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Facial Cysts with Ingrown Hair
Dr. Rockoff,
Have you ever heard of the type of situation I am facing? I've been to 8 dermatologists, an endocrinologist, and an internist, but no one seems to be able to figure this one out!
I'm a 33 year old woman who always had "perfect" skin until I hit my thirties. Over the past three or four years, I've experienced a steady stream of boils/cysts on my face - all on my jawline, as well as an occasional one on my forehead. The breakouts intensify about one week before my period.
I've been put on various antibiotics...I've received cortisone shots...and have also taken prednisone, but to no avail. My face will clear up, only to break out again - in the exact same places where the cysts previously appeared.
In the last year or so, the situation has become worse. These welts are huge - and unbelievably painful. Even though I know I am not supposed to pick at them, the pain is so bad, I have done so anyway. And to my horror, I realized that not only is there pus inside these cysts, but hairs as well. Some of these hairs are vellus. Once I pulled out a vellus hair that was SIX inches long.
In other cysts, the hairs are incredibly coarse, much thicker than hair anywhere else on a human body. Most recently, I pulled out a 2-and-a-half inch coarse hair from a cyst on my forehead. I didn't even know that hair could grow out of one's forehead! The pain caused by these hairs is unreal - I truly believe they are getting wrapped up around nerves. For instance, with this forehead welt, before I took out the hair, I touched the cyst - and the pain extended down to my eyebrow and all the way up to my scalp.
Once I extract the hair, much of the pain subsides... and the cyst is able to heal up and go away. However, in a few months, the welts come back - in the exact same places.
When I went to the endocrinologist, he did not feel this was PCOS, because I do not have a broad pattern of male hair growth, just in selected places. Also of note: I have been prescribed spironlactone but have not been on it for very long (3 months approx), and so do not know if this will be of much help.
So, my questions are:
* Should I have these cysts surgically removed?
* Should I go on accutane?
* Have you ever heard of long hairs within facial cysts? If so, do you believe that the acne is stimulating the hair growth, or vice versa?
I am so discouraged - I feel I have tried everything possible to rid myself of this horrible acne - and, so, any advice you might have would be helpful. Thanks!!
Have you ever heard of the type of situation I am facing? I've been to 8 dermatologists, an endocrinologist, and an internist, but no one seems to be able to figure this one out!
I'm a 33 year old woman who always had "perfect" skin until I hit my thirties. Over the past three or four years, I've experienced a steady stream of boils/cysts on my face - all on my jawline, as well as an occasional one on my forehead. The breakouts intensify about one week before my period.
I've been put on various antibiotics...I've received cortisone shots...and have also taken prednisone, but to no avail. My face will clear up, only to break out again - in the exact same places where the cysts previously appeared.
In the last year or so, the situation has become worse. These welts are huge - and unbelievably painful. Even though I know I am not supposed to pick at them, the pain is so bad, I have done so anyway. And to my horror, I realized that not only is there pus inside these cysts, but hairs as well. Some of these hairs are vellus. Once I pulled out a vellus hair that was SIX inches long.
In other cysts, the hairs are incredibly coarse, much thicker than hair anywhere else on a human body. Most recently, I pulled out a 2-and-a-half inch coarse hair from a cyst on my forehead. I didn't even know that hair could grow out of one's forehead! The pain caused by these hairs is unreal - I truly believe they are getting wrapped up around nerves. For instance, with this forehead welt, before I took out the hair, I touched the cyst - and the pain extended down to my eyebrow and all the way up to my scalp.
Once I extract the hair, much of the pain subsides... and the cyst is able to heal up and go away. However, in a few months, the welts come back - in the exact same places.
When I went to the endocrinologist, he did not feel this was PCOS, because I do not have a broad pattern of male hair growth, just in selected places. Also of note: I have been prescribed spironlactone but have not been on it for very long (3 months approx), and so do not know if this will be of much help.
So, my questions are:
* Should I have these cysts surgically removed?
* Should I go on accutane?
* Have you ever heard of long hairs within facial cysts? If so, do you believe that the acne is stimulating the hair growth, or vice versa?
I am so discouraged - I feel I have tried everything possible to rid myself of this horrible acne - and, so, any advice you might have would be helpful. Thanks!!
A related discussion, Cysts with hairs was started.
A related discussion, This is awful! was started.
A facial steamer also helps relieve the pain of these cysts!!!!
A related discussion, Me too!!!! was started.
A related discussion, Female facial hair and Acne as a result of PCOS was started.
I currently have a cyst on my forehead. I first got it about three weeks ago, where after 2 weeks it went away, and now it is back in the same exact place. There is a vain on everyone's forehead that is on the right side, right over the brow extending to the top of the scalp. The cyst is exactly over this vain and I can completely feel it throbbing on the vain. I tried to extract it today, and I got a good amount of puss out of it. The puss came out quite easily as well without too much pressure. Was it a good idea to pop this cyst? or should I go see if I can get a cortisone shot?
What I'm afraid of is that by me extracting it, I may have irritated the cyst more, thereby making more bacteria inflame the cyst.
Please give me some feedback as how to remove this god awful thing. Also, the only medications I use are some salycylic acid topical solution which I use only when I see acne and a daily facial wash.
What I'm afraid of is that by me extracting it, I may have irritated the cyst more, thereby making more bacteria inflame the cyst.
Please give me some feedback as how to remove this god awful thing. Also, the only medications I use are some salycylic acid topical solution which I use only when I see acne and a daily facial wash.
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