Long story short, I had a cystic pimple on my right cheek in January. I picked on it miserably to no avail. It went through the same healing stage as a regular cyst. (Pimple, lump, dark mark) but what puzzles me is it is still there right now. It looks like your normal post acne red mark from far but occasionally, I would feel sort of like a tiny lump under the skin where it used to be. It never came to a head and looks like the plug is too deep under the skin. It would scab over a few times and there would be dead skin over it which would come off by itself or sometimes as I wash my face. I am currently applying clindamycin and differin on it every night and seems to be improving by a bit. I went to a derm yesterday to ask for a cortisone shot but he said that it is too small. Will this eventually go away or will the content of the cyst need to lanced/extracted out for the skin to heal properly? Anyone with experience, please help. This is driving me nuts. Almost 8 months now!!!!!!
The lumps do go away, but it can take a long time. Next time you go to the Doctor, if it's still there, have them inject just a little amount really diluted...I'm sure if you explain how long you've had it and that it's driving you nuts they will inject it- but you have to be careful that it doesn't leave an indent from too much cortisone.
The better play is to just give it time...no one else probably even notices, but you do and I know that can drive you nuts!
The lumps do go away, but it can take a long time. Next time you go to the Doctor, if it's still there, have them inject just a little amount really diluted...I'm sure if you explain how long you've had it and that it's driving you nuts they will inject it- but you have to be careful that it doesn't leave an indent from too much cortisone.
The better play is to just give it time...no one else probably even notices, but you do and I know that can drive you nuts!
Thanks for your reply buddy. You know what, if it was an ordinary pimple, I wouldn't be too worried but this one, I played/picked it way way too much and what drives me nuts is the fact I probably induced my own misery. If I let it heal on its own, I'm sure it would have been gone by now with no scar. I think the spot ruptured under the skin because when I gently squeeze the area, I could see some white stuff scattered inside the skin. The lump has gone down quite a bit. I just don't know what it is. Should I just spend the money and get the area expressed and trade a linear scar...
I have had excisions and some you can barely see, others you can (or maybe just I can....you know how that goes, we are our own worst enemies in the mirror!).
I personally would go back and insist on a small micro injection of cortisone, maybe K5 (vs like 50 they use for keloids) to see if that helps, or maybe K8...see if you can live with it after that...if not then excision is the way to go, and you can always have just the scar lasered if you aren't happy with the way it has healed. And of course you need to find a skilled derm to do that on the face, like one who routinely does Mohs surgery....they aren't all skilled at the excisions.
Good luck, but again I would try the cortisone first, then excision as the last resort.
I have had excisions and some you can barely see, others you can (or maybe just I can....you know how that goes, we are our own worst enemies in the mirror!).
I personally would go back and insist on a small micro injection of cortisone, maybe K5 (vs like 50 they use for keloids) to see if that helps, or maybe K8...see if you can live with it after that...if not then excision is the way to go, and you can always have just the scar lasered if you aren't happy with the way it has healed. And of course you need to find a skilled derm to do that on the face, like one who routinely does Mohs surgery....they aren't all skilled at the excisions.
Good luck, but again I would try the cortisone first, then excision as the last resort.
Awesome I'll take your advice. I was very close in getting one yesterday until the derm took a look at the spot one last time and said it doesn't need to have one? Maybe it is just too small and maybe I am just too paranoid. You seem knowledgeable though. Will a cortisone shot dissolve whatever junk is inside? How does that actually work?
Sadly I am a bit of an expert...sadly.
The injections really do dissolve the contents of the cyst in a day or two...unfortunately if over injected or not diluted properly it can also dissolve some of the healthy tissue so you are left with an indent. So you need to make sure you find a doctor who is skilled at judging the dilution and how much to inject. But I would try that first, if it really bothers you....done properly cysts do vanish. And this is much less invasive than an excision.
Sadly I am a bit of an expert...sadly.
The injections really do dissolve the contents of the cyst in a day or two...unfortunately if over injected or not diluted properly it can also dissolve some of the healthy tissue so you are left with an indent. So you need to make sure you find a doctor who is skilled at judging the dilution and how much to inject. But I would try that first, if it really bothers you....done properly cysts do vanish. And this is much less invasive than an excision.
Awesome. Thanks again. I'd look into that in my next derm appointment. Hopefully, this thing is gone by now but if not, I'll ask for one.