The original poster was simply looking for a quick way to treat a couple of cystic acne lesions, which are notoriously difficult to shrink without an injection. Her daughter is about to go through sorority rush—an already stressful experience—so she hoped for a fast solution.
I’ve personally dealt with cystic acne once or twice a year for about 20 years, well into my 50s, even though I never had acne growing up. Cystic acne is a very different type of acne, and a steroid injection can dramatically reduce a cyst almost overnight. Without treatment, these lesions can remain painful and unsightly for weeks.
In practice, doctors typically use a very low-dose mixture—about a 10:1 dilution of saline to triamcinolone—with each injection being only 0.01 to 0.05 ml. This is not the kind of high-dose steroid injection that people often worry about; it’s a small, localized treatment with excellent results.
I hope the OP is able to get a dermatology appointment quickly. The wait time for a dermatology appointment here is three months. Luckily, I have an MD husband who can do it for me as needed.