Cystic Acne - Skin Blemishes at Its Worst
Most people have been plagued at one point or another by acne, whether it is simple white or black heads to pustules, what most people call pimples. There is a type of acne that can be disfiguring and surely a detriment to your every day way of life. It is called cystic acne and people who have it are often called pizza face because the redness of their skin where these deep cysts reside.
Blocked hair follicles are the primary cause of acne because bacteria gets trapped with sebum, oil produced by special glands. With cystic acne, the infection is quite deep causing the redness listed above as well as tender pain around the pus-filled area. Contrary to popular belief, cystic acne is not the result of poor skin care or hygiene but rather a possible combination of several things.
Common Causes
The bacterial infection which causes cystic acne cannot be accurately assessed because each person is different and may have different origins. For sure, many researchers believe that genetics plays a huge part in who gets this nasty skin affliction which could explain why such a small percentage gets it.
Cystic acne can be quite scarring, especially if you pick or squeeze them, and you are liable to push the infection in much deeper causing it to spread. As mentioned above, hygiene is not a factor that contributes to cystic acne but some do believe that environmental factors and diet do play a part.
Indeed, cystic acne could be linked to exposure of certain toxins as well as an overproduction of some body hormone. In addition, anabolic steroids have been known to cause this deep and painful type of acne but with treatment and abstinence from these steroids, this condition will likely improve on its own.
Treatment Options
The one thing you do not want to do with your cystic acne is try to squeeze out the pus because this just makes the infection worse. To ease the tender throbbing of this cystic form of acne, a doctor can use a sterilized needle to drain the pus from the site and with the application of antibiotics, hopefully kill the bacteria causing the problem.
When pus drainage and antibiotics do not work, prescription drugs like Accutane can slowly clear up the cystic acne, but the drug must be taken under the supervision of a doctor. Light exfoliation and occasional face peeling may work for some people while for others it may be a combination of treatment options and only with experimentation will you find one that best works with your cystic acne.
