Cystic Acne After Fifty: Beat the Breakouts

What the Actual?! Weird body things.

Omgisthatapimple edition.

Turns out, there are lots of reasons behind breakouts in your 40s and beyond: hormonal fluctuations, high stress levels, excess sugar intake and using the wrong (read: oil-based) skin care products can all bring on that perfect storm of oil, debris and bacteria. And that can lead to a mean, red, underground bump called cystic acne, which happens when bacteria gets trapped inside a pore deep in the skin. And they last (and last)—sometimes weeks. Who has time for that?

So what can be done? Dr. Alster started by sharing what not to do: pick or squeeze a cyst, AKA perform “fingernail surgery.” This actually worsens inflammation and introduces additional bacteria into the skin—which can lead to infection and scarring, and get this: In extreme cases, that bacteria could enter the bloodstream and lead to sepsis, a life-threatening emergency! Ok, noted, no picking.

Instead, Dr. Alster suggests applying ice (or a cool compress) as well as a topical anti-inflammatory (such as hydrocortisone) to reduce redness and inflammation. If you’ve got something important coming up on your calendar and would like to make an acne-free appearance, thankyouverymuch, speed-dial your dermatologist and ask for an emergency steroid injection, which will bring the cyst down to a reasonable girth within hours.

To keep the breakouts at bay, Dr. Alster shared some best practices. First, keep skin clear of excess oil, dirt and makeup with a non-irritating exfoliator like an ultrasonic cleansing brush such as Clarisonic. Avoid washcloths and cleansing scrubs, which can create microabrasions in the skin, opening the door for bacteria to set up shop. Also steer clear of over-processing the skin with frequent use of harsh cleansers (containing salicylic, glycolic or lactic acids) and toners with alcohol, which over-dry the skin and lead to cracks for bacteria to seep in. Conversely, nix oil-based, pore-clogging products from your beauty routine.

See? It’s a breeze to say bye (once and for all, we hope) to acne.