Cystic Acne: Formation, Causes and Treatment

Cystic acne, also called nodulocystic acne by some, is one of the advanced stages of acne vulgaris. It results in the formation of inflammatory acne on the body, and scars get larger if not treated properly. They can also get painful in some cases, and usually take a long time to disappear. Victims of cystic acne develop both nodules and cysts; if you have got nodules only without cysts, then the condition is called nodular acne.

Nodules are lumps that form beneath the surface of your skin and usually leave scars on your body. If they are not treated well, they can grow again on the same spot. Though permanent cure may be hard to achieve in some cases, doctors can easily reduce the swelling and scars. Cysts are similar in appearance to nodules, except that they are filled with pus and have a greater diameter. Like nodules, cysts too bring pain and scarring. Never try to squeeze them if you suffer from these, as it would usually worsen the cyst and would cause more pain later.

How Cystic Acne Forms

As far as formation of cystic acne is concerned, it starts with simple acne. Sebaceous glands start producing sebum (oil) in excess and pores get blocked because skin cells are not properly shed. The P acnes bacterium grows inside the skin with the help of extra sebum, and development of acne begins. If you take vitamins to treat acne at this stage, you can avoid severe forms altogether without any side effects. But without treatment, it grows and cracks the walls of hair follicles, which causes the bacterium to enter the dermis.

If this crack in the follicle is situated in close proximity to the skin surface, it can be treated easily or may even heal by itself. However, if the crack takes place deeper inside the skin, the bacterium and contaminated sebum would start affecting nearby follicles, which eventually develops nodules and cysts. In cysts, though, a thin film covers the infected area.

Causes

If most of your family members and ancestors suffered from acne, you also have a higher chance of getting your share of the disease. Furthermore, production of androgens during adolescence automatically increases the production of sebum, which facilitates development of acne. Though these factors are not specific to cystic acne, they usually contribute to the initial development of acne, which later results in cysts if it gets worse. There are some other factors that can worsen acne inflammation, facilitating the formation of nodules and cysts. For example, any type of stress can worsen acne during its initial stages.

Treatment

Due to the complexity and seriousness of the matter, cystic acne must be treated under direct supervision of an experienced doctor. Sometimes, it would take a lot longer than usual to treat cysts, so don’t lose your heart if you don’t see results immediately. Secondly, more than one treatment may be needed to cure this problem, so it can take some additional time to just discover what will work for you with minimal side effects.

If you are suffering from moderate cystic acne, you can get well using benzoyl peroxide. But it should not be used by patients who already have a dry skin. Isotretinoin is the common treatment given in severe cases, as it can banish cysts for the rest of your life. But it has strong, detrimental effects if used during pregnancy, and it should also be avoided if you get depressed quickly. Some doctors also use intralesional corticosteroid therapy, where a drug is injected directly into each cyst to eliminate it. In addition, cysts can also be removed through surgery by inflicting a minor cut on the infected skin area and removing the toxic substance.

Whichever treatment you go for, make sure you consult an experienced doctor before starting. Though effective in most cases, these methods also have some side effects that can make things worse for you in the long run. Know about vitamins to treat acne.