack squat and prescribed countless topical treatments which just irritated my skin.

I was finally put on Accutane and it cleared my skin up amazingly...most of the cysts were gone over the course of a couple weeks and all of the dark spots and discoloration had faded by the end of my six month treatment...it was seriously the best six months of my life. I didn't really have to wash my face very much and I didn't have to put on makeup to attempt to cover up all of the redness and spots that once covered my face. To this day, I don't think I've gotten another painful cyst (I still get a pimple or two each month but I'll take that over my cheeks being completely covered in knots and cysts like they used to be!). Accutane is a very serious medication though and doctors tend to exhaust all other options first before prescribing it.

Like Kristin, I also switched to mild cleansers which really helped. I am the biggest fan of Cetaphil Facial Cleanser although I have been trying the Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser recently which is similar. I wash my face only once a day (at night) and apply a moisturizer. Those are the only 2 things in my facial regimen (gentle cleanser and a good moisturizer)...my mom used to get me all of these fancy cleansers and toners and astringents and spot treatments blah blah blah and my skin just got irritated and even worse. Keeping products to a minimum has made a huge difference.

I hope someone has some good advice for that cyst...they are incredibly painful and annoying. I hope the warm compresses (or anything else) does the trick.

[lynzy420]

You need to call your derm now and tell her its an emergency, beg them to take you and have her inject it with the steroid they use....it will help...do this before the holiday so its not ruined for you, it really will work, I promise!

If you can't get in to the dr. the emergency room can also do this for you. I'm so sorry I know how bothersome and nonstop annoying this is. Good Luck

[celstu1]

Last night I put a Castor oil pack on it and held a heating pad to my face for an hour. This seems to have drained some of the 'stuff' through the skin... but it's very tender to the touch today. I hope though that one more time of that will completely drain it and it will be much better by tomorrow.

[Wylie's Mom]

Have you tried birth control pills yet? Yaz or Yasmin can really help women who have adult acne.

[dawn27]

My daughter suffers from this as well, we've spent ridiculous amounts of money on meds over the counter and doctor subscribed. Nothing has worked. I keep telling her that by piling on all of the makeup to cover it up that she doing more harm to her face. That she need to clean and moisturise her face and let her skin breath. She even puts makeup on on her days off when she hanging around the house. She 19 and just doesn't want to listen to me.... I wish there was something that we could do to help her. She's such a beautiful girl but hides behind ton of make up to hide her acne and cysts.

I'll be watching to see what other remedies are out there. Plus the milk thing may be a concern since she drinks a lot of it. Maybe we will try going without it for a week or more to see if that helps.

[celstu1]

Originally Posted by dawn27

My daughter suffers from this as well, we've spent ridiculous amounts of money on meds over the counter and doctor subscribed. Nothing has worked. I keep telling her that by piling on all of the makeup to cover it up that she doing more harm to her face. That she need to clean and moisturise her face and let her skin breath. She even puts makeup on on her days off when she hanging around the house. She 19 and just doesn't want to listen to me.... I wish there was something that we could do to help her. She's such a beautiful girl but hides behind ton of make up to hide her acne and cysts.

I'll be watching to see what other remedies are out there. Plus the milk thing may be a concern since she drinks a lot of it. Maybe we will try going without it for a week or more to see if that helps.

Look up Castor Oil for cystic acne treatment. Ive done it for a couple days now and it seems to be getting smaller and clearing up. Read a lot about it first because it can permanently stain clothing and stuff. But Basically I soaked a piece of a cotton facecloth with it and then put it in a plastic baggie. I cut a hole in the baggie so I could just have it big enough to fit on my cheek cyst. Then you put a heating pad on high and keep it on your face for an hour. Take it off and wipe off the castor oil. Do this 2x a day for 3-5 days is what Ive been reading. So Im on Day 2 of Castor oil treatment and Im seeing results, the cyst is draining through my skin now, but its sore today.

As for me, I do not wear makeup at all. Even when my skin is bad. I always want to but know how much worse it can make my skin. Also tell her not to put products in her hair and then wear her hair down so it brushes her face, that can make her acne worse.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by celstu1

Thanks ladies..... I need to cut out my sugar intake. After the holidays Im going to take a whole new lease on my diet and cut out sugar. I don't typically eat processed foods, but yogurt, ice cream, milk, etc... its all in my current diet and probably more than it should be. I did stop eating yogurt. I used to eat it every single day. I think I need to find some soy based yogurt, and milk for my coffee and cut sugar out of my diet.

In the meantime I have a big lump on my cheek that I need to get in check like right now. Any advice on that? Ive been reading on this oil based cleaning and am shocked! I even went to a dermo who told me not to use oil based products. Maybe I need to change my thinking! Im using Castor oil and steam right now to try to get this one lump to go away.

I'm glad the Castor oil is working. When I read about face washing with olive oil only, I also came across using Castor oil to clean the nose area, which tends to be the worst. I tried washing only with olive oil for a week, but that was too much for me.

I think the problem with milk is the hormones used for production. It messes with females in particular. I always do better when I stay away from milk products.

It's good that you are reserved with use of makeup. Not only is wearing makeup hard on skin, but the makeup itself and applicators are usually hotbeds for bacteria.

Other things that helped me:
- as pointed out above, be careful with hair products. When I tried Garnier Fructese (spelling?), I ended up with a rash around my hairline and pimples on my back. So did my brother.
- change pillow cases often, daily if possible
- wash your face before bedtime
- clean phones and anything that touches your face with rubbing alcohol
- keep your hands away from your face, don't rest your face or chin in your hands.

[Maximo]

Forgot to add...regarding oil in facial products...finding the right moisturizers, sunblocks, and other products is really hard. Look for products that say "hypoallergenic."

If the product stings or burns at all, toss it.

[celstu1]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Have you tried birth control pills yet? Yaz or Yasmin can really help women who have adult acne.

I did that once, for 3 months. I was a mental basket case. It was awful, now that Im over 35 and smoke I can't go on birth control. Id rather not do that anyways, but I have heard that tetricycline is good for acne. I was on minicycline and doxycycline for this and it helped but did not cure.

[celstu1]

Thanks Maximo! Yeah Ive read all those things ... but the problem for me is not surface acne. I don't get pimples. I get DEEP under the skin bumps that eventually come to the surface after weeks, months, even years in some cases (this one has been there for almost 5 years now!)

Im reading on possible things that cause this and they say smoking could be a factor. I really need to work on quitting. They also say it's hormonal. Its bacterial and that is why the antibiotics I was on for 4 months did a good job clearing a lot of it up. Accutane would clear it up, but the dermo does not want to go that route until I am 37 years old since this started when I was 30 and she thinks its hormonal and will go away on it's own by the time I turn 37 (1 year to go!!!) but if it does not, then I may be going back and asking for Accutane.

I do have a feeling that its clearing up though, that all my deep cyst like bumps are coming to the surface and going away. Its just a slow painful process. I only have these 2 bumps left and one is not bad yet.

Thanks sooo much for the advice everyone... I sooo appreciate it!