Call today! 813.949.3300
Call today! 813.949.3300
A dex injection is a cortisone spot treatment for cystic acne: a tiny amount of dilute corticosteroid placed directly into a painful, deep blemish to calm the inflammation inside it. At Nu Image Medspa in Lutz, FL (3939 Cheval Blvd, off N Dale Mabry Hwy near Cheval), we use a low, skin-safe dose so the redness, swelling and pain of a cyst settle — usually within 24–48 hours.
It’s the fastest way to knock down a single cystic or nodular breakout before an event, and there’s no downtime. A spot treatment quiets that lesion — it isn’t a cure for acne, so recurring or hormonal cystic acne is paired with a real plan. Serving Lutz, Cheval, Carrollwood, Northdale, Odessa and Land O’ Lakes. Call 813.949.3300.
A cystic acne spot treatment in Lutz has to reckon with the climate it lives in. We’re in humid, subtropical Florida, where the air is thick most of the year and the skin barely gets a dry day off. Heat and humidity push oil glands into overdrive, and that extra oil is exactly what a deep cyst feeds on.
Then the day-to-day piles on. Sunscreen goes on every morning and stays on, sweat collects underneath it, and the mix sits against the skin for hours. Add the gear of an outdoor life around here — a ball cap on the course, a helmet on the bike trail, a chin strap at a youth game, a sweaty visor on the lake — and you get constant friction and trapped heat along the jaw, chin and hairline. Those are the same zones where painful, blind cysts tend to surface.
Here’s the pattern we see most: one deep, throbbing cyst appears two days before something that matters — a wedding in Cheval, senior photos, a reunion, a work event. It has no head, so there’s nothing to express, and creams won’t touch it in time. That is the exact problem a dex injection is built for. A precise cortisone spot treatment settles the inflammation from the inside, so the lesion flattens and fades on a timeline that actually fits the calendar.
Between work, school runs near Steinbrenner High and Gaither High School, and weekends outdoors, there’s rarely a spare week to hide a flare. A spot treatment takes a couple of minutes, needs no downtime, and you can be back to your routine the same afternoon — we’re open until 7 most weekdays, so a same-day pop-in before an event is realistic.
For a true treatment for severe cystic acne, the injection is one tool, not the plan. If cysts keep coming back, the real fix is addressing what’s driving them — oil, hormones, clogged follicles and inflammation — with the right routine and, when needed, a referral. We’ll tell you honestly where a spot treatment ends and a longer plan begins.
| Best for | Painful, deep cystic or nodular blemishes that won’t respond to creams; a single flare before an event |
|---|---|
| How it’s done | A tiny amount of dilute corticosteroid (cortisone-type) injected directly into the lesion |
| How it works | Calms the inflammation inside the cyst, reducing redness, swelling and pain |
| Relief appears | Often within 24–48 hours · stubborn nodules a few days |
| Visit length | A few minutes · no anesthesia · no downtime |
| Typical cost (Lutz) | Low per-lesion fee, confirmed in office · see monthly specials |
| Not a cure | Treats one lesion; recurring acne needs an ongoing plan |
Pricing is approximate and confirmed at your visit. Candidacy is assessed in office — a dex injection is for deep cystic/nodular lesions, not everyday whiteheads. Ask about current specials and flexible payment plans.
The honest version, because knowing the difference is what keeps your skin safe and your expectations right.
If cysts keep returning, ask us about a longer-term acne plan — from medical-grade skincare to in-office treatments — alongside the quick fix.
A dex injection targets the deep, inflamed lesions that creams and time can’t fix fast. Common candidates include:
A blind, throbbing blemish with no head — the classic case. Nothing to express, so an injection is the safe, fast route.
Single-lesion spot treatment
The hormonal zone, and the spot where hats and chin straps add friction. Often the most stubborn, tender cysts.
Hormonal-pattern flares
One cyst, days before a wedding, gala, reunion or photos. Treated fast so it flattens and fades in time.
24–48 hr knock-down
Sweat-and-friction zones under gear and sunscreen flare here too. Deep body cysts respond to the same approach.
Body lesions welcome
A cyst that surfaces in the same spot again and again — calmed quickly, then folded into a longer plan.
For the red or brown marks a cyst leaves behind, we can layer in resurfacing once the inflammation is gone.
A quick pinch places the dose directly in the lesion. In and out in minutes, no downtime.
The throbbing pain usually starts to ease within hours as the inflammation calms.
Most cysts visibly flatten and the redness fades — the result people come in for.
A stubborn nodule finishes settling. Any leftover mark can be addressed separately.
A deep cyst has no head to express, so squeezing only drives the inflammation deeper, drags out the healing, and raises the odds of a permanent scar. A dex injection settles the same lesion from the inside — no trauma, no gouging, far less scarring risk. It’s the safer fast lane for a painful, blind blemish.
| Dex Injection | Squeezing It | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 24–48 hr | Prolongs it |
| Scar risk | Low | High |
| Pain | Quick pinch | Worsens it |
| Done by | A pro | Never DIY |
A dex injection looks simple, and in skilled hands it is. But the line between a cyst that melts away and a small dimple in the skin comes down to two things: how concentrated the dose is and how deep it’s placed. Too strong, or too shallow, and the same medicine that should calm the lesion can thin the tissue and leave a temporary divot. Get it right, and the cyst simply settles with nothing left behind.
That judgment isn’t guesswork — it’s pattern recognition built over 20+ years and thousands of treated lesions, knowing the lightest effective dose for each blemish and exactly where to put it. It’s what our injector’s Diamond status reflects, alongside a 4.7-star record — and it’s why this is a treatment for a trained, medically supervised hand, not a walk-in guess.
We confirm the lesion is a true cyst or nodule — the right candidate for an injection — and plan a low dose.
A tiny amount of dilute cortisone, placed directly in the lesion. A brief pinch, no anesthesia needed.
No downtime. Keep the area clean, avoid picking, and go on with your day.
Pain eases within hours; the cyst flattens over 24–48 hours. We’ll talk plan if breakouts recur.
We’re centrally located on Cheval Blvd, an easy drive from across the area — handy when a flare can’t wait. Tap your neighborhood for directions and local details.
Directions from Cheval →
Directions from Northdale →
Directions from Odessa →
Directions from Carrollwood →
Directions from Land O’ Lakes →
Drive times are approximate — check live directions for your exact route. Free on-site parking at 3939 Cheval Blvd, Lutz, FL 33558.
A dex injection is a cortisone spot treatment — a tiny amount of dilute corticosteroid placed directly into a painful cystic acne lesion to calm the inflammation inside it. We use a low, skin-safe dose so the cyst’s redness, swelling and tenderness settle, usually within 24–48 hours. It treats that individual blemish fast; it’s not a cure for acne overall.
Most clients feel the pain ease within hours and see the cyst flatten over 24–48 hours. A stubborn nodule can take a few days to fully settle. That speed is why a dex injection is the go-to before a wedding, gala, reunion or photos — when a single deep blemish shows up at the worst possible time.
A cortisone spot treatment is a low-cost, quick visit — typically a modest per-lesion fee confirmed at check-in, and often bundled when you’re already in for another treatment. Because cost depends on how many lesions are treated, your exact price is confirmed in office, and we run new specials every month.
When the dose is too strong or placed too shallow, it can leave a temporary dimple (skin atrophy) or a light spot. That’s exactly why injector skill matters: we use a dilute, conservative dose at the correct depth to minimize that risk. Any small dimple that does occur is usually temporary and fills back in over weeks to a few months.
No. It’s a fast spot treatment for one painful lesion and doesn’t stop new cysts from forming. For recurring or hormonal cystic acne, it’s best paired with an ongoing plan — which may include medical-grade skincare, chemical peels, and a referral when a prescription or dermatology workup is appropriate. We’re honest about when a shot is enough and when you need more.
No. A deep cyst has no head to express, so squeezing only pushes the inflammation deeper, prolongs healing and raises the risk of a permanent scar. A dex injection settles the lesion from the inside without that trauma, which is why it’s the safer choice for a painful, blind cystic blemish.
Lutz sits in a humid, subtropical climate. Heat and humidity ramp up oil production, sweat and sunscreen can trap that oil against the skin, and friction from hats, helmets and athletic gear adds to it. Together these can tip an oily, acne-prone face into deep, painful cysts more readily than a cooler, drier climate would — which makes a fast in-office spot treatment especially useful here.
We’re at 3939 Cheval Blvd, Lutz, FL 33558, just off N Dale Mabry Hwy near Cheval, Steinbrenner High School and Gaither High School — serving Lutz, Carrollwood, Northdale, Cheval, Odessa and Land O’ Lakes. Free on-site parking. Call 813.949.3300 to book.