Thread: cystic acne showing up right before a show

ok doing a hafla on sunday. 2 days ago a sebacous cyst, well actually 3 right together, show up on my cheek, now what? I do plan on going to a dermatologist, yet, not enough time between now and hafla to go. anyone have any advice on what to do? tried every over the counter stuff they make and only makes them worse. HELP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!..c::

I get these, and pretty much nothing makes them go away. Messing with them just makes them worse.

Sometimes placing a cold compress on them followed by a drop of visine to kill the redness can help.

I'm sorry, cystic acne sucks and it hurts!

especially hurts when u get them between the eyes and bend over. thanks for the tips. i did forget to mention that one of them came up and broke. unfortunately. when that happens i use neosporin to keep it from getting worse and find a bandaid helps pull up more of the oil. i had perfectly clear skin until i was 17. these things are a curse from hell.

u should invest in one of those zit zapper devices. they really work. it makes a huge zit go away almost completely within 24 hrs

this one doesn't always work, but give it a go. put a spoon in the freezer for 10 mins, and then get it out and press it against those damn cysts...it usually gets rid of redness inflamation. also, try to intoxicate your system by eating heaps of fruit and drink 2 litres of water. for the show, get a good concealer and blend it over the cysts and finish off with a matte powder foundation.
unfortunately, since i'm in my teens and have naturally very oily skin, i too suffer of acne (not cystic though), so i know how you feel. on the other hand, people will be too busy paying attention to your amazing dancing and beautiful smile to notice a few flaws on your cheek!
happy dancing
Athena

This is a very useful thread! When I have a cystic acne outbreak, I also coll it as often as I can to get the swelling down. Cover with make-up for performance and be sure to remove the makeup thouroughly afterwards, or it might get worse.

AS long as you move aorund while dancing, people won't really notice.

i am doing a floorwork routine. hopefully my hair will get in my face alot. i usually let my concealer set for a bit before blending it. then after using bare minerals foundation, i use thier concealer powder to further conceal . which also makes it look less fake.

one trick that works a bit ,if you get them when they are still real small, is calamine lotion. though once they have gotten bigger it can cause them to surface by drying them up. same with applying a mud mask to the area before bed. like said above, if one does break a band - aid will not only keep infection away, but will also draw more of the oil out.

has anyone here gone to a dermatologist for them?

If it is in a "good" location you could stick a flat back jewel over it with eyelash glue to camouflage it during your performance. My mom used to cover regular zits with eye liner to make them look like a beauty mark. Ahh the blessings of being covered in moles. ..g.:

they are right under the apple of my cheek and that would be some large beauty marks. sebacous cysts can get as large as a dime.

I always get them on the small of my back and on my shoulder blades when I get super-stressed. I hate hate hate them! Painful and even with make-up, you can still see the "mound".

Do the zit-zappers work on these?

So far, I've been putting band-aids on them to keep them from getting more inflamed when my clothes rub against them from sitting in chairs/car.

my friend (with the zit zapper) got her zapper for the same reason...to use on her lower back zits. she said they worked for her. i've only used them on my face, and they work there. if i broke out more i would so buy one lol

Thanks for the recommendation. I might have to try it. These horrible things are driving me crazy!

I've been to my doc a couple of times about it, but all she says is to replace/clean my loofah more often... totally isn't helping!

there has to be more effective hope for us !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by shaabichic

u should invest in one of those zit zapper devices. they really work. it makes a huge zit go away almost completely within 24 hrs

What is this?

For mild breakouts on my back my dermatologist told me one of the most common reasons for breakouts (esp. on back/chest, and particularly if it is itchy) is overactive yeast production. She prescribed some body wash that has a very high sulfur content (yes, it reeks), and when I have breakouts I use it on my body & my face. It smells awful to me, but my hubby insists he can't smell it, and it does seem to work well...my back has cleared up considerably. You might ask about it...it's a sulfacetamide wash (of course if you are allergic to sulfates it wouldn't work for you). Sulfacetamide Wash - EverydayHealth.com

Originally Posted by AyoubGRL

i am doing a floorwork routine. hopefully my hair will get in my face alot. i usually let my concealer set for a bit before blending it. then after using bare minerals foundation, i use thier concealer powder to further conceal . which also makes it look less fake.

one trick that works a bit ,if you get them when they are still real small, is calamine lotion. though once they have gotten bigger it can cause them to surface by drying them up. same with applying a mud mask to the area before bed. like said above, if one does break a band - aid will not only keep infection away, but will also draw more of the oil out.

has anyone here gone to a dermatologist for them?

another thing that helps to draw the fluid out is a bandaid with the cotton part soaked with some hydrogen peroxide. dries the suckers right out. If your in public during the day, i'd reccomend doing it overnight ( but i'd suggest putting a towel on your pillow or using a pillowcase your not crazy about) works wonders for me!

sunday my skin went balistic. i now have several in several areas of my face. i have a appointment with a dermatologist tomarrow, but am nervous cause 3 have surfaced, then burst. so now they are cyst/cut. i don't want her to think i messed with them. i could put off going until they heal but then my skin may be temp free of them.
what do u think? should I go tomarrow or wait a week?

Ayougrl, good luck.

Do these "zip-zappers" have a brand name, model #, something?

Yes! What are these zit zappers called?

Originally Posted by tink

Yes! What are these zit zappers called?

Zeno I just got one. I'll let you all know my experience with it.

ah, I was just going to post saying they are called Zeno.

DIY Zeno

There are some good skincare threads on EDS.

I think both ice and heat would work well in terms of increasing blood flow to the site.

Topically I have used a chinese herbal treatment called Acne 101. It comes in little pink bottles. Internallly I have used a product called Acnease. I have used both and they work - for me.

Skincare is quite personal, what works for me may not work for you, so much of the time it's trial and error.

My esthitician (sp!) uses a commercial grade "zapper" and though skeptical at first, It does work. The cystic ones take longer to heal but I think it works. Perhpaps you could find an ethtitician who you trust. I know mine lets me come in to get zapped free of charge when I feel one coming on. Those kind of zits are the worst because they are underground and often topical rememidies don't help. Good luck to you.

Originally Posted by Sonja2

For mild breakouts on my back my dermatologist told me one of the most common reasons for breakouts (esp. on back/chest, and particularly if it is itchy) is overactive yeast production. She prescribed some body wash that has a very high sulfur content (yes, it reeks), and when I have breakouts I use it on my body & my face. It smells awful to me, but my hubby insists he can't smell it, and it does seem to work well...my back has cleared up considerably. You might ask about it...it's a sulfacetamide wash (of course if you are allergic to sulfates it wouldn't work for you). Sulfacetamide Wash - EverydayHealth.com

whoa, never heard of this. Will try.

didn't go to my appointment due to only 2 hours sleep. glad i didn't though, cause when i called to rescheduale, i found out they no longer take medicad/public aid. So now I have to find a total of 3 docs that take it. which is not easy.