Demi Lovato's Aesthetician Reveals How Celebs Quickly Get Rid of Cystic Blemishes

Overnight solution for minimizing zits

Katy Perry has talked about it. And so has Cameron Diaz. These stunners, who are considered to be among the most beautiful women in the world, have claimed to have had suffered from cystic blemishes.

And yet, when we see images of these beauties captured on the street and at red carpet events, they look absolutely flawless. Every. Single. Time. So where are these alleged zits they speak of and how do they deal with them before anyone else sees?

We took these disconcerting questions to Renée Rouleau, an aesthetician who treats celebs like Demi Lovato and Lisa Rinna, to unravel the mystery of how stars deal when it comes to acne.

Shoot up: Deep, cystic blemishes not only carry big footprints; they yield a long shelf life of up to three weeks or more. Yikes! So how do celebs deal when a red carpet (or pap-laden Starbucks run) calls? Many times, they go with a big-gun solution—book an appointment with a derm for a shot of cortisone. The treatment typically takes about five minutes and can diminish the blemish overnight. But here's the rub: A dermatology appointment can set you back about $100 or more.

Go Hi-Fi: Another in-office way to rapidly heal stubborn cystic zits is by zapping the suckers with a high-frequency wand. Rouleau uses this tool on her celeb clients after performing extractions. "It destroys bacteria, reduces inflammation and helps shorten healing time by two days," she said. The five-minute procedure takes just five minutes and costs about $20.

Get topical: If suffering from a cystic zit and an empty wallet, treat your blemish at home instead. Rouleau suggested looking for a treatment product with ethyl lactate, which cuts bacteria and inflammation, and purified lactic acid, which helps slough off dead skin cells from the skin's surface and unblock pores.

Chill out: If your zit is growing to monster proportions, take down the swelling and soreness by applying an ice cube directly to the blemish, Rouleau suggested.

Reduce scarification: Acne can leave dark spots behind after the blemish itself has healed. To reduce scarring, use a product with glycolic acid to help fade discoloration, Rouleau offered.