No, they do not look exactly the same, but when you are in panic mode, you may as well consider it as an end to your world. On top of it, the various over the counter medications, acne creams, treatments and remedies make it all the more confusing for the general public, so it is common for you to make the situation even worse than it really is. Cystic acne is a serious condition that may put you in depression, therefore panicking as soon as the first sign pops up may not do you any good.
The Pool of Solutions at Your Fingertips, but are they Effective?
The internet is an amazing and a never-ending pool of information, so it is natural to get hooked up to information, especially if it is accompanied by a few reviews. Now… There has been a long debate over how much you can rely on the internet and therefore getting carried away is not something out of the ordinary.
Without giving it a second thought, you may just want to squeeze that pus-filled red blemish, which can lead to a mark, but this is where you are wrong. Moreover, with cystic acne, it is a completely different story, since the acne are deep into the skin, causing bumps and making many home remedies and over the counter drugs ineffective.
So, what have I been doing wrong?
- Treating just one pimple
You are approaching it all wrong if you are just treating that one red spot on your face. You should know that popping of one pimple indicates that there is a situation brewing under the skin, and this is what any experienced dermatologist will tell you. Caring for the whole face at once instead of just applying an acne cream on the affected region is more of an appropriate treatment.
- Mix & Try
Mixing different ingredients without learning about their nature can significantly increase irritation and drying of the skin or even render your medications and treatment useless. For example, mixing a product of retinoid with a product containing high volumes of benzoyl peroxide will make the retinoid ineffective. Although benzoyl peroxide is good for skin but combining it with salicylic acid can be very irritating for the skin.
- Less is more!
Whether it is a seasonal pimple or cystic acne, applying the treatment multiple times throughout the day will not rush the process. It is as simple as understanding that washing your face too many times in a day will just make your skin even dryer, make the acne situation even worse. Your continuous efforts may just cause more inflammation.
- Slept without moisturizing… SERIOUSLY?
Having oily skin does not give you the reason to not moisturize and go about your day. Indeed, the oil your skin produces is natural and a lubricant but it barely helps in keeping the skin moist. Simply put, your skin is dry and oily at the same time! When you are undergoing treatment for cystic acne, for example, your skin may feel more dry and rigid than usual, so it is essential you keep your skin and face properly moisturized.
Now that your eyes have opened and you have realized, that all these years, your struggle for acne was actually making it worse or doing nothing at all, you are in a better position to take the next step and go about your acne treatment.
The best advice would be to go see a dermatologist to figure out the reason for the breakout, whether those red spots are just pimples, or you are under attack by something more serious like blackheads and cystic acne.
Cystic acne are particularly a severe condition, and you have a number of treatment options available, including radiofrequency micro-needling, subcision, laser treatment etc. Make your choice wisely and avoid causing any more damage to your beautiful skin.