hi all. 

im 28 and have always had pimples on my face. it wasn't exceptionally bad but i used to pick on it a lot as a kid and never really had any actual skincare regime so i was left with a lot of ice pick and box scars.

but about a year ago i started developing very bad cystic acne that would not go away. it also seemed like the surrounding area was infected as well. there were never only one, it infected the areas around it. they were big, deep (filled with pus and sometimes blood) and when i run my fingers on my skin i can feel a liquid filled cavity... tunnel? lol under the pimples. it kind of made my face swell as well) and would not seem to clear up no matter what i did. it also didn't help that i had a very unhealthy lifestyle (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and hardly any sleep. also subsisted mostly on massive amounts of sugar and carbs daily).  they were not regular pimples (i still got other red tiny ones that disappears after a few days) bu just a really annoying painful volcano range on my face.  (top left photo for reference. thats when it was at its worst) 

it came to a point when i figured enough is enough and my own reflection was legit scaring myself when i look in the mirror. seeing people was also embarrassing as they were often wet and red. the ones under my ears are the worst as hair is always covering that area. i kept it all clean and i washed, toned and moisturized daily,  

so i started doing  honey and tea tree compresses daily on the big cysts. after about three weeks it helped heal the bulging pimples and it evened it out. it healed nicely but there are still red uneven bumps but it was no longer an open wound. i can still feel some cavities under the skin but it was not inflamed as before. bottom left photo for reference. some of the smaller pimples dried out completely and as long as i keep the pores clean it does not get infected again. i also cut out excessive sugar, carbs and drugs. still drinking and smoking tho, a girls got to have her vices 

after that i started  using calamine lotion as an overnight mask to further dry out everything else. this works wonders as the red inflamed pimples dried out and evened out. apart from the box scars it healed nicer than the honey compresses. i can also feel its cleared out underneath the skin as well. when i run my fingers on my face i dont feel the bumps or cavity under the skin anymore. right side photo is currently where most of the cysts have dried out, after a couple of weeks. 

right now im still doing the calamine overnight mask every alternate night and spot treatments on any erupting zits. i also steam my face daily to clean all the clogged pores some homemade masks a couple times a week. three step daily regime and i usually dab a little bit of tea tree oil on my jawline so pimples dont get infected. 

im just posting it here in case my experience may may help anyone else. it may not work for you as everyones skin is different.   i still have very serious scarring but it doesnt really bother me as i can always go for laser treatments later on. im just happy i dont have open wounds on my face anymore.