How to use Payot Pâte Grise for cystic acne

How should you use Payot Pâte Grise?

Use the instructions on your pack to decide how much to apply, whether to remove it and when to use it. Payot Pâte Grise is a product name, not an application instruction, even if the French makes it sound unusually official. The routine below is general acne care, not a Payot application schedule.2

1. 1Cleanse gently with a mild, nondrying cleanser. Wash once or twice daily and after exercise, without scrubbing or repeatedly washing the same area.
2. 2Remove makeup before bed. Choose skincare and makeup labelled noncomedogenic, meaning designed not to clog pores.
3. 3Follow the Payot packaging directions for application. Do not substitute a generic spot treatment schedule for the instructions on your product.
4. 4Leave the spot alone afterward. Squeezing, scratching or picking can cause infection, slower healing and scars.

What should you expect?

Treatments applied to the skin are usually ineffective for nodulocystic acne, the severe form with deep nodules and cysts. Do not set an overnight clearing deadline for Payot Pâte Grise. Acne treatment often takes six to eight weeks to show a response, but that is a general treatment timeline, not a promised result from this product. Deep cysts are a reason to arrange care now, not to wait through several jars.124

How is cystic acne different from other acne?

Whiteheads and blackheads form when oil and dead skin cells plug a pore. Ordinary pimples develop with inflammation, meaning swelling. A cyst or nodule develops when that inflammation extends deep into the skin, making the lump tender or painful. A cyst contains pus; a nodule does not and feels harder. You can have several types of acne at once, so not every spot needs the same treatment.35

What can you use for cystic acne?

A doctor can select prescription treatment, including medicines applied to the skin or taken by mouth. Options include retinoids, antibiotics and, in suitable cases, hormone treatment. Oral isotretinoin is a treatment for severe nodulocystic acne and requires medical supervision. Treatment takes at least five months, and some people need further courses. Isotretinoin must not be taken during pregnancy because it causes severe birth defects.234

For an extremely painful individual cyst or nodule, a dermatologist can inject medication to reduce pain and help it clear more quickly. This is different from treating the ongoing acne that causes new lumps.5

What can you do for cystic acne?

Keep skincare gentle while arranging treatment. Choose products for their suitability for acne, not their packaging; a handsome jar is still not a clinical qualification. Acne medicines applied to the skin can cause redness, dryness or excessive peeling. If those develop, pause the irritating product and ask a pharmacist or clinician how to adjust your routine.23

See a GP or dermatologist for deep, painful spots, worsening acne or scars. Seek medical help for hot, swollen, red skin that could signal infection; redness can be harder to see on brown and black skin. Acne affecting your mental health is also a reason to seek help. Earlier treatment of deep acne reduces the risk of permanent scars.13