Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

Cystic acne

15 replies

WinkyisbackontheButterBeer · 12/01/2019 14:37

Does anyone know of a miracle cure for cystic acne?
My poor dB is in his 30s and still really struggling despite trying all sorts.
He has had the horrid medication (can’t recall the name) but it had very limited impact on except causing low mood.

I would love to find something that works for him.

OP posts:
fiorentina · 12/01/2019 16:31

I have used La Roche Posay Diffaclar these last few months and found it’s made a real difference to chin cystic acne I used to get. Maybe worth a try?

teta · 12/01/2019 16:35

Azaleic acid. You can buy tubes online from Superdrug after a online consultation. I’ve just bought some for Dd. The product is called Skinoren. It’s virtually the only topical that has a effect on cystic acne.

Scottay · 12/01/2019 16:39

Is it roaccutane he's on?

I have terrible acne/scarring and that treats both..only thing that works on my skin, nothing else has touched it. Depending how long he's been on it, it can make it worse in the first few months but my advice would be to persevere as it really does work. Being on the roaccutane actually made my moods better as it lifted as my skin cleared.

Hope it gets better for him as it really is a horrible feeling and so painful

TootaLaFruit · 12/01/2019 16:42

Presume you mean Roaccutane by the horrid medication? That was the only thing that cleared my cystic acne, but mine was caused by polycystic ovaries so not sure of cause I’m men (all linked to testosterone, I imagine)

With further mini (non-cystic) breakouts I’ve found COR Silver Soap did a really good job. It’s expensive but lasts a while - you can get trial sizes too.
You lather, rub it on, leave for 2-3mins and rinse off, twice a day.

At first feels very tight/drying but once your skin is used to it it clears things up well (warning - causes skin to purge at first), but as well as sucking out all the nasties it speeds up healing so scars and scabs are less noticeable.

Honestly, I tried everything and while this may not cure the root cause of the cysts, it should help with the skin surface breakouts.

I hope your DB is ok - it’s utterly miserable and I know the effect it can have on confidence.

DarienGap · 12/01/2019 16:48

Has he tried hibiscrub?
I dilute it with water 50/50, apply to face and neck, leave for a minute or 2 then rinse off.
I had awful cystic acne on my chin and neck due to pcos, tried loads of stuff and nothing worked. I was recommended to try hibiscrub by my practice nurse and within 2 weeks my skin was clear.
Fab stuff, big bottle around £8 on amazon.

Nodney · 12/01/2019 16:57

Does sound like roaccutane which I took at 26 for cystic acne. I remember being told that I could take it for three months, four months absolutely maximum. For a while it got worse but then, when I had given up hope of it working at 3 and a half months, it finally got better. The side effects were horrid - low mood, aching joints and peeling lips, but it did work. Nothing else touched it. Hope your db feels better soon

Annabk · 12/01/2019 17:00

Salicylic acid works wonders to prevent cysts forming. ‘The Ordinary’ do a good value one and they also sell azaelic acid without prescription.

teta · 12/01/2019 17:23

You need a high % of Azeleic acid for it to work on Cystic Acne. 20% is only available as a prescription. The Ordinary one is fine for general skin care but not powerful enough for Acne. Cystic acne is characterised by deep rooted spots and generally anything topical will not work. Azeleic acid also works on the existing spots and reduces redness, swelling and inflammation.

Sunny1990 · 12/01/2019 17:27

Something that I noticed really really made a difference to mine was a spoonful of wheatgrass powder every day (that I added to a smoothie in the morning).

Sounds like a proper hippy thing and I’d have just rolled my eyes if someone suggested this to me. I’ve stopped having it for a fortnight a few times to see, and both times the ache has started to re appear!

It’s worth a shot for £2 in Aldi anyway x

BWatchWatcher · 12/01/2019 21:07

If he has cystic acne there is no cosmetic product that will help.
He needs to be seen by a dermatologist.

Sigh81 · 13/01/2019 09:08

I would recommend seeing a proper dermatologist. I can get a bit evangelical about doing so as I had horrendous acne (and then acne scarring) for years and it didn't improve until I saw a Harley St dermatologist. Someone at work actually said I had "beautiful skin" in a throwaway comment at work the other day! Now going through someone they recommended for acne scarring and fingers crossed it is working.

It is expensive but honestly if it is affecting your quality of life (and in comparison to the years of money I had chucked at random.products) then it is worth it.

teta · 13/01/2019 09:27

The thing is this guy would have already have gone through the antibiotic stage before roaccutane. Antibiotics only work for a short time. Hormonal treatments like the Pill can work on women but can’t be used in men. So if roaccutane doesn’t work you are left with topical retinoids. Dd has been using Epiduo which worked in conjunction with her antibiotic but now the antibiotic has stopped working the cystic spots are coming back. From then on there are very few options other than azeleic acid. A trial comparing Azeleic acid to roaccutane showed very good results.The 20% azeleic acid has reduced the redness and swelling of her current acne in 4 days. But I believe it will take up to 3-4 months to work fully.

Original poster
WinkyisbackontheButterBeer · 13/01/2019 13:42

That’s it roaccutane. There is no way that he can go there again. He went from being his irritatingly chirpy self to us worrying that he was going to harm himself within a few months.
At the time we didn’t know what had caused the change and it was awful to witness.

I will talk to him about the dermatologist. He has been using a treatment called aknicare for a few years but it doesn’t completely deal with the issue. It looks so sore and I know it impacts on his confidence.
Thank you for the other recommendations too. I will look into them.

OP posts:
UserMe18 · 13/01/2019 18:33

I doubt any cream will do the trick. It may be worth trying roaccutane again but on a lower dose, in the UK they seem keen to get you on a high dose so you can get off it ASAP (as a cumulative dose is needed) but if you reduce the amount per day and stretch the time on it the symptoms can be less severe, I was on it 6 months, was on a high dose destined for 4 months but struggled with the side effects so reduced the amount and stretched the time on it. It's changed my life and now I'm off it all symptoms went very quickly. Obviously mental health needs to be monitored extremely carefully on it.

Troton · 17/01/2019 21:45

I’m on roaccutane at the moment only 20mg per day which is a very low dose but it’s working well.
I’ve also used financea (azelaic acid on prescription) which certainly helps it look less angry but not a cure for proper cystic acne - it’s too deep rooted. Presumably he’s tried all the antibiotics? Your poor brother. I’m very worried about my sons inheriting my acne. At least women have makeup but men don’t really have that option. Has he tried benzoyl peroxide? It’s too strong for me but he helped my sisters cystic acne tremendously

New posts on this thread. Refresh page