What have you done differently since your breakout? Try to retrace your steps to see if something you changed in your routine or something you've taken might have caused it.

It's also not uncommon to develop an allergy to antibiotics or to a topical.

As for the link between diet and acne, never listen to your dermatologist. They want to sell you products, so of course they will say there is no connection between diet and acne. If what we put in our bodies makes no impact on the skin, then why do we even need food in the first place?!?!!

I am in the same boat. I am 26 and have had mild to moderate acne since I was 15 but very mild most of the times. In August I moved to a new state and started a graduate program as well as new job but in September started breaking out then in October and up until now has become very severe! I have cysts and huge whiteheads all over my chin, lower cheeks, and forehead. I am noticing it starting to spread to the sides of my cheeks as well. My doctor also said there is NO real correlation to diet and acne but I have been eating very healthy, doing juice cleanses and lots of new supplements like Vitamin D3, multivitamins, Echinacea you name it. To this day my acne is the absolute worst it has ever been, to be honest it's all over my face, red and painful. I started using retinA and Clindamycin gel about three weeks ago and had to go back to the doctor today because my face was breaking out so bad from these meds I couldn't take it, plus it is peeling SO bad, even with a good moisturizer. He prescribed me Septra/Bactrim and if this works I will let you know because from what I have researched, our type of acne (which they sound similar) is really hard to treat. Hooray for us.... If you find something that helps you let me know and I'll do the same. Just know you have someone who is going through a similar thing Hang in there!

Can I just counter the 'never listen to your dermatologist' comment left by WishClean. I see people on this site constantly espousing the "I know my body better than anyone!" comment. Well, actually, the likelihood is that you don't. The human body is like a machine. Those who have studied and practiced on it for years and years are unsurprisingly more knowledged in it than others. You wouldn't attempt to fix your car if it broke down, you would take it to a mechanic. This is exactly the same. If your body isn't doing what it should, you seek advice from someone who knows about it best.

So, always listen to your dermatologist. If you're so convinced that they have a profiteering agenda, then why seek their opinion in the first place??

Best of luck with your treatment

Can I just counter the 'never listen to your dermatologist' comment left by WishClean. I see people on this site constantly espousing the "I know my body better than anyone!" comment. Well, actually, the likelihood is that you don't. The human body is like a machine. Those who have studied and practiced on it for years and years are unsurprisingly more knowledged in it than others. You wouldn't attempt to fix your car if it broke down, you would take it to a mechanic. This is exactly the same. If your body isn't doing what it should, you seek advice from someone who knows about it best.

So, always listen to your dermatologist. If you're so convinced that they have a profiteering agenda, then why seek their opinion in the first place??

Best of luck with your treatment

I couldn't agree more with this comment. I live in the UK and see a dermatologist on the NHS ie. I don't pay to see him and there's no benefit to him of trying to sell me products because most prescriptions cost the NHS much more than we pay for them. He said exactly the same to me about there being no connection between diet and acne and that neither him nor any other dermatologist in the NHS would advise their patients to cut out certain foods with the aim of getting clear skin because there's no point and it doesn't work.

On the topic of a sudden cystic acne breakout, this is precisely what happened to me at the beginning of summer. I'd had mild/moderate acne for about 8 years but after my finals I suddenly broke out in severe cystic acne, which my GP thinks may have been to do with stress. Anyway, the only thing that could get it under control for me was antibiotics (I was put on an intensive 2000mg a day course of flucloxacillin for 10 days, followed by a long-term course of lymecycline). I've also found Epiduo to be by far the best topical for getting rid of cysts so I'd recommend either of those approaches if you have to wait a month for Roaccutane. Best of luck!

I said, when it comes to DIET and its relationship to your skin, don't listen to your dermatologist. I didn't say in general don't listen to your dermatologist. To each their own. Dermatologists never helped me anyway. They couldn't even identify what type of acne I had, and always prescribed expensive lotions and cleansers that tore my skin apart.

I certainly understand your situation. I have been dealing with moderate to severe acne for nearly 25 years. After many years of trial and error, reading scientific journals and studying the subject I am now very confident about causes acne and the very simple and effective methods of treating the problem.

Unfortunately our medical system is not designed to treat chronic disorders. The result of this is profound in all medical specialities from treating the degenerative diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome to the less fatal, but not any important skin disorders such as acne.

Many of these chronic disorders are linked.

What I am about to say is not meant to be arrogant or condescending, rather it's matter of fact. If you follow my direction you will see a relatively rapid and permanent change to your skin.

The Etiology of Acne.

This is very simple. Elevated free testosterone and POOR DIET in those susceptible. Your doc is painfully incorrect that it has nothing to do with what you eat. I can provide the background to this for those that are interested, however i suspect most of you just want clearer skin.

The greatest offenders are dairy (ESPECIALLY YOGURT), sweets and chocolate.

The BEST way to STOP acne is follow a paleolithic diet. It is extremely simple and you will be shocked at the results.

Loren Cordain, PhD is the best version and its avail on kindle for about $15. Very easy to understand. He does not discuss acne. Follow the diet and post back in 2 weeks.

Hi there,

This is really a plead for any kind of advice whatsoever, on how I can treat my sudden cystic outbreak, which is currently affecting my:

forehead, side of head, between eye brows, cheeks, chin, jawline and neck, below the ear.

I've been suffering from acne for 4-5 years now (I'm almost 22, female) and have already been put on courses of the following antibiotics:

oxytetracycline, lymecycline, doxycycline.

I started a new course of Erythromycin in August, alongside Isotrexin gel as topical treatment. The two combined with the use of Dermol lotion (as prescribed by my dermatologist) were working in my favour for some time, but in the last couple of weeks and, more severely, in the last 5 days, I have had this really sudden, painful cystic outbreak. My face has never looked or felt as bad as it does now...

I'll, hopefully, be starting on Roaccutane in about a month - unfortunately need to have blood tests before beginning it as I'm a girl - but in the meantime I would really like to ease some of the pain (both physical and emotional) that these cysts are causing me!

If anyone has any helpful advice, or suggestions of products that are proven to calm down SEVERE, harsh acne and scarring, then absolutely anything would be really greatly appreciated! Could they be hormonal or stress-related? Is that common for this type of acne?

(I should probably mention that I generally eat healthily, and have been told by my dermatologist that diet has absolutely NO impact on acne, particularly not the various types which have sadly invaded my face... But if anyone has any contradictory knowledge on this I'd still be open and interested to hear it).

Thank you!

Physicians are very, very good at treating acute disorders. With a small percentage of exceptions, they are ignorant when dealing with chronic problems. If that wasn't the case there would be no reason for this site to exist. Sadly this ignorance extends well into all medical specialties.

Clearly they are clueless when when it comes to diet, not only as it relates to acne, but to general health and fitness as well. Ever been to the gym? You see the same fat people on the treadmills month after month, many just as fat as they were when they started. Of course this method of fat loss is happily endorsed by nearly all docs. If I had a dollar for everyone here that thinks long tern cyclical aerobic exercise is healthy I could fund a trip to Europe.

The bottom line is most of us have no choice but to take the advise of our docs on chronic disorders (of course they do help to some degree). The problem is that the general public is ignorant of most issues (except social media and reality tv) and especially science based issues. All we need to do to prove that is to look at the composition of congress.

I said, when it comes to DIET and its relationship to your skin, don't listen to your dermatologist. I didn't say in general don't listen to your dermatologist. To each their own. Dermatologists never helped me anyway. They couldn't even identify what type of acne I had, and always prescribed expensive lotions and cleansers that tore my skin apart.

Physicians are very, very good at treating acute disorders. With a small percentage of exceptions, they are ignorant when dealing with chronic problems. If that wasn't the case there would be no reason for this site to exist. Sadly this ignorance extends well into all medical specialties.

Clearly they are clueless when when it comes to diet, not only as it relates to acne, but to general health and fitness as well. Ever been to the gym? You see the same fat people on the treadmills month after month, many just as fat as they were when they started. Of course this method of fat loss is happily endorsed by nearly all docs. If I had a dollar for everyone here that thinks long tern cyclical aerobic exercise is healthy I could fund a trip to Europe.

The bottom line is most of us have no choice but to take the advise of our docs on chronic disorders (of course they do help to some degree). The problem is that the general public is ignorant of most issues (except social media and reality tv) and especially science based issues. All we need to do to prove that is to look at the composition of congress.

I said, when it comes to DIET and its relationship to your skin, don't listen to your dermatologist. I didn't say in general don't listen to your dermatologist. To each their own. Dermatologists never helped me anyway. They couldn't even identify what type of acne I had, and always prescribed expensive lotions and cleansers that tore my skin apart.

>

Hi there,

This is really a plead for any kind of advice whatsoever, on how I can treat my sudden cystic outbreak, which is currently affecting my:

forehead, side of head, between eye brows, cheeks, chin, jawline and neck, below the ear.

I've been suffering from acne for 4-5 years now (I'm almost 22, female) and have already been put on courses of the following antibiotics:

oxytetracycline, lymecycline, doxycycline.

I started a new course of Erythromycin in August, alongside Isotrexin gel as topical treatment. The two combined with the use of Dermol lotion (as prescribed by my dermatologist) were working in my favour for some time, but in the last couple of weeks and, more severely, in the last 5 days, I have had this really sudden, painful cystic outbreak. My face has never looked or felt as bad as it does now...

I'll, hopefully, be starting on Roaccutane in about a month - unfortunately need to have blood tests before beginning it as I'm a girl - but in the meantime I would really like to ease some of the pain (both physical and emotional) that these cysts are causing me!

If anyone has any helpful advice, or suggestions of products that are proven to calm down SEVERE, harsh acne and scarring, then absolutely anything would be really greatly appreciated! Could they be hormonal or stress-related? Is that common for this type of acne?

(I should probably mention that I generally eat healthily, and have been told by my dermatologist that diet has absolutely NO impact on acne, particularly not the various types which have sadly invaded my face... But if anyone has any contradictory knowledge on this I'd still be open and interested to hear it).

Thank you!

Switch to a paleolithic diet and your acne will clear.

If you have tried it and it din't work, then try again for a week and post a food log of everything you eat. Don't leave out the smallest detail. This includes everything you drink as well.

Yep. The diet doesn't necessarily have to be extreme, just anti inflammatory.

If food is so useless, why can't we survive without it? If the quality of food you eat has no impact on your body, how come there are so many warnings about high cholesterol, heart disease, etc? Your skin is your largest organ; when the digestion/liver/gut is impaired and when you have food intolerances, your body uses your skin instead the regular toxin elimination pathways to get rid of toxins. Some people break out due to diet, others break out due to poor digestion, others break out for other reasons. But your best bet is taking care of yourself holistically -- that means "as a whole" to those who see the word holistic and immediately cringe -- to promote healing.

But anyway,I say we pack up and leave. Noone cares about this kind of advice on this thread.

What I like to do is get a clean washcloth and wet it with hot water (the hottest your tap will give you) then squeeze it out and set the damp/warm cloth over your face. I do this until the cloth cools down then repeat a few times. This is basically like "steaming" your face. It feels really good and gives your skin a clean feeling without irritating. I think that it sort of lifts out the bacteria and brings it to the surface. For me, when i have a pimple under the skin and do this, it brings the pus to the surface and i can see white on the pimple instead of just red. This also reduces the pain of cystic acne. When the pimple gets to the point of surfacing, I proceed to diluting salt into warm water, dipping in a cotton ball and then holding in on the spot for a while (and usually repeat a few times with new cotton each time). The salt is like a disinfectant to kill bacteria. Finally I mix baking soda and a bit of water to make a paste and use it as a mask or spot treatment. This is very drying.. At the end of this entire home remedy process, the acne is usually looking a lot better!

But at the end of the day... accutane is probabaly the only solution.