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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!!
I had facial laser surgery a year and a half ago and since then have had cysts all over my face. I have also realized that they have long, long hairs in them and are verrrry painful. The doctor has not said anything about these being caused from the laser surgery but he is going to fix the scars next month. My face had not broken out since 1989 (accutane) before this happened.
DOES ANYONE OUT THERE KNOW WHAT THIS HAIR THING IS? THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME ANSWER. MY DAUGHTER GOES THROUGH HELL EACH DAY OVER THIS.
My daughter is 36 and I really thought your letter was her when I started reading it. I'm sorry you've had not help from the dr's . She's coming across the same problem with finding anyone who believes or has seen this condition. you're totally right . It is not just your usual acne that accutane would necessarily solve. She's hopefully going to NY to see someone who is more familiar with this ingrown facial hair condition. if we hear from you we'll let you know results. signed Heart Break for any of you this is happening to
Our e mail is rita.***@****
Dr. Rockoff,
Thank you so very much for your response.
If I may ask you for just a bit more information... Do you have any insight as to WHY there is such extreme hair growth inside these cysts? Have you ever heard of
this type of situation?
In other words, why don't I just have "regular" acne, with only pus inside the welts? Would the accutane alone help with both the cysts AND the hair growth?
Thanks again for your advice.
Thank you so very much for your response.
If I may ask you for just a bit more information... Do you have any insight as to WHY there is such extreme hair growth inside these cysts? Have you ever heard of
this type of situation?
In other words, why don't I just have "regular" acne, with only pus inside the welts? Would the accutane alone help with both the cysts AND the hair growth?
Thanks again for your advice.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I don't know why there is hair inside the cysts. It's not somehting I've seen. But it does point to the advisability of removing the hair permanently (electrolysis, laser.)
Dr. Rockoff
Dr. Rockoff
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