Adult Cystic Acne Isn't Very Fun...

Adult cystic acne is the most severe kinds of acne an adult can face. Find out more about it to empower yourself and learn about treatment options.

Adult cystic acne is typically cystic acne carried over from the teenage years. It is also called nodulocystic acne, because cysts and nodules are closely related in this context. Actually, the cysts in cystic acne aren't true cysts. They are really just super inflamed nodules.

Cystic acne occurs as a membrane buried deep in the dermis, with no whitehead forming in the epidermis. Popping these zits isn't an option, and believe me, it hurts to try. These breakouts are generally very painful and the cysts themselves can be very large, measuring centimeters in diameter.

This is a very severe form of acne.

It can form anywhere acne usually forms, that being the face, neck, chest, and back. If you have large amounts of this form of acne, please see a dermatologist for treatment.

Cystic acne is generally seen in males. The theory behind why this is the case is that males generally have larger amounts of testosterone in their systems. Testosterone is a type of androgen, which causes sebum production. With too much sebum production, the potential for severe acne exists.

Tissue Damage

Cysts can expand into surrounding tissue and destroy other follicles to form even larger cysts. They can even join other cysts and become large tracts. They eventually either drain to the surface of the skin or back in the dermis.

Because of all the damage to skin tissue, a very large potential for scarring exists with cystic acne. Adults don't heal from scarring as quickly as teenagers do, so the risk is even worse. Please don't pick or try to pop these, it'll only make it worse.

When I was a teenager I had a rather bad case of cystic acne on my upper back, which was then treated with prescription medication. As an adult I mostly had nodulocystic acne around my neck and a small amount on my back as well. It wasn't severe enough to make me want to go on Accutane, so I tried other treatments instead.

Treatment Options

From my experience the topical over the counter products you can buy at most drug stores won't do much to help you. I highly recommend taking a look at the idea of natural acne cures to improve your health and clear skin from the inside.

Focusing on the root of the problem is crucial, especially if you still have cystic acne as an adult. Your body is trying to tell you that there is something wrong on the inside.

Other options include:

• isotretinoin
• oral antibiotics
• oral contraceptives for women
• surgical drainage and removal

Adult cystic acne is a terrible form of acne and should be treated as soon as possible due to the high risk of scarring.

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