Cystic acne is the worst. Not only are they more painful, bigger, and redder than regular pimples, they also take longer to heal. While we recommend you immediately schedule an appointment with your derma the moment that bad boy pops up, you can also try these DIY hacks/remedies before seeing her! (Note: Before trying any of these, speak to your dermatologist first to find out if these methods are safe for your skin type.)
#1 Ice
You’ve probably heard of Hollywood celebs dunking their faces in a bowl of ice to get glowing skin. Who knew it could be used to soothe painful pimples, too!
Ice works by reducing swelling and inflammation on the pimple and bringing the pus to the surface. When it’s “ripe,” that means you can now take a trip to your derma’s office and have it extracted!
#2 Warm compress
Like ice, a warm compress can shrink a pimple and help it come to a head. When doing this, though, make sure your face is clean. Also, don’t aggressively rub the blemish as it might do more harm than good.
#3 Green Tea Leaves + Honey
Green tea is filled with antioxidants to help heal marks and unclog pores; and honey has soothing, anti-bacterial properties to calm down any type of pimple. When combined, they make an excellent homemade blemish-shrinker!
#4 Yogurt + Honey
Yogurt contains lactic acid, a type of alpha hydroxy acid, that exfoliates at a cellular level without drying out your skin. After putting on the mixture, wait for it to dry before washing it off.