13 Cystic Acne Treatments That Are Dermatologist-Approved

Get a Cortisone Shot

If you want to go straight to the source, ask your dermatologist to give you a shot of cortisone/diluted steroid. It's injected straight into the cyst and quickly reduces inflammation. Most people will notice a drastic reduction within 24-48 hours.

Make an At-Home Aspirin Mask

For cystic acne (those pesky, red, painful, under-the-surface bumps), both Jennifer Herrmann, MD, and Joshua Zeichner, MD, recommend a simple at-home mask consisting of crushed aspirin and water.

"Crush up an aspirin tablet, and mix it with water to make a paste. Then, apply it directly to a cystic pimple," Dr. Zeichner explains. "Aspirin is a cousin to salicylic acid and may help calm inflammation and pain." (However, he tells us it won't nix excess oil.)

Apply a Spot Treatment

Apply a triple threat of acne-fighting ingredients. "Benzoyl peroxide lowers levels of acne-causing bacteria, hydrocortisone cream reduces inflammation, and salicylic acid removes excess oil to dry out a pimple," says Dr. Zeichner. He recommends acne-targeting options like, Clean & Clear's Advantage Acne Spot Treatment ($11) and Cortaid.

Mix Together a Vinegar Cleanser

"Diluted white vinegar is an amazingly broad antibacterial that can help kill the acne bacteria," explains Dr. Herrmann. "I recommend mixing a couple of capfuls of white vinegar in a cereal bowl full of purified water to use as a cleanser over the skin twice daily."

Ice It

Celebrity esthetician, Angela Caglia, tells us her go-to methodology is to apply ice, which can be anti-inflammatory for acne (just be careful not to use it for too long to prevent damage to the skin). "Remove an ice cube from your ice tray and rub it in circular motions directly on top of the cystic acne spot," she says. "Continue the motion until it is too sensitive from the cold." She suggests three times daily for best results.

Try a High-Quality Retinoid

According to Dr. Herrmann, a hard-hitting retinoid can also be a helpful tool to have in your arsenal when it comes to a painful cystic acne breakout. Formulated specifically for acne versus anti-aging, "Differin, a powerful retinoid, is now available at its lowest strength over the counter. This is an excellent choice to help exfoliate and remove surface skin cells clogging pores."

Check Your Diet

This one's tricky. After all, we're each unique, and our bodies have different likes, dislikes, and sensitivities. That being said, if you're consistently battling cystic breakouts, making some subtle tweaks to the foods you are (or aren't) consuming can be one of the best home remedies for cystic acne, according to our experts.

• Try swapping out dairy: Dairy is a mucus-forming food that can be difficult for the body to digest—which is why many people are lactose intolerant. There have been a few studies that suggest a connection between dairy consumption and acne flare-ups, but note that this connection isn't proven or fully understood by the medical community.
• Avoid processed foods and sugar: We get it. This one can be hard. But scientifically speaking, it's impossible to argue that processed, sugary, and starchy foods don't exacerbate inflammation, which in turn can lead to breakouts. So if you're on a mission to decrease the occurrence of cysts, Dr. Zeichner suggests avoiding these kinds of foods, which he says promote inflammation throughout the body and have been shown to lead to acne breakouts.

Take Probiotics

"Although research is still ongoing, there is a connection between gut health and skin health," Dr. Herrmann shares with us. "Regulating the healthy bacteria in the gut by getting a daily dose of probiotics can help decrease overall skin inflammation and encourage clearer skin."

Caglia is also a fan of this at-home cystic acne antidote and suggests loading up on things like yogurts, kefir, kimchi, and veggies, as these types of foods help "seal the gut," which creates a healthy barrier to ward off inflammation that can encourage the formation acne.

Harness the Power of Hydrocortisone

If you have super painful cystic acne that is causing you distress, you may want to try applying a bit of hydrocortisone. No, it won't get rid of your acne or reduce the bacteria, but it will combat inflammation as well as reduce redness and irritation. If you really want to give your acne a one-two punch, pair the hydrocortisone with benzoyl peroxide—the hydrocortisone helps with redness and irritation, while the benzoyl peroxide works to dry out the acne .

Dab on Some Tea Tree Oil

As Dr. Zeichner tells us, "Tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, making it a good home remedy for treating cystic acne." Plus, he adds, "It can decrease the amount of acne-causing bacteria sitting on top of the skin and simultaneously reduce inflammation." There's a reason the oil is found in many natural acne-targeting products.

Meditate More Often

"Acne breakouts have been directly linked to stress, whether it stems from school, work, anything," Dr. Zeichner tells us. "Therefore, anything you can do to keep calm will help lower the risk of a breakout. I typically suggest things like meditation, yoga, exercise, or whatever else you love to do that settles your mind."

Make a Turmeric Mask

One of Caglia's favorite ways to remedy cystic acne at home? A kitchen-made face mask. Her not-so-secret ingredient: turmeric. "Turmeric contains curcumin, which is a known anti-inflammatory," she says. "It also has high levels of antiseptic properties. When you apply turmeric to cystic acne, there is a potential anti-inflammatory effect that decreases the redness and size of the pimple."

To DIY it, she says to add a little water to turmeric powder to make a thick paste. Apply directly to the cystic breakout and leave on for 30 minutes before rinsing off. If you're not in the mood to be your own mixologist, the Byrdie team also loves Crop Natural's Purifying Turmeric Mask ($36) for its bump-busting abilities.

Note that turmeric can stain the skin, so it's best not to leave it on for more than 30 minutes a day. But as always, listen to your skin and consult your dermatologist.

Don't Pick at Your Face

Yes, the temptation to pick will always be there, but ultimately, your cystic flare-up will be much happier (and disappear sooner) if you use products strategically instead.

"As they mostly occur in the chin and jaw areas, it is important to remember that cysts are like submarines; they are meant to stay under the skin," muses celebrity esthetician, Renée Rouleau. In other words, don't pick. "No matter what method you employ, the infection from a cyst won't rise to the surface of the skin, even though you can feel a painful bump underneath. Your best bet is to treat the symptoms of the cyst with something like my Anti Bump Solution ($50), which can help calm the infection from within while also preventing future ones," Rouleau concludes.