Try the thomas Roth sulfur mask. It stinks but it works and you can sleep in it.

I'm using aloe Vera on my pregnancy cystic acne and it does help. I use it at night and by the time I wake up it has helped with the inflammation and possibly to speed up healing. Plus it's natural and from what I've seen on the net, it seems safe for use during pregnancy.

Hi ladies- 12 weeks pregnant and having cystic acne on my chin... Heat actually helps, not cold. I've read to use a heating pad or water bottle. I've been doing luke warm compresses with a face cloth and a little bit of salt. My husband actually found this treatment online and it definately helps. I do it when I get home from work, prob about 10 times before I go to bed. It reduces the swelling and also makes it so they don't hurt. It takes about 10 days but they will eventually go away it you keep this up daily. Good luck!

What does eating really cleanly specifically mean? Anyway, that has more to do with prevention and triggers. Think diet along w/ stress and lack of sleep can trigger breakouts. But, it's mostly pregnancy. I have the worst acne in my life, ever, since conceiving.
Anyway, OP seems to be talking about treatment once it's already on your face. I use Renee Rouleau's anticyst treatment. Expensive, but uses lactic acid, fairly effective and says it's safe for pregnant women. GL.

Random question, but I really, really think diet (esp dairy if you may even possibly have a problem with it) can help... have you tried eating "really cleanly"? I know its hard when pregnant, but I do think it helps.

OP again - I was able to get a derm appointment with Dr. Brooks in Skin Cosmetic Dermatology in Glover Park the same day. Huge plus. Great, clean and peaceful office with a bubbling fountain - helpful especially since I was nervous. He used a very small needle to release pressure from the cyst and take some of the gross stuff out. Didn't hurt. He advised using a very warm compress/cloth with salt water as much as I could the next several hours to draw more fluid out. I did and it seems to be working. The cyst looks a LOT better, doesn't hurt anymore and smaller in size. He also gave several samples.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you can lance it yourself, it will not be fun but could take down some of the inflammation. Sterilize a needle by holding in a flame for a few seconds, or clean well with alcohol. puncture the cyst directly in the middle and clean up with cotton swabs. clean the area REALLY well with alcohol and apply a drying agent- green tea oil, benzoyl peroxide, and maybe even a little neosporin. good luck!

gulp. Have you done this before? Did it scar?

That kind of acne scars no matter what. I've left pimples alone and had it scar worse than when I pop them and let the gunk drain out. Personally, I'm all in favor of popping them.

Anonymous wrote:I have a combination of krakatoa chin zits combined with gross little white heads that pop up all over my face on a daily basis. I even had one on the inside of my nostril. Do these recommendations work for the little whiteheads as well as the giant cysts? This is my second pregnancy, but I didn't have this problem with my first (or maybe I've just blacked it out?)

Oh god, I have one of those right now. It hurts when I YAWN and this pregnancy is making me so damn tired that I yawn ALL THE TIME.

Anonymous wrote:OP, you can lance it yourself, it will not be fun but could take down some of the inflammation. Sterilize a needle by holding in a flame for a few seconds, or clean well with alcohol. puncture the cyst directly in the middle and clean up with cotton swabs. clean the area REALLY well with alcohol and apply a drying agent- green tea oil, benzoyl peroxide, and maybe even a little neosporin. good luck!

gulp. Have you done this before? Did it scar?

OP here. Thanks everyone. I'm going to the dermatologist today to talk about my options. I feel so vain worrying about this, but it's big already and still growing for some reason right in the center of my face and embarrassing professionally. Like the stress of being preggers at work isn't enough - really, world? Blech. Will let you guys know about the derm appt and their thoughts!

Agree on the clay mask. It won't hurt the baby at all.

Get a Zeno for emerging zits. They have to be really early - you can't use it on something once it is huge.

I used benzoyl peroxide throughout both my pregnancies and had no problems--my OB signed off on it but he was pretty laid back.

OP, you can lance it yourself, it will not be fun but could take down some of the inflammation. Sterilize a needle by holding in a flame for a few seconds, or clean well with alcohol. puncture the cyst directly in the middle and clean up with cotton swabs. clean the area REALLY well with alcohol and apply a drying agent- green tea oil, benzoyl peroxide, and maybe even a little neosporin. good luck!

Extraction girl here. I see what you are saying, but I was at my wits end last summer and my Dermatologist was doing NOTHING to help. I went to Hela and the lady informed me that my cystic acne was the result of many many many hugely impacted pores. This is some touchy feely lavender facial, its medical grade, down and dirty. It took two visits to empty them all out but I swear the cystic acne has improved greatly with regular maintenence and twice daily cleansing. Facialist made me stop using the salcylic pumpkin spot treatment when I got pregnant which was a bummer, but all in all its been ok.

I have a combination of krakatoa chin zits combined with gross little white heads that pop up all over my face on a daily basis. I even had one on the inside of my nostril. Do these recommendations work for the little whiteheads as well as the giant cysts? This is my second pregnancy, but I didn't have this problem with my first (or maybe I've just blacked it out?)