The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Debbie (St Pete Beach, Florida) on 10/10/2011
I am 51 years old and fought cystic acne for years. I was on accutane four seperate times over 20 years. Each time it worked for about 5 years and then the acne would return. My face is now acne free but for the first time in my life I am getting cysts on my chest.
Here's the double whammy... I think I am getting these cyst on my chest because of my nightly hot flashes. My chest is covered with sweat and the acne flourishes despite prescription topical treatments. The only way I get rid of most of these bumps is to go to the dermatologist and have them injected with steroids.
So, after looking at this website, I see that ACV is mentioned to stop hotflashes and cure cystic acne. I am running to the store now to get some. I will report back in a few weeks. Perhaps, I can kill two problems with one remedy!!!
Honey
Posted by Hannah (Middletown, Ct) on 10/04/2011
★★★★★
Raw natural honey IS the miracle cure for cystic acne! I read about it somewhere, dabbed it on before bed, covered it with a bandaid and in the morning it was much smaller and less painful! Honey is known to be a natural antiseptic with anti-microbial properties. The bandaid isn't necessary, but the honey DOES need to be raw (crystalizes). Honey in the bear bottle doesn't work. I haven't tried cinnamon with it... But I will!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Elle (College Park, Ga) on 08/22/2011
Hi Aya, Wow, its so interesting that you said you experienced cystic acne when you began traveling because that was my experience too. I had to go over seas for my job in feb/mar of 09 and since then Ive battled cystic ance. Ive tried everything from all the stuff (antibiotics, duac, acanya, steroid injections, etc) a dermatologist prescribes and holistic methods as well. But I wonder if there's more to this traveling commonality.... Did you travel overseas by chance?
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Devra (Jamaica, Ny) on 07/27/2011
Stay away from foods that don't work with you. I suffered with cysts acne for 20 years and had to cut out rice, peas some bean and grains. It is true that apple cider vinigar is a miracle, it balances the oil of the skin and also gives a healthy shine all over.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Linda (Alpharetta, Ga) on 06/19/2011
You might try ACV in form of capsules. You can also make the salad dressing with ACV instead of normal vinegar. Avoid mustard! It increases chances of break outs. Baking soda would be helpful as well, but it does not taste great either.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Tara (Mumbai, India) on 06/19/2011
★★★★★
I had severe painful nodulo-cystic acne on my nose since 1998. Doctors put me on antibiotics for a long term and when that had no permanent effect, they put me on roaccutane for a year during which the acne did go away but the roaccutane left me with severe depression for which I still need to take antidepressents.
The acne came back after roaccutane and I turned to homeopathic treatment which took a long time but the acne is finally under control.
But the most amazing thing has happened in the last eight months - there has not been a recurrence of the acne - ever since I started having a high fibre diet which includes large amounts of steamed okra for lunch and dinner.
The homeopathic doctor gave me the medicines calcarea sulph and hepar sulph in various potencies which always helped to clear away the acne and gradually decreased the recurrence.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Blkmanchgo (Chicago, Il) on 06/17/2011
Hi asian mom, Whenever I see anyone with with custic acne I like to recommend they try the yogic water technique. What you do is first thing in the morning you drink 8 glasses of pure water, then you do simple yoga stretches and breathing. It worked for me although I have a few other skin complaints. It's actually harder then it sounds he might have to build up to 8 cups so maybe start off with six. Some people even dissolve sea salt on their tongue after every cup but I guess thats optional. I know it sounds weird and he's sixteen but try it for two weeks and let us know.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Asianmom (Austin, Tx) on 06/17/2011
★☆☆☆☆
Hello, my 16 years old son has really bad cystic acne. We spent so much money taking him to dermatologists and nothing except Acutane helped. Since he plays Tennis every day for 4 hours a day after school, after the first round of Acutane which worked wonderful on him, his cystic acne came back. His dermatologist would not want to put him on Acutane again because his exposure to the sun. So he is only taking an antibiotic right now and use Cetaphil as his cleanser. The antibiotic does not help. He is still breaking out like crazy. I tried the apple cider vinegar toner on him (twice a day) for a week now and I have not noticed any improvement. How long does it take to see the result? He would not want to take apple cider vinegar diluted with any thing. He tried one and spitted it out because he couldn't take the taste of it, even with fruit juice. Does anyone has any tip that can help him to combat his cyst acne problem? Thanks so much for all your help.
Honey and Cinnamon
Posted by Bryce (Quincy, Il) on 06/06/2011
It really got rid of your cystic acne? It didn't irritate it? I need quick results any tips?
Dietary Changes
Posted by Skidaddy (Knoxville, Tn) on 05/31/2011
★★★★★
My cystic acne cleared completely when I went on the Atkins diet. I have since found a direct relationship between eating starchy carbs (bread, pasta, corn, potatoes, rice) and my acne flaring up... its not just chocolate and sugar like everyone says... its hard to give this stuff up, but it sure is nice to have a clear face.
Hope this helps someone...
Saw Palmetto, Spearmind Tea
Posted by Davy (Seattle, Wash) on 05/22/2011
Cystic acne may be contributed to an increase in the androgen hormone which increases as you get closer to your menstruation. Studies show that the androgen hormones decrease when you drink spearmint or peppermint which contributes to decrease in the androgen. So drink a couple cups of peppermint or spearmint tea is worth trying to decrease hormone cystic acne . I do this as well as use tea tree oil on the cystic acne.
Echinacea
Posted by Elizabeth (Chicago, Il, Usa) on 05/20/2011
★★★★★
I've gotten those horrible boils/cystic acne on my inner thigh/lower back a few times, and the absolute best remedy I ever found was to put a good amount of liquid echinacea on it, and cover it loosely with a bandaid if it doesn't hurt too much. Keep doing this throughout the day and at night before you go to bed. I thought it was too deep for any medicine to reach it, but within 24 hours, the entire cyst had become a whitehead that was painless to pop. (wow this description is kind of gross, but I know it works!)
Lavender Oil
Posted by Cysticzithater (Grand Rapids, Mi) on 05/17/2011
Oh boy. LOL. I laughed so hard at your hiliarious and artful way of expressing yourself about cystic zit dilemmas. I, too, have suffered terribly with the embarassing condition. In fact, I have one on my chin again, which drove me to seek help on the internet today. I love this web site! Last year, I purchased lavender oil but I never thought to use it for a zit. And after looking back, I stopped drinking coffee with cream and other dairy products and noticed no new zits. Thanks for your help!
Vitamin C
Posted by Jacqueline (Cream Ridge, Nj Us) on 05/15/2011
★★★★★
I am 41 and I have had cystic acne for about 11 years now and I have tried everything and could not get rid of it. I read this blog and decided to try the Vitamin C tablets. I take one a day and in about 2 1/2 weeks my face is clear and I haven't had any new breakouts! I am so happy!
Lavender Oil
Posted by L (Horsham, Surrey) on 05/09/2011
★★★★★
Get occasional acne cysts and decided to try pure lavender oil, dabbing several times a day rather than leaving on the skin for an hour as per previous post. Have found this has really reduced its size over the last 24 hrs. Will continue until gone. Great tip, thanks!
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Anapanda (Mysecret, Kentucky, United States) on 05/05/2011
I tried tea tree oil, and it was an awful experience. I applied it on the area (my inner thighs) with just a small dot of the oil, and it caused large red welts to appear just a few hours later. I'm not allergic to it, so that wasn't the cause, and I'm not sure what was.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Meli (Las Cruces, Nm) on 05/04/2011
★★★★★
I am so thrilled I came across this site. For cystic acne, I've used everything from antiobiotics, prescribed creams, even Accutane, which worked for a while but was hell to go through the treatment. I found this a few days ago & started using the ACV as a toner twice a day, and my skin immediately started showing improvement. I'm going to try adding ACV to a homemade body wash and face scrub too!
Dietary Changes
Posted by Ashley (Boise, Idaho) on 04/14/2011
★★★★★
COFFEE - I've had cystic acne for six years, since I was 20 (when I started drinking coffee in college). I cut out coffee for four months this past year and stopped getting new cysts (or any acne at all) on my chin. Ended up having a mocha this week and the very next day noticed that a huge cyst had developed under the skin on the corner of my chin overnight. It's a small possibility it could be the caffeine, but I am more convinced in my case that it is the coffee. Try cutting it out for a few months and see if it helps before drastically altering your diet, lifestyle, etc. Good luck everyone.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Steve (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) on 04/04/2011
I suspect I am just like Kelly. For some time now, several years in fact, I have tried to be scientific and tightly control what I eat. What I now suspect is that if I eat 'corn' some time later, e. g. 10 hours or more, I have a 'cystic' reaction and if I do not eat 'corn' I do not have a reaction.
A major problem is that it is very difficult to definitely say 'corn' is the problem since its presence is pervasive and it is hard to always remember what I have eaten.
An example of food that I think cause a reaction: McDonald's hashbrowns which, surprise, surprise, contains corn and may even be cooked in corn oil. I suspect it is not the oil, per se, thought I do not know.
If anyone is interested I can list what seems fine.
Urine Therapy
Posted by Starofafrika (Atlanta, Ga) on 03/06/2011
My mama said that when I was a baby she used to wipe my face with my urine because women from an older generation said that this would make your skin pretty.
I just developed a case of stubborn cystic acne over the past couple of weeks. I have gotten it subside greatly but not completely. I will try this first thing in the morning.
Thanks for the tip. I will be sure to let my mama know that this wasn't just an old wives tale.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Janet (Kerr, Tx) on 02/27/2011
Beware of minocycline... Its is linked to drug induced lupus which can attack the skin. We had three miserable years with my teenage daughter. We are still have outbreaks but nothing like we had.
Lavender Oil
Posted by Lolo (Fullerton, Ca) on 02/23/2011
★★★★★
I tried ES's compress with Lavander oil since I felt a sore bump in between my eyes 3 days ago. Wow! I was so surprised when the zit never came up and the soreness went away after a day and a half! I've never had anything work this fast! That's one less pimple I have to nurse for a month. No ugly redness and no bump ever surfaced. Thanks for this post! I will be sharing it with everyone I know!
Lavender Oil
Posted by Es (Newton, Nj) on 12/13/2010
★★★★★
I meant to share this with people for years and somehow never got around to it, but I want to share this because ance cysts are really humiliating - I used to get them sometimes, and sometimes, still do. But they don't cause me the awful grief they used to, including a big ugly cyst that lasts for two weeks, and red marks that last for months if you pick at them. I stumbled upon a way to make them go down instantly and let me tell you, I'd tried a dermatologist and they prescribed a special cyst cream that cost $50 even with my insurance! It was like a $187. Cream that only dried the living cr*p out of the cysts but didn't really help.
OK so the cure is simple. You take a few drops of lavender essential oil, you put it on a little swatch of cotton, and stick it on the cyst. You leave it there for an hour or even two. Here's the deal. Sometimes, before the cyst actually shows up, you feel that little painful spot on the skin, and if you catch it then, that's the best time, because if you feel the cyst coming on, and put the lavender on, you will find the cyst never really gets to develop. Sometimes you might want to do the lavender treatment again the following day for good measure. This stops the cyst before it can really form at all. But sometimes, you don't catch it until it's come up. In that case, you will have to treat a few times, but it will completely reduce your misery. Some cysts are more stubborn than others, but none of them can stand up to lavender essential oil. I ALWAYS keep lavender oil in the house.
So, if the cyst has come in, then here's how you do it:
I just pull a little piece of cotton off a cotton ball, so it covers the cyst completely, and drop the lavender oil on with a dropper. The little cotton patch should be soaked with the lavender oil. Do not dilute, lavender can be used on the skin undiluted. Leave it on at least an hour. That cyst will be beginning to go down from that point. You may need to repeat this treatment once daily for the next couple of days if it's a stubborn cyst and you got it later in the development, but it's ok, it WILL NOT become a big monster, it will not grow, from when you begin treating, it will stop growing and start dying. Every day it shrinks more. This has worked for me every time, and I discovered this trick by accident about 5 years ago.
My handsome younger brother poo-pooed it as nonsense until he got a cyst zit on his nose, and suffered a humiliating job interview where he swears he wasn't hired cause he looked like he was growing a second nose the thing was so big. He said the interviewer couldn't help looking at it. Well, a few weeks later another cyst started coming in, what did I see but my brother, raiding the medicine cabinet for my lavender oil! It worked for him too, so he bought his own bottle (it's cheap and tons of companies manufacture it, very easy to find). He keeps some at home just in case because you may not get them a lot but when you do, they SUCK.
Anyway, my neighbor had a problem with cysts for years, and used to go to her DR to have them drained. I gave her some of my lavender oil and guess what? It worked for her too. She was amazed. So don't suffer with a huge ugly cystic zit on your face that hurts physically, lasts for ages, and causes embarrassment. Either hit your local health food store, or search online for some pure lavender essential oil and give it a shot. Do not put a lavender compress on your skin if you have just put on aloe vera gel (or fresh aloe vera gel from the leaf) - the aloe combined with the lavender compress will burn the skin and leave a scab!!! (Found that out the hard way - using myself as a guinea pig). Good luck. ES
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Tj (Bull City, Nc) on 10/29/2010
You are right. The glands at the base of the hair produce sebum, thus acne sometimes. A remedy that is not only great for menopause but also cystic acne is Spearmint leaf tea. It lowers testoserone naturally. When you go through menopause, the estrogen that normally keeps testosterone in check is lowered. Try it. 2-5 cups a day, I use organic leaf. It will help manage the hair and likely help some of your other syptoms. Plus its safe and delicious.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Aya (Atlanta, Ga) on 09/08/2010
I am suffering from the same things you have mentioned in this post. I started to form cystic acne after traveling and my bowel movements became irregular. I have been like this for the past 4 months now. Did your gassiness issue go away as well? What did you do to become "regular"?
Honey and Cinnamon
Posted by Kea (Austin, Tx, Us) on 06/30/2010
★★★★★
I battle cystic acne in spurts. I went to Arizona for 3 weeks and had no breakouts. I came back to Texas and bam...at least 10 cystic acne bumps in 2 weeks. I realized that these breakouts occur a week before or during my period. I found this website and began trying everything, Vitamin c tablets, turmeric, coconut oil spearmint tea, and even urine therapy. Nothing gave results. The coconut oil seemed to smooth the rest of my skin but did nothing for the cystic acne. I began looking elsewhere and here is what is finally working for me:
When I first feel the cyst tingling I began to ice it (15 seconds on and off), which seems to help it considerably. Then at night I take a dime size amount of unrefined raw (thick) local honey mixed with the same amount of organic cinnamon and make a paste. I put it on my cysts overnight. Day 1 the cysts didn't hurt anymore and swelling decreased by 50 percent and by day 2 it is pretty much gone! All that remains is redness, no knot underneath the skin anymore!!! What a blessing!
Dietary Changes
Posted by Jgmurphy (Skokie, Il) on 04/16/2010
★★★★★
I believe that at least in my case, my cystic acne is related to diet. I almost always get a cyst after an over-indulgence in chocolate, ice cream or some other sweet. Basically I can keep it under control by limiting my diet in these areas. Chocolate, particularly. I have given up ice cream almost altogether.
Once when living in California I went with a friend to Solveng, a small Danish town in the Inland Empire that specializes in (you guessed it) baked goods. Of course I had a bunch of cookies....and the next day, a HUGE cyst in the middle of my cheek! Coincidence? I think not!
I now keep sugar to an absolute minimum. Honey is a safe sweetener because it is antibacterial (i.e. the bacteria that cause infections can feast on sugar but cannot digest honey as the molecules in honey are too big.)
I find that with an existing cyst I do better to leave it be than to try to bring it to a head, since doing that almost always leaves a scar. For me, prevention is better than cures.
Good luck with yours! J
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Mcneillmama3 (Asheboro, Nc) on 01/10/2010
I too have been battling acne cysts and boils for the past 9 years, since I started going through menopause.
Last week I thought I would try some OTC exfoliator because it was on sale. BIG mistake. The next day I had 7 new, very painful acne cysts. I went right back to the paste I concocted of Turmeric, colloidal oatmeal, sea salt, a little warm water, and a few drops of tea tree oil. I have been applying that paste, letting it dry, and then washing it off with Tea Tree Oil soap and they cysts have about self peeled after about three days. I have also started taking a turmeric capsule by mouth every day as well.'
Does anyone know how to make a paste out of turmeric, colloidal oatmeal and milk to get rid of menopausal peach fuzz. The tiny hairs on my face are the culprits for the cysts and blemishes. I believe if I could get rid of the hair, I could elminate the bacteria that are trapped around the hair follicles.
