Commonly, acne usually consists of pimples. These affect just about 100% of the population at some point in their lives. If you have never had a pimple, you probably will. There are different types of acne that can occur, one being Cystic Acne. Cystic Acne starts off as a pimple.

Once you get a pimple on your skin, your body goes into fight mode and attacks the bacteria that has collected there to undo the damage. White blood cells attack the bacteria and create the bump that you see on your skin. Sometimes, these white blood cells can overdo the attack and this results in a Cyst.
Cystic acne can be considered either moderate or severe acne. It depends on the number of Cysts and the different types of acne that are also present.

When these massive white blood cell attacks occur, they create a substance called pus. Infected pimples can become typically 5 millimeters thick due to the amount of pus that is being injected into the area. Once these larger pimples are sensitive and painful to the touch, they are no longer considered pimples, they are considered Cysts.  If you have developed more than one Cyst on your skin, you are considered to have Cystic Acne.

You might feel tempted to squeeze the Cyst in order to relieve the pressure and some of the pain that you are experiencing, but this probably won't produce that result. It will make the acne worse and irritate the skin though, so resist the urge to pop it at all costs.

There are many different things out there that can cause Cystic Acne. When something harsh or abrasive comes into contact with the skin, it can cause this condition. If you are applying an acne treatment to your skin without clean hands, you can irritate the Cyst even more. Always be sure to clean your hands thoroughly before and after touching your face.

A diet that is low in fruit and vegetables, foods that have a lot of Vitamin A, can make the condition worse or cause it. Vitamin A has anti-oxidant properties that aide in the healing of the body. This is why people are often treated with a synthetic form of Vitamin A called a Retinoid that heals many different types of acne.

High stress levels have also been known to cause Cystic Acne. There are many different paths to take when you want to reduce your stress levels, from medication to holistic.  Things like Yoga, Pilates, weight lifting and other such exercises have been known to drastically reduce stress. Thus, reducing your chances on contracting Cystic Acne.

Just being generally clean and hygienic is going to go a long way to prevent Cystic Acne and help it go away if you already have it. You don't have to suffer the pain and discomfort if you just take good care of yourself. Stick to a daily cleansing regiment, and you will be taking excellent preventative measures.