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[awshucks]

I've got a cyst that I'm currently battling and I keep reading about how the core has to come out or it'll just keep filling back up. What exactly is the core? How do I identify it? And how can I safely remove it (without going to a derm) so this thing will finally start to shrink?

[alias683]

When we talk about acne cysts, they are not like the "true" cysts that occur elsewhere in the body. A true cyst is its own little pocket of fluid, and often has its own lining. An acne cyst is just an area of inflammation, and the "core" that people often talk about is huge whitehead that can sometimes be popped out.

That being said, some cysts come to white heads, and some don't. If they don't, DO NOT PICK AT IT! You will end up scarring yourself even worse. Use cold and heat packs to try to make it decrease in size. If it does come to a head, try your best not to pop it, because the body usually will let it kind of take care of itself. You make the pus and everthing because your immune system is working against the bacteria that it found. Pus is NOT bacteria, it the the left over waste from your body attacking the bacteria, so getting rid of it doesn't really necessarily mean the bacteria is gone.

My advice: Use lots of cold compresses to try to get it to decrease in size, and some people swear by sulfur masks as well, to help decrease the size. If it comes to a head, MAYBE think about popping it, but I'm really against that, just becuase usually the scars stay for longer if you pop it, because you injure the surrounding tissue with your hands.