Cystic acne is known as the most severe form of acne. It is that red, swollen, and painful pimple that sticks around on your skin for a long time. This leaves an acne scar the longer it stays because of the inflammation and deep lesions developing underneath the skin. An acne scar treatment will most likely be needed to get rid of it completely.
All types of acne and pimples are caused by dead skin cells, oil, and bacteria plugged into the pores. If you notice your pimple swelling, there’s a high chance that an acne cyst has developed. The only difference of this acne from the other superficial types is that it traps the cyst deep under the pores which cause swelling and redness.
People suffering from cystic acne should be well aware of what it is, its causes, and how it should be treated.
What is Cystic Acne?
This type of acne causes visible scarring because of its depth and inflammation. This is formed when bacteria gets trapped in the pores and triggers an infection deep into the skin. It appears to be a red and tender bump filled with pus.
Cystic acne is considered as the most severe kind of acne. It comes with pain that is impossible to ignore. This happens because there is no opening to release the pent-up bacteria and oil which causes pain and discomfort. A severe condition as this requires acne treatment to get rid of it effectively and safely.
Cystic Acne vs Conventional Acne
Cystic Acne is Deeper:
Cystic Acne is deeper than other types of acne, like blackheads and whiteheads.
Cystic Acne is More Intensely Inflammed:
Normal pimples are small inflamed bumps on the face.
When these bumps become more infected, a large pus-filled cavity forms deep inside the skin. This results in cystic acne.
If the cyst bursts, the infection may spread to the surrounding area and cause more breakouts.
Causes
Hormones
For women, it’s usually the hormonal shifts that happen during their monthly period, which causes the glands to produce excess oil. This causes the oil glands to be filled with sebum that leads to breakouts.
High levels of androgen and testosterone are also linked to causing breakouts. This causes high activity of the sebaceous glands which leads to overproduction of sebum. There’s a higher chance of pores getting clogged, leading to severe acne.
Genes
Acne tends to run in the genes. If one of your parents suffered from a severe acne breakout, it is possible you might get it, too. A family line with the genetic tendency to overproduce sebum leads to oily skin which results in more breakouts.
Diet
There’s also a chance your diet may be one of the causes. Some foods can trigger inflammation on the skin and speed up the formation of a cyst. High-glycemic foods and dairy are amongst the culprit linked to causing acne. A study associated skim milk to triggering acne growth.
This type of severe acne condition does not go away on its own and may last for weeks.
Common areas where cystic acne may develop:
Chin
It is that painful, hard cyst on your chin that won’t seem to come to a head, stay on your face and continue to bug you. The longer it stays, the higher the chance it will develop into a stubborn acne scar.
Pimples growing on the chin are usually related to hormones, especially in women. Hormonal imbalance and shifts can disrupt the body’s healthy functioning and cause acne flare-ups. Acne growth on the chin may fluctuate during monthly periods. Also, an increase in androgens and testosterone in women are the main reasons why they’re prone to pimples growing on the chin.
Hormones are what stimulate oil production. Too much sebum triggers the growth of bacteria which then gets trapped in the pores. Cystic acne breakouts typically happen underneath the skin and the bacteria in there.
How to treat acne on the chin?
Topical Treatments
Creams and ointments containing benzoyl peroxide, retinoids or antibiotics target excess sebum, bacteria, and clogged pores – all in which causes the development of severe acne. This topical acne treatment can reduce oil on your skin, kill bacteria, and unclog pores.
Laser Therapy
For more stubborn cases of acne on your chin, help from a dermatologist is required. Laser therapy is a useful acne treatment in Singapore because it reduces the number of acne-causing bacteria on the skin and reduces inflammation.
Cheeks
Acne on the cheek is usually caused by oil and dirt buildup that clogs the pores over time. The dirt and debris that encourages bacteria growth on the cheek come from the environment. These may be on your pillowcases, dirty smartphones, and habits of touching your face with dirty hands. Environmental pollution is one of the skin’s worst enemies. Dirt, oil, and bacteria make a perfect formula for causing acne. These can all find its way deep into your pores which then leads to an acne cyst.
How to treat acne on the cheeks?
Lifestyle changes
Making a habit of changing your sheets and pillowcases regularly can help lessen acne on your cheeks as they can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Overnight, your oils and dead skin cells transfer to your sheets and trigger bacteria growth. This bacteria then transfer back to your skin the next night which leads to pimples. This becomes damaging to the skin in the long term. If the bacteria makes its way deep into the pores, this may lead to severe acne.
Medical Facial Treatments
For severe acne on the cheeks, a facial treatment that contains cleansing, exfoliation, peeling, and infusion is a sure way to soothe the skin and reduce any inflammation. This acne treatment helps minimize pores and reduce oil on the face.
Forehead
Sebaceous glands are what produce the oil on our skin and hair. The acne is formed when a sebaceous gland in the skin’s surface is blocked, and the oil is unable to pass through it. The excessive sebum, dead skin cells, and bacteria block the glands which cause inflammation, leading to the development of acne. This shows up on the forehead as a soft red bump and is pus-filled. It is usually painful as it does not come with a head to release the pus.
Factors that can cause more acne and pimple growth on the forehead are stress, hormonal changes, some medications, and bad hygiene.
How to treat acne on the forehead?
Home Treatments
First things first, don’t ever try popping your acne as it will spread the infection and increase the likelihood of an acne scar to develop. Use a cleanser that has salicylic acid to get rid of the dead cells and dry out the pimple. Followed by a facial moisturizer, preferably oil-free. You can finish it off with an acne spot treatment containing Benzoyl peroxide to reduce the inflammation.
Oral Antibiotics
Facial washes and creams may just be enough to keep your skin’s surface clean. An oral antibiotic may be prescribed by doctors to keep the inflammation at bay and kill the pent-up of bacteria deep inside the pores, which causes the pain and acne scar. This medication is an effective acne treatment in Singapore that targets trapped bacteria. Note that this should be strictly used with the guidance of a doctor since it comes with side-effects.
If you’re suffering from this condition, there are a number of effective treatment for cystic acne in Singapore. Just be sure to have yourself consulted first by a trusted skin specialist to ensure you get the right acne treatment for your condition.
What are the complications of Cystic Acne?
Cystic acne damages your skin and causes permanent scarring.
Common acne scars include depressed pits, ice pick scars, sometimes hypertrophic scars and keloids.
The severe form of cystic acne is known as acne conglobata.
Cystic Acne Treatment in Singapore
Sozo Aesthetic Clinic offers the most effective treatments to bring cystic acne quickly under control.
We have one of the most comprehensive suite of Treatments for Cystic Acne in Singapore:
Medical skincare and medi-facial treatments like HydraFacial MD soothe your skin and reduce acne inflammation.
They also help to reduce the clogging of pores and prevent new pimples.
From $1200 for 5 sessions HydraFacial MD.
Lasers are useful for treatment for cystic acne in Singapore as they help to target bacteria, reduce inflammation and prevents re-occurrence.
We use the NdYAG laser, the Gold Toning anti-redness laser, and the Fractional CO2 laser to promote healing of cystic acne.
From $180 per session.
We use oral antibiotics to quickly keep the inflammation under control.
These medications are effective but also have side-effects. As such, these oral treatments should be used under the proper guidance of your doctor.
From $60 for 1 month supply of basic medications.
If acne often reoccurs on the same area or spot, it is often the same pore that is blocked and infected.
We perform AGNES treatment to destroy the affected sebaceous glands. This prevents them from getting blocked in future. A permanent cure for acne!
With 3 sessions of AGNES, you can expect up to 80-90% reduction of acne. One of the most effective treatment for cystic acne in Singapore.
From $750 for AGNES trial.
Anti-acne injection is suitable for large, painful and inflamed acne cysts.
We inject an anti-inflammatory medication to give you quick relief of your symptoms.
Your acne cysts will reduce in size, discomfort and redness over the next 1-3 days.
If your acne cysts persist, repeat treatments may be necessary after 4 weeks.
From $80 per injection.
Cystic acne can result in a large accumulation of pus.
When a large cyst is formed, the treatment is to drain the infected acne cyst using a tiny needle.
This treatment is well-tolerated by most patients. There is minimal pain.
In fact, drainage of your acne cysts improves your pain and swelling very quickly.
This facilitates faster healing and minimises the risk of permanent scarring.
From $80 per cyst.
FAQ
When do most people get Cystic Acne and how long does it last?
Cystic acne is strongly linked to hormones; an estimated 85 percent of the time it hits around hormone-heavy puberty and tends to stick around until your 20s. But it is not uncommon to see women and men in their 40s who have cystic acne, even for the first time.
In fact, a growing number of women in their 30s, 40s and 50s are getting acne, according to the American Academy of Dermatologists. In women, hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy can trigger cystic acne later in life.
PCOS, a hormonal imbalance where the body makes more testosterone-like hormones behind cystic acne, is another common cause. Even menopause rarely causes cystic acne due to hormonal fluctuations. Hormonal-linked acne usually appears around the jawline and the mouth, he adds.
How much does the treatment for cystic acne cost/ price in Singapore?
Cost of Cystic acne treatment in Singapore starts from the price of $80 for acne injection.
A customised approach gives you the best acne removal results.
Enquire for a price quote for your cystic acne treatment in Singapore.
