Hi krod - I'm so sorry to hear that your son has to struggle through something as difficult as cystic acne at so young an age. Your post really struck a chord with me, perhaps in part because I have a 14 year-old brother, who I can only hope should be so lucky as to get safely through adolescence suffering nothing worse than I myself ever had to endure. In addition to best wishes, I also had one piece of advice to offer: though I've never actually had a cyst, and can't really speak to the effectiveness of topical applications of hydrocortisone in treating them, I believe that hydrocortisone is a steroid and can promote premature thinning of the skin and other related problems down the road. Depending on the severity of your son's condition, it may be a risk worth taking, but I just thought I'd alert you to the fact, in case you weren't already aware yourself. Best of luck.