Skin Care

6 Pro Tips for Clearing up Cystic Acne for Good

Knock out even the most stubborn undergrounders with these expert-approved tricks.

by Melanie Rud Chadwick | COMMENT

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Change your diet "When you develop cystic breakouts, specifically on the chin, jawline and neck, it might be a sign that you're getting more dairy in your diet than your body can tolerate," points out Rouleau. "Your skin acts as an excretory system to get rid of things that your body doesn't agree with, so when you eat too much dairy, it can come out in the form of cystic blemishes in the lower area of the face." Why does your skin not understand the deliciousness that is a triple creme brie? "It's thought that sugars in milk, as well as perhaps growth factors from lactating cows, stimulate our skin's oil glands," notes Zeichner.

To determine if your pimples are a result of too much cheese, Rouleau suggests completely eliminating dairy from your diet for two weeks. "If you don't develop any new cysts when you normally would have, then this may be the solution," she says. Happily, this doesn't mean you can't eat dairy at all. Slowly introduce it back into your diet; once you start breaking out again, you'll know you've hit your body's tolerance level, she says.

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