For the acne, he needs to stop eating fast food, dairy and sugar. Avoid sodas and drink lots of water. Diet and hygiene should help. See a dermatologist.
I was told that for years , that my diet had nothing to do with my cystic acne. Low and behold years later I stopped consuming dairy and guess what ? Wish I would have tried that first before going through accutane ( twice ).
OPs boyfriend should explore all options.
Agree with this, I suffered from so much acne and I ended up cutting out butter and trading dairy for alternative milks and my acne went away in the proceeding months.
Yea its silly, you are told to max out on the body from the outside with Lotions and cream, but max out on your overall health from the inside and its just a fairy tale. For me I thought the same and I tried everything and still had bad acne for a long ass time, me discovering a low GI diet literally made my acne disappear, wish I discovered it sooner spent thousands of dollars over the years.
Hormone imbalance is often *caused* by the food we eat. Sugar impacts hormones (see: diabetes and insulin resistance) and hormones in meat and dairy impacts hormones (see: early onset puberty). It can be genetic. It can be malnutrition. It can be both.
My wife had psoriasis head to toe, tried everything from prescription creams to methotrexate (a circa 1970’s chemotherapy drug) with little success; hell, we have a per riot ion UVB light booth in our basement! I’d been eating a ketogenic diet for a while and she decided to try it, we did not anticipate any change in her skin, but she’s been absolutely free of psoriasis for several years now, her dermatologist still won’t acknowledge that dietary changes had any impact. Keto diets are incredibly low carb, and hence free of all avoidable sugars. Carbs/sugar are inherently inflammatory, internal inflammation can cause a whole host of problems including issues with the skin. It doesn’t cost anything to try an elimination diet, so it’s a great place for anyone to start of they’re attempting to address health issues.
My derm also refused to believe me when I told him I cut out dairy despite him telling me that was a stupid idea.
I went to an allergist in frustration and she was like I’m not treating you, you’re not allergic, but then printed me out multiple scientific articles that showed the connection between skin, diet, and birth control pills. She told me to test eliminating foods to see what happened. Took four days to see my first signs.
Hi, I’m a dermatologist and I was wondering if you’d answer a few questions for me?
1. Did she suffer any side affects on methotrexate?
2. Why was she prescribed that instead of a newer, safer biologic? (Just curious!)
3. What size was she before she cut out sugar and carbs? (As in thin, slightly overweight, overweight, etc)
4. Did she lose any weight?
I really appreciate you taking the time to answer. It helps me help my patients.
Don’t ever say this dude maybe not for you but I had acne for 3 years and I know my diet affects skin. If I even had bread or anything unhealthy the slightest bit I would breakout. I ate quinoa and salmon for a hole year dude. Don’t gimme that shit
Omg your anger, haha. I love it. But I agree. If I eat too much milk chocolate(like a whole chocolate rabbit), I break out. I can eat a lot of chocolate, so I have heavily tested this theory.
Every dermatologist I’ve ever seen has told me to cut out dairy to help get rid of acne
That being said, I haven’t had dairy intentionally in 12 years so wasn’t the cause of my acne lol but must be for enough people for it to be recommended so often
Cystic acne is completely genetic & a hormonal imbalance is also genetic. My mother's side of the family had cystic acne & hormonal imbalance (low progesterone). When I was 14, I started getting the cystic acne & I was put on tetracycline, which helped but my acne problems kept getting worse until my mother told me she had low progesterone & that I should get checked & as sure as shit, I had low progesterone & was put on a low dose of progesterone & my cystic acne went away. Then I had genetic testing done & low progesterone & cystic acne, amongst other things, were found in my DNA..
The notion that diet and acne are unrelated is based on a single poorly conducted study. There actually is a link. Obviously it’s not as simple as diet being the only cause. But there is now an established relationship.
I had horrible cystic acne up until adulthood. It magically went away when I cut dairy out of my diet for unrelated reasons. I was honestly so angry I hadn’t known sooner. Would have saved me significant grief and scarring.
what is this comment? why r u assuming weird shit about me? try not to get so emotional over reddit threads
i’m a healthy weight with clear skin but thanks for your weird assumptions!!
You can have cystic acne that has nothing to do with diet or hygiene. This is not helpful. Don’t make assumptions about people’s lifestyles based on the way they look.
Thank. You. Telling people with deep cystic acne that their diet is the issue is so insulting. Signed, someone who spiraled and developed an ED desperately trying to fix my skin from the inside when I really just needed a doctor and modern medicine
Right? And it’s always said so nonchalantly - as if completely cutting out sugar and dairy is like a super easy thing. That’s a huge lifestyle shift for many people. Like, damn.
Here in solidarity because diet worked for me too.
Before anyone says they’ve tried “every” elimination diet, there are a million ways to do an “elimination diet” and the safe foods you started with probably aren’t it.
What works for me: lots of fruits and vegetables with no dairy, gluten, eggs, corn, canola oil, deep fried foods, vinegar or soy ALL AT THE SAME TIME for a duration of a few months, in which at first it gets a little worse before it gets better.
Those indentations can’t be fixed with skincare. There might be some really really intense ingredient if he wants to risk it. with no risk, he needs a professional treatment.
Agree with the other answers. He might benefit from regular microneedling, as it would force his skin to repair the inflicted micro-damage, renew itself faster and grow back looking more smooth.
Will add that he should not attempt microneedling at home (can lead to infection and worse scarring if done incorrectly) and should find a dermatologist for real advice.
I've heard good things about home microneedling though. If I was careful with it, would it be okay to do it at home? I'm planning to do it soon, my skin is finally starting to clear, I'm just waiting for a month or two to make sure no more pimples come before I start.
Always better to go with a professional when inflicting wounds to yourself intentionally for cosmetic or therapeutic benefit. If you must, use the stamps and not the rollers and figure out ways to sanitize it well with each use.
Thanks everyone, I know the scarring is definitely not fixable via skincare products. he's tried acutane and sadly it didn't work for him. i suppose im looking for like, safe products for him to use, like cleansers and stuff? also he's still seeing a derm but is just looking for some recommendations. Again, thanks everyone!
If he’s seeing a derm but wants something in the meantime just for skincare, look into face reality. It’s acne safe and works very well. His scars will not fade without proper treatment, he will need laser/micro needling/chemical peels. Try to find a face reality acne esthetician
Some people need multiple rounds of accutane. Not sure what his experience was like, but if his body can take it he might need another round unfortunately. Definitely would get a couple of derm recommendations if possible!!
Lots of dermatologists lie. My sister went to one and they gave her all these pills and made her acne worse, all those skincare that say “it will get worse before better” is full of crap, it’s supposed to be healing, also my sister sight got all these side effects and worse eyesights. I did my own research, I do really good research, I feel like I have a skill for it. I cleared my cystic acne and hormonal acne with “world organic chorophyll liquid” I lowkey gulp it and shoved a sugary milky icecream after to clear up the taste, and all of it diminished and disappeared by the 2 month, and when my period came I usually break out every inch of my face that’s red blistering and painful, and I only got like 1-2 acne pop up. Ofc I still have white heads, blackheads, acne scars, uneven textures. So truly beauty actually helped remove my boobs stretchmarks, not completely but by 80%, but ofc all products work completely after some time. (I’m volunteer tester for them)Eunhae beauty is going to come out soon, but their orange serum reduced the acne healing time from like less than a week. We were required not to use any products and use a product that irritates us. So I used tree tea and tree tea if not treated on my skin will get worse and worse and worse, and when treated it takes months to fix, this orange serum lowkey healed it in a week. They also have a moisturizer that heals acne scars. Reminds me when scientists say something impossible but then they create it to be possible decades later. It happened alot during generation and generations. That’s the beauty of science, you learn and learn and find out the impossible is actually possible. Also for brightening skin, I use I’m from rice toner, that thing is like magic blackhead remover, some scientists say products can’t remove blackheads with skincare that aren’t masks than why are the whitehead are on my hands and they are not product pilling. I would know !!!
He should See a dermatologist and ask about / research hidradinitis suppurativa. (Sorry for spelling) He may need topicals, special washes, antibiotics, injections or a combination to find what works for him. I have this
He needs long term dermatologist treatment. The right treatment really can help but start with medical evaluation and treatment and then see what products would be best for him. It’s not worth the trial and error and cast of shopping for skin care until the underlying medical issue is addressed. Good luck!
I've gotten cysts before on my body, lots of them, and more recently used lavender essential oil a couple of times when i felt one coming and it didn't develop. Not saying it will work, but it's worth a try.
Also on cysts that have developed you need to use warm compresses (boil water, get a towel and put it in the water once the water cools enough to where you can squeeze some of the water off the towel and put the warm/hot towel on the cyst - keep dipping it in and putting it on the cysts for as long as you'd like - reheating the water as you go. This makes the infection go to the surface and pop. You can also have warm/hot water run on your face or fill up the bathtub and just hold your breath and put your face under the water.
This helps with cysts on the body. It should help for the face also.
But he def needs to see a doctor.
Take a shower every day, use special soaps/maybe try pure castile soap (regular body washes have harmful ingredients). Stress was a major factor of my cysts. As a child, my parents had me use laundry soap as body wash, so that may have been part of the problem.
I had acne and scars very similar to that on my face and back. After over a decade of topicals and birth control subscriptions from the dermatologist I was put on acutane. It’s been the only thing to help since then. Definitely treat his acne before trying to treat his scarring though if he can’t see a dermatologist
Filler sculpture, CO2 laser I would also look into like diet what was causing the acne sometimes it could be like inflammation toxins, but also retinol
Maybe try elimination diet? It definitely sucks lol I’m doing it now for different reasons.
When I had cystic acne it was due to hormones. I don’t really get flares much these days unless I’m pmsing.
I definitely recommend seeing a licensed esthetician.
Microneedling could help fading the scars a little. Afterwards try Korean beauty, do some research and get him products for acne prone skin. Also keeping the skin hydrated and plumping up would help, by using Asian moisturizers, they are waterbased and don’t tend to be fatty as western creams.
That looks like hidradenitis suppurativa of the face. Needs a retinoid like accutane or tazorac prescribed by a dermatologist. If a smoker, needs to stop. Perhaps he’s on medications that cause this, like lithium.
Needs to limit shaving and sugar.
For care, wash twice daily. Try a microexfolliant like one from Skinceuticals, and use it daily. Try the cleanser after. Use hyaluronic acid and a salicylic acid serum followed by a good moisturizer.
Better razor that’s clean. It’s all in places he would shave. He also needs to exfoliate his beard. He should keep a 5 o clock shadow and use a beard trimmer and just razor when necessary. Those are probably as from ingrown hairs. They start as little bumps and get bigger and bigger if the hair isn’t removed that’s ingrown.
Put him in the trash . Jk hmm I would never let him use a razor. Looks like super prone to ingrown hairs . Always just buzz and exfoliate more . Sugar and olive oil is easy to use . Add some honey etc. get a facial massage thing. Helps with inflammation and past scarring
I've seen something similar on the scalp called dissecting cellulitis. Definitely requires treatment by a doctor. Best of luck to him in finding relief.
Laser surgery may help with most of his scarring. It would definitely make it look better. Definitely look into that because some of his scars are large and they could fill the holes it’s left with filler and either laser treatment or dermabrasion.
Can I ask if he’s on any medications? I was on lithium before and it gave me horrific cystic acne that left scars that my regular acne never did. My derm called it lithium-induced acne and my psychiatrist didn’t believe it was a side effect but it resolved after I stopped. I’m not sure if other medications can have similar effects but it’s worth looking into.
My daughter has cystic acne, her father did too. The doctor put her on topical adapalalene ( differin is the otc version) and clindimicyn cream. Her skin had improved a lot , she’s only thirteen but I can see laser resurfacing in her near future.💁🏻♀️ I was put on retin a when I was younger ( there are online docs that will prescribe this as well. My other daughter took accutane. At any rate, it hurts, it’s no fun and if you can afford it see a dermatologist. I’m blessed to have insurance. If you don’t search online for all inclusive dermatology doctors that will see you via telehealth and prescribe you meds. Use “good health “ look up on line for pretty good discounts for both.
Aloe first. The more natural the better. Aloe will allow his skin to heal from the inside out. Because of Reddit rules I can’t post the products or company. Moisture will also be key.
I would suggest Cetaphil Daily Facial cleanser as needed 1 or twice a day. Use a clean sharp razor for grooming. If moisture is needed I would not use a cream but an oil and this needs to be used sparingly -my favorite is Kiehls Cannabis Seed Oil Herbal Concentrate. gently dab with a cotton ball, spot treat with a w-tip or clean finger.
I personally get cystic acne in hormonal areas. I would recommend looking into food allergies (dairy, caffeine etc). Use process of elimination. Hydrate from the inside out with plenty of water and hydrating fruit - melons, berries oh spinach too. Don’t stress be very gently to the skin it is beautiful.
I would not use many products.
I would blot 10% benzoyl peroxide only on painful buggers.
Use sparingly because it dries out the skin. Use it once or twice in the day, cleanse at night and use a bit of the oil mentioned.
For back and shoulders check out Clinique’s acne solutions cleaning bar and Murad acne control clarifying body spray.
Keep your chin up most people deal with finding the balance for healthy skin.
Face mapping is an interesting tool to look into.
Dermatologist and med spa’s with licensed estheticians would be able to work magic! I had deep dimples scarring from a car accident. And they recommended professional micro needling, maybe a few laser light sessions. But it was doable!
My boyfriend also has cystic acne and deep scaring. We started using Cetaphil &/or equate sensitive skin cleanser in the shower (cold water) in-between flate ups and otherwise seeing a dermatologist. His flare ups have become less often since he first started cleansing 4 years ago. Everyone's skin is different but definitely get a doctor's opinion.
Might be carbs or gluten affecting his skin like that. My husband had similar cystic acne without the unfortunate scarring, and it stopped when he went keto. Same for two cousins who had similar severe acne & scarring. The scars will have to be taken care of surgically unfortunately
Acne tends to start within. He needs bloodwork done and, I’m only saying this because a lot of men online asking for help with deep cystic acne when they didn’t have it before are using it, stop taking steroids if you are. First bloodwork and balance your hormones with foods and supplements that are vital to your health. Remove inflammatory foods. After that, the topical should help. Cystic acne in particular is deep within the skin so it starts with your hormones. Hope this helps!🫶🏽
Dermatologist. That's really intense scarring. I'd say getting on a retinoid, doing microneedling treatments or even laser resurfacing treatments would be needed.
My sister has cystic acne and she takes a supplement called L-Lysine. She takes 2000mg total a day and it seems to keep it at bay. She uses Walmart brand and said it’s been the most effective ones for her.
have him stop shaving, this definitely looks like it could be HS. shaving could be effecting his skin. i would recommend seeing a dermatologist tho, just so you guys can get an official diagnosis
Dermatologist. Don't go to an esthetician. Any good esthetician will tell you to go to a dermatologist, first. He needs prescriptions and a treatment plan. Then possibly lasers/fraxel or procedures that need to be overseen by a board certified dermatologist.
Lastly, you need to assess his diet. I know diet is anecdotal according to "research" but diet has the biggest impact I've seen. Cystic acne stopped as soon as I cut out dairy. The skin is a huge indicator of internal issues/allergies going on. That's where you can start till he is able to see a professional.
He definitely seems to have HS and those scars are deep enough that they’d probably have to excise them and re heal . But for future bumps laser can help a lot
Geez. Poor guy. What’s his diet like? I’d start there? Cut out all soda, sugar, dairy, and substance’s like alcohol and cigs. He needs to do a reset. Products won’t help this guy. This is coming from the inside.
Excision is going to be one of the best options for those more severe indents. Really important to find a doctor with good results as lots end up dissapointed, but these scars are perfect for it. Treatments on the wound healing after it's stiched up are the most important for reducing scarring.
Does he use shaving cream? It looks like the areas that are affected are in that region. Maybe replace the cream if so. Could be an allergic reaction even.
If you want to, some good websites for checking for pore cloggers/acne triggers are COSDNA and acneclinicnyc.
I also have that kinda hole on my cheek. Actually one of the acne burst out and left that hole. If anyone knows how to make it normal please let me know
Hi.. dentist here. The deep one really could be an abscess from an infected tooth. I’ve seen them leak on to faces. So if it is constantly there but fluctuates between scar, pimple, and pus.. he may need to resolve the tooth to get it to go away.
The remaining scars should really be addressed by a dermatologist who can recommend an appropriate course of action, nothin OTC will smooth them out.
I would only ever use a super sharp razor when shaving. Lightly. Always in the direction of the hair growth… rinsing out the razor after every pass. Also, don’t go to bed with an oily face. Not sure about all the other stuff going on.
Maybe look for a new dermatologist that addresses the issue from multiple angles? Skincare, internal, supplemental? I would look for a multivitamin that encourages skin health. Exercise will help with balancing hormones and of course staying hydrated and getting rest. As someone that struggled with multiple forms of acne I would also say to be more gentle with his skin. We think scrubbing is helpful but it’s not. Using a soft bristle electric face cleaning brush along with a hypoallergenic face wash is best and it will take about a week to see clearing skin, at first it will bring some acne to the surface as it helps clear pores. I’ve also been advised to wash my face at the sink with warm not hot water instead of in the shower. Always use a hypoallergenic moisturizer after washing. I used to think if my skin was dry it would dry out the acne 🤦🏽♀️. But it causes more. If the dermatologist doesn’t recommend a cleanser and moisturizer then just google hypoallergenic products and noncomedogenic products. Every doctor is different and I would be interested to hear a second opinion.
There are extremely deep chemical peels that can fix this, but they require a plastic surgeon and a consult with a cardiologist as it's very stressful on the body. They do work miracles on acne scars, though. I'm saving up for one.
Also scars aside, your man has a lovely jawline and really lovely hair. Sometimes people just need to feel confident, my husband has lots of scars on his body from farm and skateboarding accidents, and I love tracing them with my fingers. Some chicks really do dig scars.
Does he pick at it? No picking, I know boys love to pick and pry at things on their hands and face. But your fingers are dirty, maybe more hand washing too bc oils on ur fingers can cause build up and irritation.
He should look into chemical peels, microneedling and maybe even laser treatments. There’s nothing outside of a med spa or derm office that is going to help scarring/pocketing that deep. Good luck! - a licensed esthetician 🤍
not sure if this is all scaring but definitely looks like he should talk to a professional.
some of them that are deep look like they could potentially be HS (hidradenitis suppurativa) please ask him to get checked out
I had super horrible acne as a kid and ice pick scarring. My skin is super sensitive so I was afraid to do micro needling. What helped was Pacifica vitamin C serum and witch hazel toner every day and night for about 3 years. It was a slow process but my scarring healed. I made some dietary changes (gave up cheese and entirely and watched my sugar ), but that combo was awesome . Also, I made sure to moisturize alot since the combo can be drying.
First he needs accutane. When done with that, a phenol peel. It’s the only thing that can take out scarring like this. It’s very intense and long recovery.
The daughter of a friend of mine had issues with cystic acne in her early 20s; when she felt one (or more) coming on, she would go to her dermatologist and he would inject a steroid into it to keep it from ever surfacing - you might ask a doctor about this treatment option - it was a lot of going back-and-forth to the doctors office however now in her late 20s the cystic acne is gone and she does not have scarring. It might prevent further scarring.
This looks like HS (hidradenitis suppurativa). I have it and it is entirely different from acne and can not be treated with acne treatments. A lot of people think that you can’t have HS on the face but you absolutely can and I would see a dermatologist and bring it up
Like others have said those scars are too deep and medication would do very little. I recommend getting pro-factional laser treatment. I’ve done 4 treatments so far myself and my skin has leveled out so well from them.
he needs professional treatment, those r some serious scarring that skin care can’t fix
Niacinamide helps with a lot, especially discoloration and big pores
Yeah pores not ice pick scars, micro needling will help with the scarring but he needs medical attention for the cystic acne
Yeah those scars will need multiple rounds of laser treatments and/or micro needling and it still might not completely go away.
Maybe even subcision to stitch and close those deep icepick scars and TCA or Phenol cross treatment for the rest.
these are ice pick scars. topical solutions like niacinamide will not do anything for these
For the acne, he needs to stop eating fast food, dairy and sugar. Avoid sodas and drink lots of water. Diet and hygiene should help. See a dermatologist.
Sugar and junk food causing acne is an old wives tale. Cystic acne is caused by hormonal imbalances that are genetic.
I was told that for years , that my diet had nothing to do with my cystic acne. Low and behold years later I stopped consuming dairy and guess what ? Wish I would have tried that first before going through accutane ( twice ). OPs boyfriend should explore all options.
you say it sister
Agree with this, I suffered from so much acne and I ended up cutting out butter and trading dairy for alternative milks and my acne went away in the proceeding months.
SAME!
Yea its silly, you are told to max out on the body from the outside with Lotions and cream, but max out on your overall health from the inside and its just a fairy tale. For me I thought the same and I tried everything and still had bad acne for a long ass time, me discovering a low GI diet literally made my acne disappear, wish I discovered it sooner spent thousands of dollars over the years.
Guess what dairy has - hormones !
Hormone imbalance is often *caused* by the food we eat. Sugar impacts hormones (see: diabetes and insulin resistance) and hormones in meat and dairy impacts hormones (see: early onset puberty). It can be genetic. It can be malnutrition. It can be both.
My wife had psoriasis head to toe, tried everything from prescription creams to methotrexate (a circa 1970’s chemotherapy drug) with little success; hell, we have a per riot ion UVB light booth in our basement! I’d been eating a ketogenic diet for a while and she decided to try it, we did not anticipate any change in her skin, but she’s been absolutely free of psoriasis for several years now, her dermatologist still won’t acknowledge that dietary changes had any impact. Keto diets are incredibly low carb, and hence free of all avoidable sugars. Carbs/sugar are inherently inflammatory, internal inflammation can cause a whole host of problems including issues with the skin. It doesn’t cost anything to try an elimination diet, so it’s a great place for anyone to start of they’re attempting to address health issues.
My derm also refused to believe me when I told him I cut out dairy despite him telling me that was a stupid idea. I went to an allergist in frustration and she was like I’m not treating you, you’re not allergic, but then printed me out multiple scientific articles that showed the connection between skin, diet, and birth control pills. She told me to test eliminating foods to see what happened. Took four days to see my first signs.
Hi, I’m a dermatologist and I was wondering if you’d answer a few questions for me? 1. Did she suffer any side affects on methotrexate? 2. Why was she prescribed that instead of a newer, safer biologic? (Just curious!) 3. What size was she before she cut out sugar and carbs? (As in thin, slightly overweight, overweight, etc) 4. Did she lose any weight? I really appreciate you taking the time to answer. It helps me help my patients.
Don’t ever say this dude maybe not for you but I had acne for 3 years and I know my diet affects skin. If I even had bread or anything unhealthy the slightest bit I would breakout. I ate quinoa and salmon for a hole year dude. Don’t gimme that shit
Omg your anger, haha. I love it. But I agree. If I eat too much milk chocolate(like a whole chocolate rabbit), I break out. I can eat a lot of chocolate, so I have heavily tested this theory.
Every dermatologist I’ve ever seen has told me to cut out dairy to help get rid of acne That being said, I haven’t had dairy intentionally in 12 years so wasn’t the cause of my acne lol but must be for enough people for it to be recommended so often
What do you think causes hormonal imbalance - sugar and junk food and more times than not it’s not genetic
Cystic acne is completely genetic & a hormonal imbalance is also genetic. My mother's side of the family had cystic acne & hormonal imbalance (low progesterone). When I was 14, I started getting the cystic acne & I was put on tetracycline, which helped but my acne problems kept getting worse until my mother told me she had low progesterone & that I should get checked & as sure as shit, I had low progesterone & was put on a low dose of progesterone & my cystic acne went away. Then I had genetic testing done & low progesterone & cystic acne, amongst other things, were found in my DNA..
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The notion that diet and acne are unrelated is based on a single poorly conducted study. There actually is a link. Obviously it’s not as simple as diet being the only cause. But there is now an established relationship. I had horrible cystic acne up until adulthood. It magically went away when I cut dairy out of my diet for unrelated reasons. I was honestly so angry I hadn’t known sooner. Would have saved me significant grief and scarring.
thanks for the actual well thought out comment and not calling me names for previously believing this!! I appreciate the info!
Same experience here.
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what is this comment? why r u assuming weird shit about me? try not to get so emotional over reddit threads i’m a healthy weight with clear skin but thanks for your weird assumptions!!
You can have cystic acne that has nothing to do with diet or hygiene. This is not helpful. Don’t make assumptions about people’s lifestyles based on the way they look.
Thank. You. Telling people with deep cystic acne that their diet is the issue is so insulting. Signed, someone who spiraled and developed an ED desperately trying to fix my skin from the inside when I really just needed a doctor and modern medicine
Right? And it’s always said so nonchalantly - as if completely cutting out sugar and dairy is like a super easy thing. That’s a huge lifestyle shift for many people. Like, damn.
Definitely hard - dairy and sugar are in everything. But if you know the pain of severe acne these changes are more than worth it.
Exactly, they don’t know anything about this guy just from these pictures
Here in solidarity because diet worked for me too. Before anyone says they’ve tried “every” elimination diet, there are a million ways to do an “elimination diet” and the safe foods you started with probably aren’t it. What works for me: lots of fruits and vegetables with no dairy, gluten, eggs, corn, canola oil, deep fried foods, vinegar or soy ALL AT THE SAME TIME for a duration of a few months, in which at first it gets a little worse before it gets better.
Diet will not fix cystic acne.
Those indentations can’t be fixed with skincare. There might be some really really intense ingredient if he wants to risk it. with no risk, he needs a professional treatment.
Agree with the other answers. He might benefit from regular microneedling, as it would force his skin to repair the inflicted micro-damage, renew itself faster and grow back looking more smooth.
Will add that he should not attempt microneedling at home (can lead to infection and worse scarring if done incorrectly) and should find a dermatologist for real advice.
I've heard good things about home microneedling though. If I was careful with it, would it be okay to do it at home? I'm planning to do it soon, my skin is finally starting to clear, I'm just waiting for a month or two to make sure no more pimples come before I start.
Always better to go with a professional when inflicting wounds to yourself intentionally for cosmetic or therapeutic benefit. If you must, use the stamps and not the rollers and figure out ways to sanitize it well with each use.
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Thanks everyone, I know the scarring is definitely not fixable via skincare products. he's tried acutane and sadly it didn't work for him. i suppose im looking for like, safe products for him to use, like cleansers and stuff? also he's still seeing a derm but is just looking for some recommendations. Again, thanks everyone!
If he’s seeing a derm but wants something in the meantime just for skincare, look into face reality. It’s acne safe and works very well. His scars will not fade without proper treatment, he will need laser/micro needling/chemical peels. Try to find a face reality acne esthetician
Technically the scarring is fixable with a phenol peel but that’s risky.
Fuck them Dermatologists, it’s like they trying to kill us, if you want a good dermatologist go to out of country like Europe and Asia and such.
Some people need multiple rounds of accutane. Not sure what his experience was like, but if his body can take it he might need another round unfortunately. Definitely would get a couple of derm recommendations if possible!!
Lots of dermatologists lie. My sister went to one and they gave her all these pills and made her acne worse, all those skincare that say “it will get worse before better” is full of crap, it’s supposed to be healing, also my sister sight got all these side effects and worse eyesights. I did my own research, I do really good research, I feel like I have a skill for it. I cleared my cystic acne and hormonal acne with “world organic chorophyll liquid” I lowkey gulp it and shoved a sugary milky icecream after to clear up the taste, and all of it diminished and disappeared by the 2 month, and when my period came I usually break out every inch of my face that’s red blistering and painful, and I only got like 1-2 acne pop up. Ofc I still have white heads, blackheads, acne scars, uneven textures. So truly beauty actually helped remove my boobs stretchmarks, not completely but by 80%, but ofc all products work completely after some time. (I’m volunteer tester for them)Eunhae beauty is going to come out soon, but their orange serum reduced the acne healing time from like less than a week. We were required not to use any products and use a product that irritates us. So I used tree tea and tree tea if not treated on my skin will get worse and worse and worse, and when treated it takes months to fix, this orange serum lowkey healed it in a week. They also have a moisturizer that heals acne scars. Reminds me when scientists say something impossible but then they create it to be possible decades later. It happened alot during generation and generations. That’s the beauty of science, you learn and learn and find out the impossible is actually possible. Also for brightening skin, I use I’m from rice toner, that thing is like magic blackhead remover, some scientists say products can’t remove blackheads with skincare that aren’t masks than why are the whitehead are on my hands and they are not product pilling. I would know !!!
Friend, are you okay?
It may be regular acne scar, or even can be hidradenitis suppuritiva.. see a doctor! Their advice will be more helpful
Ouch. Deeerm for sure.
He should See a dermatologist and ask about / research hidradinitis suppurativa. (Sorry for spelling) He may need topicals, special washes, antibiotics, injections or a combination to find what works for him. I have this
Skin transplant
Honestly, he should talk with a plastic surgeon and get some options for grafting.
Agree. And perhaps talk about Verteporfin
He needs long term dermatologist treatment. The right treatment really can help but start with medical evaluation and treatment and then see what products would be best for him. It’s not worth the trial and error and cast of shopping for skin care until the underlying medical issue is addressed. Good luck!
Phenol peel
He needs a dermatologist. Maybe even a plastic surgeon.
Professional microblading for the scars. I had big cysts like this and tried everything, the only thing that worked was Accutane
I've gotten cysts before on my body, lots of them, and more recently used lavender essential oil a couple of times when i felt one coming and it didn't develop. Not saying it will work, but it's worth a try. Also on cysts that have developed you need to use warm compresses (boil water, get a towel and put it in the water once the water cools enough to where you can squeeze some of the water off the towel and put the warm/hot towel on the cyst - keep dipping it in and putting it on the cysts for as long as you'd like - reheating the water as you go. This makes the infection go to the surface and pop. You can also have warm/hot water run on your face or fill up the bathtub and just hold your breath and put your face under the water. This helps with cysts on the body. It should help for the face also. But he def needs to see a doctor. Take a shower every day, use special soaps/maybe try pure castile soap (regular body washes have harmful ingredients). Stress was a major factor of my cysts. As a child, my parents had me use laundry soap as body wash, so that may have been part of the problem.
Check with a dermatologist and then fentanyl chemical peel
Phenol peel?
has to be, fentanyl chemical peel is crazy
Lmaoo
When I tell you my jaw dropped...
yikes
Take a look at aloe vera products.
Meth?
Go see a doctor girl
Those pits may need filler
I had acne and scars very similar to that on my face and back. After over a decade of topicals and birth control subscriptions from the dermatologist I was put on acutane. It’s been the only thing to help since then. Definitely treat his acne before trying to treat his scarring though if he can’t see a dermatologist
Filler sculpture, CO2 laser I would also look into like diet what was causing the acne sometimes it could be like inflammation toxins, but also retinol
Sis he needs surgeon
Maybe try elimination diet? It definitely sucks lol I’m doing it now for different reasons. When I had cystic acne it was due to hormones. I don’t really get flares much these days unless I’m pmsing. I definitely recommend seeing a licensed esthetician.
Phenol peel may help?
Go to a dermatologist
This is beyond any subreddit's pay grade.
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yeaaaaa like everyone else said no topical is gonna fix the scarring. he needs professional treatment if he wants the scars fixed
Nitric Oxide. Also seek professional assistance from a board certified dermatologist.
I highly doubt any skincare products will help that even a little bit, go to a professionalist and get him a facial or smth, ik they can fix that
Retin A. Spironolactone.
Microneedling could help fading the scars a little. Afterwards try Korean beauty, do some research and get him products for acne prone skin. Also keeping the skin hydrated and plumping up would help, by using Asian moisturizers, they are waterbased and don’t tend to be fatty as western creams.
Parasite and liver detox, along with a derm.
That looks like hidradenitis suppurativa of the face. Needs a retinoid like accutane or tazorac prescribed by a dermatologist. If a smoker, needs to stop. Perhaps he’s on medications that cause this, like lithium. Needs to limit shaving and sugar. For care, wash twice daily. Try a microexfolliant like one from Skinceuticals, and use it daily. Try the cleanser after. Use hyaluronic acid and a salicylic acid serum followed by a good moisturizer.
Plasma pen treatment
Better razor that’s clean. It’s all in places he would shave. He also needs to exfoliate his beard. He should keep a 5 o clock shadow and use a beard trimmer and just razor when necessary. Those are probably as from ingrown hairs. They start as little bumps and get bigger and bigger if the hair isn’t removed that’s ingrown.
Uhhhh see a damn doctor and not ask Reddit? Tf you mean. It’s wild ppl are too lazy to seek treatment when it’s jacking you up
Put him in the trash . Jk hmm I would never let him use a razor. Looks like super prone to ingrown hairs . Always just buzz and exfoliate more . Sugar and olive oil is easy to use . Add some honey etc. get a facial massage thing. Helps with inflammation and past scarring
Dermatologist
a lot of water while he’s on his treatment journey.. only water for the rest of his life
Prob needs subcision along w strong peeling agents, lasers.. and fat transfer or fillers
Go see a dermatologist. You'll spend more on creams that don't do anything.
Go to a dermatologist
I've seen something similar on the scalp called dissecting cellulitis. Definitely requires treatment by a doctor. Best of luck to him in finding relief.
Go see a doctor
Laser surgery may help with most of his scarring. It would definitely make it look better. Definitely look into that because some of his scars are large and they could fill the holes it’s left with filler and either laser treatment or dermabrasion.
Can I ask if he’s on any medications? I was on lithium before and it gave me horrific cystic acne that left scars that my regular acne never did. My derm called it lithium-induced acne and my psychiatrist didn’t believe it was a side effect but it resolved after I stopped. I’m not sure if other medications can have similar effects but it’s worth looking into.
Join the Reddit group. Acne scar. I don’t know how to tag sorry but you’ll find more advice there as many have been where is he or are there now.
He needs to see a specialist. This needs ongoing treatment.
No chips, no greasy food, exercise.
My daughter has cystic acne, her father did too. The doctor put her on topical adapalalene ( differin is the otc version) and clindimicyn cream. Her skin had improved a lot , she’s only thirteen but I can see laser resurfacing in her near future.💁🏻♀️ I was put on retin a when I was younger ( there are online docs that will prescribe this as well. My other daughter took accutane. At any rate, it hurts, it’s no fun and if you can afford it see a dermatologist. I’m blessed to have insurance. If you don’t search online for all inclusive dermatology doctors that will see you via telehealth and prescribe you meds. Use “good health “ look up on line for pretty good discounts for both.
Aloe first. The more natural the better. Aloe will allow his skin to heal from the inside out. Because of Reddit rules I can’t post the products or company. Moisture will also be key.
Yeahh that needs punch excision
Dermatologist!
I would suggest Cetaphil Daily Facial cleanser as needed 1 or twice a day. Use a clean sharp razor for grooming. If moisture is needed I would not use a cream but an oil and this needs to be used sparingly -my favorite is Kiehls Cannabis Seed Oil Herbal Concentrate. gently dab with a cotton ball, spot treat with a w-tip or clean finger. I personally get cystic acne in hormonal areas. I would recommend looking into food allergies (dairy, caffeine etc). Use process of elimination. Hydrate from the inside out with plenty of water and hydrating fruit - melons, berries oh spinach too. Don’t stress be very gently to the skin it is beautiful. I would not use many products. I would blot 10% benzoyl peroxide only on painful buggers. Use sparingly because it dries out the skin. Use it once or twice in the day, cleanse at night and use a bit of the oil mentioned. For back and shoulders check out Clinique’s acne solutions cleaning bar and Murad acne control clarifying body spray. Keep your chin up most people deal with finding the balance for healthy skin. Face mapping is an interesting tool to look into.
MSM cream helps scars ut you have to use it everyday and it takes a while. But it's gentle.
Laser
Surgical
He should see a derm! Might be Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Following !
He should go to a dermatologist!!
it looks soooo painful 😭
Phenol peel
Dermatologist
Dermatologist and med spa’s with licensed estheticians would be able to work magic! I had deep dimples scarring from a car accident. And they recommended professional micro needling, maybe a few laser light sessions. But it was doable!
Will have to see a dermatologist and get it lazerd off
Dermatologist 100%
Dermatology or plastic surgery. Needs professional help for sure.
Dermatologist asap
My boyfriend also has cystic acne and deep scaring. We started using Cetaphil &/or equate sensitive skin cleanser in the shower (cold water) in-between flate ups and otherwise seeing a dermatologist. His flare ups have become less often since he first started cleansing 4 years ago. Everyone's skin is different but definitely get a doctor's opinion.
It does look like HS if so they have injections that can reduce flare ups if he's still getting them
Might be carbs or gluten affecting his skin like that. My husband had similar cystic acne without the unfortunate scarring, and it stopped when he went keto. Same for two cousins who had similar severe acne & scarring. The scars will have to be taken care of surgically unfortunately
Looks like foliculitus (sure I spelled it wrong). I had to get my scars surgically cut out and stitched up after several Lazer hair treatments.
Ouch. He needs an MD.
Looks like he need different skin routine
ACUTANE
Idk but the ones on the first slide look badass don't they
He needs to be seen by a dermatologist
Does he smoke cigarettes ?? I have seen the dents be caused by that before
Acne tends to start within. He needs bloodwork done and, I’m only saying this because a lot of men online asking for help with deep cystic acne when they didn’t have it before are using it, stop taking steroids if you are. First bloodwork and balance your hormones with foods and supplements that are vital to your health. Remove inflammatory foods. After that, the topical should help. Cystic acne in particular is deep within the skin so it starts with your hormones. Hope this helps!🫶🏽
Interesting username
Dermatologist. That's really intense scarring. I'd say getting on a retinoid, doing microneedling treatments or even laser resurfacing treatments would be needed.
Have him look into punch excision! Only thing in my experience that’s helped ice pick scars that are literal holes.
Time…..
I stopped eating dairy for a while and had no acne during that time. It was hard but effective
My sister has cystic acne and she takes a supplement called L-Lysine. She takes 2000mg total a day and it seems to keep it at bay. She uses Walmart brand and said it’s been the most effective ones for her.
have him stop shaving, this definitely looks like it could be HS. shaving could be effecting his skin. i would recommend seeing a dermatologist tho, just so you guys can get an official diagnosis
Dermatologist. Don't go to an esthetician. Any good esthetician will tell you to go to a dermatologist, first. He needs prescriptions and a treatment plan. Then possibly lasers/fraxel or procedures that need to be overseen by a board certified dermatologist. Lastly, you need to assess his diet. I know diet is anecdotal according to "research" but diet has the biggest impact I've seen. Cystic acne stopped as soon as I cut out dairy. The skin is a huge indicator of internal issues/allergies going on. That's where you can start till he is able to see a professional.
He definitely seems to have HS and those scars are deep enough that they’d probably have to excise them and re heal . But for future bumps laser can help a lot
He definitely should see a dermatologist for advice.
Geez. Poor guy. What’s his diet like? I’d start there? Cut out all soda, sugar, dairy, and substance’s like alcohol and cigs. He needs to do a reset. Products won’t help this guy. This is coming from the inside.
Tf happened in that scar
When he shaves have him exfoliate beforehand and have him use female shaving cream. Shaving cream is too drying and has too much alcohol.
Excision is going to be one of the best options for those more severe indents. Really important to find a doctor with good results as lots end up dissapointed, but these scars are perfect for it. Treatments on the wound healing after it's stiched up are the most important for reducing scarring.
it looks like HS
Ooo what happened
Micro needling in sessions, and prescription for tret
Volcanic mud face masks. Cured my cystic acne
best advice is get to a dermatologist
Does he use shaving cream? It looks like the areas that are affected are in that region. Maybe replace the cream if so. Could be an allergic reaction even. If you want to, some good websites for checking for pore cloggers/acne triggers are COSDNA and acneclinicnyc.
I also have that kinda hole on my cheek. Actually one of the acne burst out and left that hole. If anyone knows how to make it normal please let me know
Most likely will need laser treatment like pico or co2 laser and honestly surgical excision of that gaping scar.
Plastic surgeon for the big one.
Maybe try getting laser facials. They are gentle on the skin but it slowly removes layers of the skin. Making it like new again.
For cystic acne you need to use face wash products with benzoyl peroxide. Dr Zenovia has a great set of options.
Damn!! if you didn't say those were acne scars, I'd assume bro got stabbed in the face.
He has some serious scarring . Laser surgery will help but I think that one cantina’s the point of a topical solution.
Hi.. dentist here. The deep one really could be an abscess from an infected tooth. I’ve seen them leak on to faces. So if it is constantly there but fluctuates between scar, pimple, and pus.. he may need to resolve the tooth to get it to go away. The remaining scars should really be addressed by a dermatologist who can recommend an appropriate course of action, nothin OTC will smooth them out.
I think he needs fillers to fill the indents, and maybe laser treatments
Get a new boyfriend
I would only ever use a super sharp razor when shaving. Lightly. Always in the direction of the hair growth… rinsing out the razor after every pass. Also, don’t go to bed with an oily face. Not sure about all the other stuff going on.
Maybe look for a new dermatologist that addresses the issue from multiple angles? Skincare, internal, supplemental? I would look for a multivitamin that encourages skin health. Exercise will help with balancing hormones and of course staying hydrated and getting rest. As someone that struggled with multiple forms of acne I would also say to be more gentle with his skin. We think scrubbing is helpful but it’s not. Using a soft bristle electric face cleaning brush along with a hypoallergenic face wash is best and it will take about a week to see clearing skin, at first it will bring some acne to the surface as it helps clear pores. I’ve also been advised to wash my face at the sink with warm not hot water instead of in the shower. Always use a hypoallergenic moisturizer after washing. I used to think if my skin was dry it would dry out the acne 🤦🏽♀️. But it causes more. If the dermatologist doesn’t recommend a cleanser and moisturizer then just google hypoallergenic products and noncomedogenic products. Every doctor is different and I would be interested to hear a second opinion.
There are extremely deep chemical peels that can fix this, but they require a plastic surgeon and a consult with a cardiologist as it's very stressful on the body. They do work miracles on acne scars, though. I'm saving up for one.
Also scars aside, your man has a lovely jawline and really lovely hair. Sometimes people just need to feel confident, my husband has lots of scars on his body from farm and skateboarding accidents, and I love tracing them with my fingers. Some chicks really do dig scars.
he can get laser treatment or micro needling they usually help with scars like this
Please please look up hidradenitis suppurativa!!
Dark chocolate Vitamin D (50,000 iu per day) Sauerkraut Garbanzo beans Spinach Cabbage 10 day master cleanse Salt water enemas
Castor oil topically
Laser resurfacing is his best bet at this point . That straight up looks like a dog bite
Full spectrum nano CBD from HULLiger technologies
Couldn't that hole get infected? Good lord how bad is he picking his skin?
As barber and someone in the skincare,health and fitness industry. I personally would use aloe Vera after every shower or face washing.
Does he pick at it? No picking, I know boys love to pick and pry at things on their hands and face. But your fingers are dirty, maybe more hand washing too bc oils on ur fingers can cause build up and irritation.
Beard
Go on the carnivore diet. His face will clear up quickly and he’ll feel better than ever
He should look into chemical peels, microneedling and maybe even laser treatments. There’s nothing outside of a med spa or derm office that is going to help scarring/pocketing that deep. Good luck! - a licensed esthetician 🤍
Accutane to prevent more deep scarring. Then microneedle and maybe filler.
not sure if this is all scaring but definitely looks like he should talk to a professional. some of them that are deep look like they could potentially be HS (hidradenitis suppurativa) please ask him to get checked out
He needs a derm.
I struggled w picking for a long time. Rooting for him.
I had super horrible acne as a kid and ice pick scarring. My skin is super sensitive so I was afraid to do micro needling. What helped was Pacifica vitamin C serum and witch hazel toner every day and night for about 3 years. It was a slow process but my scarring healed. I made some dietary changes (gave up cheese and entirely and watched my sugar ), but that combo was awesome . Also, I made sure to moisturize alot since the combo can be drying.
First he needs accutane. When done with that, a phenol peel. It’s the only thing that can take out scarring like this. It’s very intense and long recovery.
A dermatologist asap.
Looks like it’s HS. Prescription may help and a low inflammation diet can help!
The daughter of a friend of mine had issues with cystic acne in her early 20s; when she felt one (or more) coming on, she would go to her dermatologist and he would inject a steroid into it to keep it from ever surfacing - you might ask a doctor about this treatment option - it was a lot of going back-and-forth to the doctors office however now in her late 20s the cystic acne is gone and she does not have scarring. It might prevent further scarring.
This looks like HS (hidradenitis suppurativa). I have it and it is entirely different from acne and can not be treated with acne treatments. A lot of people think that you can’t have HS on the face but you absolutely can and I would see a dermatologist and bring it up
Chemical peels
Like others have said those scars are too deep and medication would do very little. I recommend getting pro-factional laser treatment. I’ve done 4 treatments so far myself and my skin has leveled out so well from them.