Complexion Perfection: Fight Acne and Hide Pimples Like a Pro

Pimple Problem: A Deep, Cystlike Blemish

Clear Fix: Woke up with a whopper? Apply a warm compress to help drain it, then follow with a spot treatment. For a two-pronged attack, use bacteria-killing benzoyl peroxide in the morning and oil-dissolving salicylic acid at night, Dr. Graf recommends. Your skin should be clearer in about three days.

What to Use: Fast-acting finds: Obagi CLENZIderm M.D. Serum Gel, $70, obagi.com, and DDF Acne Control Treatment, $42, sephora.com. DIY devices such as the Zeno Mini ($89, myzeno.com) may be even speedier. The heated tip, applied directly to the pimple, "kills the bacteria and attracts 'fighter cells' to destroy it," Dr. Fusco says. The product lived up to its promise in a FITNESS test: "It gets rid of any pimple -- especially cystic ones -- in one or two days," says Beauty Club member Carisa Tierney of Lincroft, New Jersey.