Nodular / Cystic Acne

Someone PLEASE help me! I am an 18 african american male and all of a sudden i just started breaking out with Nodular Acne. Through my adolescent years i rarely had a pimple. I guess i was one of the lucky few that didn't develop bad skin problems during puberty. But No all of a sudden it's coming to bite me in the butt! It started off as small little notts under my skin in my cheek areas that would stay around for a long time but i wasn't to bothered by it because it was under the skin and no one could really see it. So i just washing my face with my Nuetrogena products and then 3 weeks ago i moved out after graduation and my skin just started attacking me. Now i have two nodular cysts on one side of my face..i mean they are the size of like a quarter. And they protrude out as well. My friend asked me if i had gotten punched in the face because she said my face looked distorted from the swelling of the pimples. I also have another one of the other side but it's not as big. But they all hurt! Whenever I run my fingers across them it feels like i'm rubbing a sharp blade across it. I know they might have been caused by the stress of moving out after graduation and moving 3000 miles away from home but i just need to know how to get ride of them. My face cleansing products are not working it seems. I'm also getting small little pimples around my chin and cheeks as well. The white heads i just pop with a needle and cleanse it with benzoyl peroxide and they go away but i'm afraid to touch the cysts because i don't know what i'm doing! PLEASE HELP ME!!!!

[loiloi]

Hi. Over the counter products will be of limited use for this type of acne. See your doctor for a course of oral antibiotics such as oxytetracycline, and a topical retinoid like Differin.
Do not pop the pimples as this will spread the bacteria under the skin causing more spots. Popping pimples can also lead to scarring, which can be particularly noticable on African American skin.
Some people find their acne worsens during stressful times. The underlying causes of acne are; a sensitivity to androgens (male hormones) in your body, acne bacteria on the skin and excess oil production by the sebaceous glands.
You are not alone in experiencing acne after puberty, adult acne and late onset acne is increasingly common.  Eloise x