Cystic acne stems from the inside of your body. No amount of topical treatments will quell it. Being a condition that scars terribly, please encourage your friend to see a dermatologist. There are good medications to eliminate the condition. One young man I knew whose face screamed red all over from cystic acne was miraculously transformed with the antibiotic vancomycin. My niece was allergic to sulfa drugs, so vancomycin did not work for her, but Accutane did. I suffered from type 2 rosacea (there are four types or stages), which gave me cystic acne here and there (I was in my 30s — if you still have acne in your 30s, it’s likely rosacea), and my dermatologist wasn’t able to help medication wise but he did suggest I identify foods triggering my rosacea, which I did, and the cystic part stopped. I highly recommend Bach Rescue Cream, a homeopathic cream. It’s wonderfully soothing and draws out clogged pores or pustules. Best of health to your friend.
