Treating Your Adult Acne Cyst

Developing any kind of acne as an adult can be unpleasant and even embarrassing, but one of the worst forms of acne for an adult to develop is the acne cyst. That being said, as an adult, you are a lot better equipped to handle acne cysts than you might have been as a teen, and as long as you are fully informed, you should easily be able to make the right choices with respect to acne cyst treatment. Here’s what’s important to know about acne cysts on adults.

Acne Cyst Defined

An acne cyst will never be mistaken for regular acne. For one thing, acne cysts can extend much deeper into the skin and are more likely to be painful than regular acne. More importantly, acne cysts appear as large bulges in the skin, which contain liquid or semi-liquid material. This material can include dead skin cells, white blood cells and bacteria.

Treatment for Acne Cysts on Adults

The first thing you should do when you notice an acne cyst is consult your dermatologist. He or she will probably want you to come in for an examination of the cyst. The doctor can then prescribe you powerful medication specifically designed to be effective in reducing acne cysts. With your doctor’s approval, in addition to the prescribed treatment, you can wash the area where the cyst is located regularly to keep out bacteria and get rid of dead skin cells, and you can apply heat to reduce discomfort and loosen up the skin. You should definitely not attempt to pop or pierce the cyst. In addition to the fact that this can be painful and messy, it is very likely that such an effort will result in scarring.

Standard Acne Medications for Acne Cysts on Adults

Even if you are seeing great results with your other acne from using acne medications like Proactiv or other solutions containing benzoyl peroxide, you will probably not see similar effects when using these solutions on an acne cyst. The acne cyst is a very specific form of acne that generally only responds to a very specific treatment, which will be prescribed by your doctor. That being said, if you have been using a solution like Proactiv to treat standard forms of acne and it has been successful, there is no reason to stop unless your doctor specifically tells you to. By the same token, it should be okay if your Proactiv treatment covers the area affected by the cyst, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. If you have an acne cyst, you’ve probably struggled with other forms of acne as well, and for many adults, Proactiv or other benzoyl peroxide solutions have been highly effective in this regard.

Acne cysts can be unpleasant, but they are nothing to be ashamed of or worry about. As long as you seek treatment as soon as possible and follow the treatment as directed, you should be fine, and in most cases, you will see your acne cyst fade and go away within a reasonable amount of time.