Hey guys, in a bit of a pickle at the moment lol
So I had this massive cyst on the corner of my nose; it first came up around 2 weeks ago. First time, all the content and pus came on the surface of my skin and I couldn't leave my house, so I had to pop it. I drained it and it left a little hole. I treated it and I left it to heal. It left no scar and was completely healed after 1 week.
About 3 days ago, I decided to go back on Tretinoin (Retin A) for my scars and hyperpigmentation, so I applied a VERY small amount everywhere on my face for 2 nights straight. My face was doing very well; no reactions, no peeling, except this cyst began to grow again. The retin A must of caused it to purge again, and I remembered when I first popped it, there was visible hard contents in the hole where I couldn't get it out ( It was small, embedded and white? It looked solid )
Yesterday night, I had the worst purge in ages and the cyst popped itself and I had to drain everything. I did not apply retin A at this time ( I forgot to apply it the night before). The area became a huge wound AGAIN and the skin just ripped off so easily after I squeezed the content and pus out.
I still see the clogged pore deep inside my wound but I can't get it out and I don't want to irritate my wound. What should i do? Will this clogged stuff eventually come out? I think its causing my cystic acne to repeatedly flare up.
Thanks x
Hey guys, in a bit of a pickle at the moment lol
So I had this massive cyst on the corner of my nose; it first came up around 2 weeks ago. First time, all the content and pus came on the surface of my skin and I couldn't leave my house, so I had to pop it. I drained it and it left a little hole. I treated it and I left it to heal. It left no scar and was completely healed after 1 week.
About 3 days ago, I decided to go back on Tretinoin (Retin A) for my scars and hyperpigmentation, so I applied a VERY small amount everywhere on my face for 2 nights straight. My face was doing very well; no reactions, no peeling, except this cyst began to grow again. The retin A must of caused it to purge again, and I remembered when I first popped it, there was visible hard contents in the hole where I couldn't get it out ( It was small, embedded and white? It looked solid )
Yesterday night, I had the worst purge in ages and the cyst popped itself and I had to drain everything. I did not apply retin A at this time ( I forgot to apply it the night before). The area became a huge wound AGAIN and the skin just ripped off so easily after I squeezed the content and pus out.
I still see the clogged pore deep inside my wound but I can't get it out and I don't want to irritate my wound. What should i do? Will this clogged stuff eventually come out? I think its causing my cystic acne to repeatedly flare up.
Thanks x
If you can see the sebum plug, you will need to get it out before your skin just heals over it, and it inflames into a cyst again.
I use a metal extractor tool and just try to gently work it out.
I've been trying to squeeze it out gently, but it seems to be pretty deep. I was even stupid enough to get a tweezer (sterilized) and pick it out. I managed to get some but not the one I saw before when I initially healed
I really advise you not to mess around with cysts that are buried deep in your skin, especially with metal implements. I was in a very similar situation to you at one point over summer when it seemed like I had two cysts one on top of the other and I decided to use a sterilised pin to gently extract the underneath one when the top one had burst. I did manage to get the stuff out, but I now have a scar there which is so far the only scar I've ever developed from acne and it's really obvious and not getting any better. So yeh, really wouldn't recommend that method!
Yeah, I don't recommend the metal tool method either...I've tried even poking my cysts with hot tools in the past. I was dumbbb. Anyway, what I would tell you to do if it's open like you say is to first clean it out with something like Witch Hazel - just use a LITTLE because it will sting, but it will aid to disinfect it. After that, try to put some neosporin right on the hole (don't get it around it, because it is comedogenic), then take whatever antibiotics/inflmmatory drugs you have - benedryl can help, but don't take it too often. OH, and do this all at night, because it'll probably look more irritated before you sleep, but better in the morning.
Thanks for the extra tip guys! I've already done the deed before I read this lol - feels guilty :'( -
But I managed to get most of the deep embedded stuff in the pore. I steamed my face, then extracted as much as I could without irritating it, and then did a bentonite clay mask. It did a pretty good job in deep cleansing the rest of the gunk out. Just applied my aloe vera mix with turmeric and neem powder over the wound and secured it with a plaster for the night. I prefer to do this better than polysporin or savlon ( equivalent to us UK people ) since it won't be comedogenic and it is amazing for healing wounds. In future I'll avoid the tweezers ^^''