Cystic acne causes large, deep acne skin lesions, or skin cysts that can lead to scarring. Treatment for cystic acne includes topical creams and gels, as well as oral medications. Additional therapy may be recommended in severe cases of cystic acne.

Topical creams and gels used to treat cystic acne include:

• Retinoids:
• Adapalene (Differin)
• Tazarotene (Tazorac)
• Tretinoin (Retin-A, Retin-A Micro, Avita)
• Benzoyl peroxide
• Antibiotics:
• Erythromycin
• Clindamycin
• Azithromycin

Oral medications used to treat cystic acne include:

• Antibiotics:
• Minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin)
• Doxycycline (Bio-Tab, Doryx, Vibramycin)
• Tetracycline (Sumycin)
• Oral contraceptives for acne
• Isotretinoin (Accutane)

Additional therapy for cystic acne includes:

• Surgical treatment of cystic acne
• Corticosteroid injections for acne
• Skin peels for acne
• Phototherapy for acne
• Laser therapy for acne