Cystic acne is a particularly painful form of acne and one that can also lead to various treatment forms that can also be either difficult or painful. Are there alternatives to painful, cystic acne treatment?
First, what is cystic acne?
Acne becomes inflamed and develops when the follicle wall ruptures, leaking infected material into the dermis. If this break occurs near the skin’s surface, the blemish is usually minor and may heal quickly, however deeper breaks in the follicle wall cause more dangerous lesions.
Cystic acne does not have any overnight cure and it arise from cysts that are formed and swollen pus that fills pustules and are visible on the skin surface. It is a difficult acne and one with deep-seated causes that create a more significant effect upon the acne patient.
Acne researchers and dermatologists do not know exactly what the main cause of the infection is and it certainly varies from person to person. A variety of causes are identified, including hormonal changes, dirt that’s collected on the skin and also hereditary factors.
It is clear that severe cystic acne should be treated by a dermatologist or other medical specialist. Accutane, (isotretinoin) will reduce the size of the glands producing the sebum (oil) and also decrease the growth of P. acnes.
The problem with using Accutane or isotretinoin is that it is both not cheap and is also linked to important side effects, which have lead to some controversy and discussion among acne experts and sufferers alike. These include inflammation of the lip, dry mouth, nose or skin and more significant side effects like increased blood cholesterol, abnormal liver enzymes and other side effects.
Scarring is also an effect of cystic acne, something which can be very profound, given the type of severe acne infecting the skin. It is therefore an acne that is not only painful, with potentially dangerous side effects from some treatment forms, but also one that leaves an unfortunate life-long legacy through skin scarring issues.
Powerful medications are often needed to treat something as severe as cystic acne and anyone using it should not be discouraged by the failure of early treatment because it is an acne condition that can take some time to resolve through appropriate treatment.
Among the various treatment forms apart from Accutane, are oral antibiotics, oral contraceptives (for women) and surgical operative procedures whereby the infected material is removed.
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