Pimples are an inevitable part of life. At some point or another, we all get them.

But should you pop your pimples. What actually happens if you resist the urge and leave them alone.

Contents:.

Pimples form when hair follicles under your skin clog up with dead skin cells and oil. This clog is called a comedone.

When bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) infiltrate a clogged hair follicle, they can cause inflammation and infection, resulting in pimples.

So in summary, a pimple forms when a hair follicle becomes clogged with dead skin cells and oil, then infected with bacteria. This leads to inflammation, swelling, and pus.

If left alone, a pimple will typically go through its natural lifecycle and heal on its own in 3-7 days. Here are the stages a pimple will go through if you leave it be:

Early Stage: The comedone starts developing underneath the skin’s surface. Not yet a pimple, just a collection of oil and dead cells clogging a follicle.

Formation: Inflammation sets in as P. acnes bacteria multiply within the clogged follicle.

Maturation: White blood cells arrive to fight the infection, causing pus to develop. This pus is comprised of dead skin cells, bacteria, and white blood cells.

Healing: As the body’s immune response kicks in, inflammation gradually subsides. The pimple begins shrinking and draining on its own.

So if left alone, a pimple will progress through this natural cycle and heal without any interference. Popping is not required.

Your body is able to gradually reabsorb and eliminate it. Here’s how:

It is contained within the wall of the clogged follicle. As your pimple starts healing and inflammation reduces, the wall of the follicle slowly breaks open.

Any pus that remains deeper inside the follicle gets reabsorbed by your blood vessels and lymphatic system. From there, it enters your bloodstream so your body can filter it out.

Your body is equipped to handle and reabsorbate it without the need for popping.

Doing so can actually prolong healing time and increase your risk of scarring. Here’s why popping can lead to more pronounced scarring and dark spots:

The pimple resolves quicker without spreading infection deeper under the skin. Now you might be wondering, are there ever scenarios where popping a pimple is okay or even advisable.

There are a select few instances where popping a pimple gently and hygienically may help it heal faster: However, it’s important to know these scenarios are exceptions, not the rule.

The risks of picking, popping and improper lancing almost always outweigh any potential benefits. Dealing with pimples that you don’t pop requires patience.

Pimples can be frustrating and unpleasant to deal with. The urge to pop them is understandably tempting for many of us.

If left alone, your body is able to reabsorb and clear away the pus inside an unpopped pimple. You avoid potential complications like scarring, hyperpigmentation and spread of bacteria that can result from popping pimples.

Larger cysts may sometimes benefit from professional drainage. But in the vast majority of cases, allowing your pimples to heal on their own results in the best outcome.

With a little patience, it will usually disappear faster than you think. Stick to a smart skin care routine and visit your dermatologist if breakouts persist.

Popping pimples is tempting for many people. But should you avoid popping pimples to let them heal naturally.

Pus is an accumulation of fluid, debris, and dead cells that forms as your body fights off infection and inflammation within a pimple. It typically contains:

Your body is able to gradually reabsorb the pus and eliminate it naturally. Here is how:

If left completely alone, a typical pimple goes through these stages: This whole process usually takes about 3-7 days if you don’t pop the pimple and allow it to run its course.

Forcing out pus by squeezing often makes pimples worse instead of better. Popping can:

No, not popping pimples actually leads to less scarring most of the time. Popping pimples increases your risk for scarring and dark marks by:

This reduces the likelihood of extensive damage leading to pronounced scarring. Mature whiteheads that have naturally come to a head may be gently popped if you follow sterile technique.

Never squeeze from the bottom or pick at stubborn pus. For severely inflamed large cysts, a dermatologist may use a sterile needle to lance the surface.

Do not try to lance or aggressively pop cysts at home. The most effective acne treatments involve:

See a dermatologist if you get recurring cystic acne. With the right treatment plan, you can enjoy clear, pimple-free skin.

Dermatologist usually say “Don’t pop a pimple,” but what will happen if you leave a pimple alone. This article will discuss when to pop and when not to pop a pimple and will tell you what happens if you leave a pimple alone.

However, the truth is that waiting it out might be best thing you can do to clear a pimple fast. Table of Contents.

Your skin uses its own natural exfoliation process to push the pimple and its contents to the surface.

Purging is the skin pushing the ingredients that are clogging the pores to the skin’s surface.

Pimples rarely cause scabs if you don’t squeeze them. Scabs happen when the upper layers of the skin are injured buy your fingernails or comedone extractors.

Just like when scabs form over a cut on other areas of your body, scabs that form over a pimple will eventually shed off on their own once the skin underneath is healed. This can take 3-12 days.

Scabs heal faster when left alone or when a topical antibiotic ointment is placed on them. There are three types of pimples: comedones, papules and pustules.

Trying to pop a papule will make acne worse by causing inflammation and tissue damage and maybe even push the pimple contents deeper in the skin. Whiteheads are the earliest stage of pimples.

Apply a retinol on top of them and wait for them to come to the surface. Picking them and popping them can cause a scar or a cyst.

What happens if you do not pop a whitehead. It comes to the surface and goes away naturally.

Apply these only to the whitehead because they are very strong and can cause side effects if used on your entire face. Papules are a type of acne lesion characterized by small, red, raised bumps on the skin.

At this stage, the inflammatory material is dispersed throughout the skin layers, rather than being concentrated in a singular, pus-filled space. This distribution makes papules ill-suited for extraction.

Attempting to pop or squeeze a papule can disrupt this natural process, potentially pushing the bacteria and inflammation deeper into the skin and exacerbating the issue. Pustules are distinguishable by white bumps/heads that indicate they are ready to pop.

Pustules, in contrast to papules, are visibly filled with pus and often appear as yellowish or whitish bumps with a defined center. This pus is a mixture of bacterial debris, white blood cells, and dead skin cells.

However, it’s essential to approach this with caution. while the contents of a pustule are more centralized and can be more easily extracted, improper techniques or doing so prematurely can still result in skin damage or increased risk of infection.

If you must pop the pimple yourself, wait until it has a white head on it (which means it is a pustule) follow these instructions. As tempting as it might be to pop pimples as soon as you can see them on the surface, doing so can make matters worse.

Popping a pimple can: Retinoids are a common acne treatment ingredient because they speed up the skin’s natural exfoliation process, causing pimples and their contents to come to the surface faster.

Salicylic acid is another common acne-fighting ingredient, thanks to its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and exfoliating properties. You can use a salicylic acid cleanser to help acne clear on its own.

There are acne treatment products you can put on pimple to make it go away faster such as Murad Outsmart Acne Clarifying Treatment. Use these acne spot treatments 2 times a day.

Papules will eventually go away on their own. Popping pimples and picking at acne scabs can cause scarring and slow the healing process.

The best way to stop getting pimples is to only use products that are right for your Baumann Skin Type. Take the quiz and we will give you advice on what products are best to prevent getting papules and pustules on your skin.

Leslie Baumann MD, FAAD. Dermatologist, Author, Researcher.

Bestselling Author of: The Skin Type Solution (Bantam Dell (2006).

Cosmeceuticals and Cosmetic ingredients (McGraw Hill 2015). If you are going to pop your own pimples, wait until they have a visible white head.

If it doesn’t pop, it isn’t ready yet. Scratching a pimple increases chances of infection and scarring.

If you are worried about pimples and how long they take to fully disappear, consider finding your skin type and starting a skin care regimen targeted towards acne care.

You wake up, roll out of bed, and make your way into the bathroom, only to discover that somehow your face has grown an unsightly, white-tipped pimple. But beyond the negative impact that pimples can have on the way you look, they can be downright uncomfortable as well.

And even though real beauty has almost nothing to do with appearance (despite what movies, television, fashion magazines, and advertisements may claim), having a massive zit (or zits) taking up all of the best real estate on your face has a way of negatively impacting a person’s self-esteem. Contents.

Although pimples may seem as though they just magically and horrifically appear out of thin air, the reality is that pimples follow a very specific lifecycle. You see, across the entire surface of your body, you have tiny openings in your skin called ‘pores.’ There are two kinds of pores, and they serve different (but similar) functions.

Sebaceous glands also house hair follicles, which help guide the sebum oil to the surface. Unfortunately, sebum doesn’t always make it all of the way out.

Clogged pores can produce several different kinds of pimples and skin irritations, but we’re going to focus on pimples—whiteheads and blackheads. Whiteheads are clogged pores that have almost completely closed.

Blackheads are clogged pores whose openings remain open to the outside air. The plug oxidizes, hardens, and turns dark in color.

Pimples carry with them a certain stigma of uncleanliness, but the fact is that most acne outbreaks are a product of hormonal changes within the body, rather than as a result of poor hygiene. And while the hormonal changes that play a large part in pimple formation are most prevalent in teenagers, acne among adults is also common.

Do you pop it. Of course you pop it.

There are a number of potential problems that come from popping pimples. For one thing, it’s usually not a very sanitary process, and can introduce new bacteria to already damaged tissue, possibly leading to infection.

At the same time, the act of popping is very destructive, and can damage sensitive tissue in ways that the pimple itself would not have, and if done incorrectly, the sebum plug may be only partially removed, or worse, forced further down into the pore where it can cause even worse damage. Likewise, popped pimples have a tendency to leave scars behind after healing.

The point we’re trying to make is this: Don’t pop your pimples. If you have a single pimple every now and then, leave it be and let it run its course (most pimples will fade and disappear within 3–7 days).

Despite the cautions of the previous section, we understand that there are simply times when you won’t feel like leaving the house with a marble-sized lump poking out from your cheek, and no matter how much we warn you not to, you’re going to pop it. So, in an effort to minimize the damage, we’d like to share with you our step-by-step pimple popping process (this guide is for dealing with whitehead pimples.

We really can’t stress this enough: Quickly popping a pimple without taking the proper precautions can easily lead to scarring, breakouts, and infection. If you absolutely must pop a pimple quickly, cover your fingers with tissue paper, and be careful not to put too much pressure on the area around the pimple for any prolonged period of time.

That having been said, squeezing a pimple in order to pop it will damage your skin, so we don’t recommend it under any circumstances.

Here are some tips to help you get back on the right track:.

it’s hormonal. That having been said, there are still a number of steps that you can take to minimize your chances of suffering from an outbreak.

And while your production of sebum may be completely out of your hands, regular washing of your face and hands can really cut down on the amount of dead skin cells and bacteria that find their way into your pores. When washing, be sure that you follow the proper skin cleansing routine.

Evidence suggests that diets low in sugar, alcohol, dairy (except greek yogurt), and processed foods, but that are rich in leafy greens, antioxidants, zinc, and polyphenols can help reduce the severity and duration of acne. And, as important as it is to regulate the food that we take into our bodies, certain foods can be just as detrimental to skin health just by touching our bodies.

Although a lot of approaches to treating acne rely on drying out the skin, you should be careful not to neglect moisturizing. Overly dry skin is likely to become inflamed and can lead to more intense acne breakouts.

However, be aware that everyone’s skin is different, and while some may benefit from moisturizing, others might not. controlling oily skin is an issue that often requires unique solutions.

There are a number of other ways to deal with unsightly pimples that are much less dangerous to the overall health of your skin. For emergency breakouts that threaten to lower your confidence, there is the ESPADA™2.

T-Sonic pulsations boost the effects of the blue light and help facilitate healing, for a pimple-clearing experience that’s just as gratifying as popping. Plus, its medical-grade silicone coating is antibacterial, so you never have to worry about spreading bacteria from spot to spot.

Disclaimer: The information on this website and any related links are for general informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition.

The urge to pop a pimple is always difficult to resist. Isn’t it.

But accidents do happen, don’t they. Don’t worry, we have got you covered in case you have had one.

Read this article to know all about the dos and don’ts of popping a pimple on your face and what you should do to prevent further damage on your skin. Highlights:

In case there is a lot of bleeding, press the affected area with a clean cloth till the bleeding stops. Applying ice can also help stop the bleeding.

A popped pimple is an open wound that can easily get infected. So the first thing to do is to clean the area with a mild cleanser.

Once you have cleaned and dried the wound, apply an antibiotic ointment just on the spot of the pimple. You can also cover the area with a small bandage to prevent infection and help healing.

Wrap an ice cube in a clean cloth and rub it for a few minutes on the spot. This will soothe the irritation and reduce the swelling and inflammation.

Alternatively, you can dab ample amount of a gentle moisturiser on the wound to keep it covered. You can use hyaluronic acid serum which will keep the skin hydrated without clogging the pores.

Avoid touching the spot as much as possible and do not pull the scab if there is one on the affected area. Removing the scab will slow down the healing process and may also result in a scar that may become permanent.

This will not only slow down the healing but may also give rise to fresh pimples on your face. Pimples are one of the various symptoms of a skin condition called acne, which is caused by clogging of the pores in your skin by dirt, oil or dead skin cells.

So, trying to pop a pimple all by yourself may be a bit of a risky job. Here are some of the risks it may lead to:

You should especially avoid the ‘triangle of death’ on your face, that is the area surrounding your nose bridge and mouth. Though it is not common, a case of lethal infection of the sinus (which lies directly under the triangle), was reported from an infected pimple in the triangle.

Picking at a pimple or a scab can be a sure shot way to getting a deep seated acne mark that won’t disappear easily. This is especially true if you are a repeated offender and keep picking at the same spot.

This can not only cause inflammation, pain and swelling, but may also result in a more severe breakout. Your acne can become more painful and noticeable.

You can develop dark spots due to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or even red, discoloured patches in the affected area.

Well you surely know it already, treat the acne. You can take the following steps to prevent pimples in the first place or cure it, in case you already have some.

A cleanser containing salicylic acid can be of great help. Besides being an excellent exfoliant, salicylic acid also has double effects on acne.

Keep a spot treatment product handy in case you have an acne prone skin. You can opt for acne patches with benzoyl peroxide or retinoids.

You can choose from a range of herbal medications like tea tree oil, witch hazel, aloe vera gel, sandwool paste, etc. to relieve acne.

You can also try SkinKraft’s anti-acne products that are formulated specifically for you. Take the SkinIDTM quiz today to know your skin better and get skin-care products customised to meet your skin’s unique requirements.

However, if you still cannot resist the urge to pop the pimple, you should be taking the following precautions while doing so: 1.

Do not poke it otherwise. 2.

Sterilise the needle or lancet by holding it straight in an open flame for a few seconds or until the tip is red hot. Cool it off and sterilise again with alcohol.

Now clean the zit with some alcohol. Dry it off.

Gently pierce the top of the pimple with the needle and lightly press the area surrounding it to drain off the pus. If the pimple does not drain with little pressure once or twice you should leave it like that as it is not ready to be popped yet.

Keep some sterilised cotton handy to clean off the pus and debris oozing from the pimple. 7.

You can also dab some ice to relieve any pain or redness. 8.

A pimple if left alone will usually disappear in a few days or in a week. A popped pimple usually takes longer to heal.

Also, there are chances of infection which further delays the recovery. If you have pushed a lot of the pus and debri back into the skin, you may get more severe and painful pimples as a result of inflammation.

If you have pimples that refuse to get better or keep coming back despite taking good care of your skin, you should definitely consult a dermatologist immediately. The dermatologist is the best person to diagnose the underlying cause of your acne and suggest the best suited treatment procedure.

Your doctor can prescribe topical or oral antibiotics, prescription retinoids, etc. to help relieve the acne symptoms.

If you get a fever or doubt any form of infection after popping a pimple, you should immediately consult a doctor. Wrapping Up.

But popping a pimple in order to get rid of them faster is counterproductive. Draining a pimple may actually lengthen the healing process, increase chances of infection as well as leave permanent scars on your face.

Begin By Knowing Your Skin. 1.

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What’s more tempting than popping a pimple. We certainly understand the desire: Dr.

But as Dr. Sandra Lee — the board-certified dermatologist — always says, it’s best to leave extractions to the professionals.

Lee encourages everyone to pop safely by following a simple set of guidelines. The last step.

No matter if you successfully expelled that pimple’s contents, or it just wouldn’t budge with gentle pressure, the best thing you can do afterwards is leave it alone. Here’s why.

We often use these terms pretty interchangeably, but popping a pimple is different from picking a pimple: When picking pimples becomes compulsive, it’s known as excoriation disorder, or dermatillomania.

Find more information and resources here. Whatever the reason you pick at your acne, we’ll be the first to say: we get it.

But we also have news for you: giving into this urge not only causes damage to your skin, but also makes your pimples hang around much longer than if you’d simply left the spots alone. This isn’t just a ploy by estheticians and dermatologists to get you in for a visit: there are many reasons why picking at pimples is bad for your skin.

In both cases, you’re probably using your fingers and fingernails, which carry with them the day’s dirt,oil and bacteria. Simply put: picking is unsanitary, and the introduction of new bacteria to already damaged tissue could lead to infection (read: more pus).

In fact, that oil, dirt, and bacteria we mentioned above gets passed from your fingers to your skin, leading to more breakouts. Also, if you picked the top of an inflamed pimple, you may be bursting the pustule sac and ejecting pus, sebum and/or bacteria willy-nilly.

This is where picking truly leaves its lasting mark. You may think that you’re eradicating that annoying pimple, but you might be creating long-term hyperpigmentation — even scarring — instead.

Sometimes, dark marks don’t go away in time. And if your picking is enthusiastic enough, you could end up with a healing problem that creates a permanent scar.

Here’s what you can do to get started. If you’re prone to pimple picking, the first step is to get your acne under control.

Lee recommends ingredients like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and retinol — all found in SLMD Acne System. If you’ve been using a regimen for a couple of months without much result, or you’re worried about scarring, visit a dermatologist.

Lee also recommends spot treatments when random pimples pop up. Salicylic acid is great for blackheads and whiteheads (try Salicylic Acid Spot Treatment), while benzoyl peroxide works well on inflammatory acne (try BP Acne Spot Treatment).

To really keep your hands off, consider medicated acne patches. SLMD Salicylic Acid Pimple Patches are ultra-transparent and are formulated with salicylic acid to soak up pus and protect pimples as they heal.

However, if you find yourself still picking at your skin despite a decrease in bumps, you may want to ask a friend or coworker to monitor your picking, so you become more conscious of the habit. Or, leave yourself “don’t pick” reminders on sticky notes in the bathroom or around the house.

having them around could be too tempting to resist. In fact, if part of your picking ritual involves a magnifying mirror, consider putting that mirror away as well.

I know people are going to pop their pimples. Using an acne regimen and spot treatments can help a lot.

Sandra Lee.

One of the reasons why popping a pimple is so satisfying is all the pus and gunk that comes out when you do it — but as any dermatologist will tell you, the aftermath of a picked-at pimple (i.e., inflammation and the potential of acne-scarring) is just not worth it. So if you abstain from picking and popping, what happens to all of the liquid that’s in the pimple.

To find out, we consulted with Dr. Rachel Nazarian, a NYC-based board-certified dermatologist about pimple pus.

Nazarian. These signs of trauma can last on skin in the form of discoloration for months, she adds.

“As tempting as it is to pop a pimple, specifically those little whiteheads or pustules, you don’t need to,” says Dr. Nazarian.

She explains that if the whitehead or pustule is superficial, meaning on or close to the surface, the skin will eventually break open to allow the pus to drain out of the pimple. “Skin is constantly renewing itself, and fragile whiteheads will not remain forever,” she says.

This depends on how deep and inflamed a pimple is. “Simple whiteheads may clear in a week, while deeper, more painful pimples may take three weeks,” says Dr.

“Blackheads may last months.”. Make sure that you’re using a gentle cleanser daily to keep the area free of bacteria.

Nazarian also recommends applying hydrocortisone 1% to help the spot heal. “Topical ingredients such as vitamins C and E and anti-inflammatory ingredients like green tea extract and aloe are also useful for enhancing healing,” she says.

Spot treatments are also a great way to treat current breakouts and keep future ones at bay. The Vichy Normaderm S.O.S Acne Rescue Spot Corrector is the first targeted acne spot treatment from the brand, and it’s formulated with sulfur, glycolic acid and niacinamide this sulfur acne treatment to dry up current acne blemishes while also reducing their size and severity.

There are few things quite as satisfying as popping a good pimple. There’s something deeply pleasing about getting all that gunk out of your skin.

Or maybe you shouldn’t be popping your pimples at all. Here we’ll tell you all you need to know about popping pimples.

Let’s get clear on what kind of pimple we’re talking about here, as pimples and acne come in a wonderful range of varieties. When we’re talking about popping pimples, we’re talking about two types of pimple:

You get them when the pores in your skin become blocked by dead skin cells and sebum – this is the natural oil produced by your skin. With blackheads, the pore remains open, so the plugs of oil and skin cells react with the air and turn black.

Sometimes you can get multiple blackheads to erupt at the same time, which is even more rewarding. Pustules start off as blocked pores too.

The pimple becomes inflamed as your immune system fights the infection, and pus is produced (pus is mostly dead bacteria and white blood cells). As the pus builds up, pustules form off-white to yellow tips.

Beautiful. To put it simply, no you shouldn’t squeeze or try and pop any pimples.

This probably wasn’t the answer you were looking for, we know, but here’s why: So as fun as it is to squeeze and pop your pimples, it can spread the infection and cause damage that can lead to scarring.

A better way to tackle pimples and acne is to start a daily skincare routine and use acne medication. We’ll tell you more about this below.

We know you’re only human. You shouldn’t squeeze or pop your pimples, we’ve made that clear, but we know how hard it can be to resist sometimes.

If you absolutely must squeeze your blackheads and pop your pustules, you’ll want to know how to pop a pimple safely. Do it like this:

Warm water can open your pores up and soften the plugs of gunk inside. When you’re ready, follow these steps:

You shouldn’t pop any pimple, but if you have to, stick to blackheads and pustules. Don’t try and pop any of these:

They’re a clogged pore, but they’re covered by a thin layer of skin. This is why they usually have raised white tips, rather than forming blackheads.

You may be able to get some of the gunk out, but as the affected pore has skin over it, you’ll likely press a lot of it deeper. Papules and nodules are larger pimples, like pustules, but they don’t have a pus-filled tip.

You’d have to work hard to get anything out of them, which can risk causing damage to your skin that might result in scars. Cysts are a more severe form of pustules and are common with more serious acne.

The walls of the pore break down and the bacterial infection spreads further and deeper, creating a bigger, angrier, more inflamed, more pus-filled pimple. Although cysts can feel tight and ready to burst, the pus inside is usually too deep to safely push it to the surface.

If you can’t pop your pimples, how can you get rid of them.

A dermatologist can treat your skin for you, they can extract blackheads and drain pustules without causing damage or spreading the infection. A more cost-effective option, and one that can help over the long term, is to start a daily cleansing routine.

There are loads of products available to suit your skincare needs. If you include a prescription treatment into your skincare routine, like tRetinoin (Retin A), you can make your routine even more effective.

There’s even evidence that it can reduce the appearance of acne scars and fine lines or wrinkles. Tretinoin is a prescription treatment, but you can order it NowPatient.

Having completed your online consultation and once approved, you’ll receive a treatment plan from our doctors within two hours. Your tretinoin will then be shipped for free to your door.

However, the knowledge and experience of a qualified healthcare professional should always be sought after instead of using the information in this page. Before taking any drug, you should always speak to your doctor or another qualified healthcare provider.

The information provided here about medications is subject to change and is not meant to include all uses, precautions, warnings, directions, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or negative effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a particular medication does not imply that the medication or medication combination is appropriate for all patients or for all possible purposes.

Maybe you patched, maybe you popped. Either way, your secret is safe with us.

Let’s start at the beginning. This one’s simple: don’t.

Super high-quality hydrocolloid (a natural fluid-absorbing gel) gently pulls out all the gunk trapped inside your pimple. No popping necessary.But if you don’t have a patch on hand, or just can’t resist the urge (we’ve all been there), be sure to follow these basic rules for clean, safe pimple popping:

Don’t use your nails. They can spread bacteria, easily tear the skin, and leave long-term pits and scars.2.

Trying to pop a blackhead, papule, pustule, nodule, or cyst will be extremely painful and worsen the situation.3. Use a sterilized needle.

Then poke a tiny hole in the center of the pimple.4. Patch that pimple to finish the job.

Let Mighty Patch take care of the rest. The deed is done.

The breakout situation is over … or not. For most people, post-pimple skin does not return to its normal state until a few days, or even a few weeks, later.

And nobody wants a popped pimple scar.Fortunately, the first and only post-pimple balm can help smooth sensitive skin to help bring skin back to healthy, quickly. Here’s exactly how to heal scabs fast and return to your pre-pimple glow in four easy steps:

Step 1 – Wash the area with a gentle cleanser to remove any leftover gunk. Step 2 – Apply a dot of Rescue Balm, which is formulated with panthenol, beta glucan, and oligopeptides.

Step 4 – Sit back, relax, and watch your blemish fully fade.

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Good news, diehard pimple poppers. Chances are good that you’ve been taught to think of popping pimples as an ultra-forbidden pleasure, sure to lead only to intense scarring, infection, and condemnation from your peers.

Here, New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner breaks down which kinds of pimples you should (and shouldn’t) pop.

“Ultimately, the blockages in pimples have only one place to go, which is out,” Zeichner told INSIDER. “In some cases, unless pimples are manually extracted, they can stick around for years.

The correct way, according to Zeichner, is by treating the pop as a “surgical procedure.” This means washing your face and hands, using Q-tips to press down gently on the sides of a pimple rather than your fingers, and — perhaps most important of all — knowing when to give up. “If the blockage does not come out easily, then leave it for another day,” Zeichner told INSIDER.

If you keep picking at a pimple that isn’t ready to pop, it may cause increased inflammation and irritation, make the pimple take longer to heal and increase your chance of scarring. If you are looking to pop something the right way, start with blackheads, which, according to Zeichner, are the “easiest” to pop at home.

You can also pop pustules — bumps with pus at the surface — by using the same kind of gentle pressure, but whiteheads are more difficult to pop at home. According to Zeichner, whiteheads often need to be opened with a sterile needle or blade, so it may be best to visit a dermatologist if you need one popped.

No matter what kind of pimple is popped, Zeichner recommends applying an antibiotic spot cream afterward, as the skin may be tender and more prone to infection.

These kinds of pimples can be identified as the hard, red bumps that are painful to the touch and feel like they are rooted deep within the skin. As tempting as it may be to get rid of a pimple with a good pop, these kinds of pimples don’t actually have a clear connection with the surface of the skin, meaning that attempting to pop them is almost always bound to cause more harm than good.

“These pimples are not pick-able and you will inevitably cause skin inflammation, infection, or even scarring if you try to pop them.”. So, if you want to pop a pimple, make sure it isn’t a papule first.

You should be fine. Visit INSIDER’s homepage for more.

We’ve all been there: You wake up, roll out of bed, and stroll to the bathroom only to see an unexpected breakout staring back at you in the mirror. While it’s definitely not the way you want to start (or end) your day, the last thing you want to do is get hands-on with the situation—which can be tough given how tempting it is to squeeze the sucker out of sight.

But, since we know that simply telling you the basics likely won’t inspire you to keep your hands off, we chatted with a couple of dermatologists for the 4-1-1 on all things blemishes. Ahead, you’ll discover—once and for all—whether it’s really that bad to pop a pimple.

Meet the Expert. We know what you’re thinking: If it has a white head, it can’t be too difficult to pop.

But, according to Dr. Verallo-Rowell, you should never, ever pop a pimple.

“Popping irritates and causes more inflammation of the pimple, so it remains red and lasts longer,” she explains. “Once the inflammation subsides, the pimple can leave behind marks that bother people as much as the acne itself.” The marks themselves can be anything from a faded reddish dot or a dark scar to a depressed pockmark or thick hypertrophic or keloid scar.

“Unfortunately, many microbes have now become resistant to topical and oral antimicrobials. Some names you may hear are MRSA, MRStrep, resistant fungi, and viruses.” In other words, when you pop a pimple, you open up the skin and make it susceptible to microbes, which can lead to a number of infections.

While there’s never a great time to pop a pimple, the one exception is when you head to an in-office appointment to get the extraction done. This can be done at a dermatologist or esthetician’s office, by skilled professionals who use sanitized fingers and tools, as well as light, precise pressure to cause the least amount of damage possible.

Since we understand how difficult it can be to see a zit staring back at you and actually resist the urge to pop, we’re diving deeper for your sake.

“Over time, the plug can become a bit loose, so popping is easy, but if not, leave it for another day,” she says, noting that if you’re using a comedone extractor instrument, you should always disinfect it with 80-percent alcohol, betadine monolaurin hand sanitizer, or virgin coconut oil before use.

According to Dr. Green, whiteheads are the least risky to pop yourself—even though she still doesn’t recommend doing so.

“If you attempt to pop a whitehead and nothing comes out, don’t force it—leave it alone as it may be a milia and not a whitehead,” she explains. “Milia’s are keratin build up within the skin and require the expertise of a dermatologist to remove them safely.”.

Carl Thornfeldt recommends prepping the skin with alcohol so that the area is sterilized, and applying a warm compress to help heat and relax the area for easier popping. And, whatever you do, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before and after the process.

Whatever you do though—no matter how sanitized your hands are, how prepped the pimple is, or how bulging your zit appears—do not, under any circumstance, try to pop a cystic zit.

“Cystic zits usually need medication injected to shrink them,” she explains. “You can force inflammation deeper within the skin, causing more harm to yourself if you attempt to pop a cyst or bump on your own.

Now that we’ve made it very clear as to why you shouldn’t try to pop pimples at home, you might be wondering what you can do to, at the very least, make them look less blaring. As always, we have you covered.

Apply a warm compress to inflamed pimples.

“Warm compresses will reduce inflammation and redness,” Green says. “Also, a warm compress can sometimes soften the skin which allows the pimple to open and drain on its own.”.

Apply an acne spot treatment.

To help you pamper your pimples without stressing them out even more, check out some of our favorite spot treatments, below.

Simply apply a dab at night after cleansing and wake up the next morning with a noticeably smaller blemish.

Whether you’ve popped a pimple or just peeled off a hydrocolloid or micro-dart patch, following up with this nourishing balm can help. It’s chock-full of peptides and antioxidants meant to hydrate and heal the area, as well as even texture and prevent scarring.

Opt for a cold compress.

“Do a cold compress with a cotton ball soaked with plain cold water—I prefer using drinking water to avoid any irritant, or acnegenic chemicals, like chlorine, that tap water may have,” she says. “Even better, soak a cotton ball in virgin coconut oil and place it in the refrigerator.

Hold lightly on the cyst for 10 to 15 minutes and repeat two to three times a day. In addition to being a good disinfectant and having anti-inflammatory properties, these keep you busy so you do not pop the cyst.”.

Consult your dermatologist.

By visiting your derm, Garhisck says that you can get a cortisone injection to help bring down a larger cystic breakout, or a chemical peel or extraction to help with a blackhead or whitehead.

Upgrade your skincare routine with non-comedogenic products.

By stocking your skincare routine with non-comedogenic products, you’ll be less likely to experience clogged pores, which means there will be less of a chance you’ll roll out of bed with a blemish come morning.

Marisa Garshick says that all pimples are somewhat risky, in the sense that each type of pimple presents its own challenges. “Cystic zits, while sometimes filled with pus, often do not necessarily contain as much fluid, pus, or cystic contents, and I find patients often squeeze but notice that nothing comes out and all the squeezing leads to more swelling and inflammation,” she says.

To pop or not to pop, that is the question. For many of us, acne is an unavoidable part of life.

You may find yourself wondering, what happens if you don’t pop a pimple. If I try to burst the blemish, I might spread germs and bacteria around my face.

You’ve got lots of questions, and we’ve got answers. In this article, we’ll go over what happens if you resist popping pimples and explain why leaving your acne alone can actually be your best bet.

We’ve all been there: you wake up, look in the mirror, and realize that a new pimple has reared its head on your face. Overnight pimples can appear when you’re not using non-comedogenic products.

The reason why pimples hurt is caused by inflammation that the body is actively trying to combat. Your first instinct may be to treat that blemish with at-home acne extraction methods.

Let’s take a look at what can happen as a consequence of premature pimple popping.

However, attempting to remedy a breakout at home without the right tools or training can end up causing serious issues such as:1. When you use your fingers to pop a pimple, you introduce bacteria to your pores and sometimes push the contaminants within the pimple further into your skin.

So let’s learn the alternatives.

But this is much easier said than done.

When you have a better idea of how long the blemish might last and you know the right strategies for actively treating breakouts, it will be easier to make the commitment to stop popping. If you’re interested in long-term solutions, learn how to treat hormonal acne naturally from our skincare experts.

However, taking matters into your own hands and popping a pimple can elongate the time it takes for the blemish to heal. A popped pimple can take more than two weeks to vanish in some cases.2 And even when the original blemish is gone, you may be left with a scab or scar in its place.

While it may bring your short-term satisfaction to take matters into your own hands and pop a pimple, it’s possible you’ll end up regretting it in the long term. Sometimes waiting for a pimple’s appearance to lessen can merely be a small annoyance.

Other times, you have a big event coming up and you need a fast fix to look your best.

Combating acne all alone can be frustrating and defeating. You deserve to have clean, clear skin that makes you feel confident.

Pamper your skin with our line of anti-acne, age-fighting skincare solutions, including our non-comedogenic moisturizer, to get one step closer to the smooth skin you’ve always dreamed of. This ensures your pores remain unclogged while keeping your skin hydrated.

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Whether it was from your dermatologist, your mom or a skincare article, you’ve heard it before: Don’t pop your pimples.

But let’s get real. No one wants to walk around in public with a huge, very visible zit on the tip of their nose (or anywhere else, for that matter).

We know at least 3.5 million people who love watching gunk ooze out of a pimple – Dr. Pimple Popper’s Instagram followers.

So today, we are not going to tell you to stop popping pimples. Instead, we are going to share 5 basic rules for clean, safe pimple popping.

When you squeeze a pimple and pus (AKA sebum, bacteria and/or dead skin cells) doesn’t emerge, you are actually pushing the bacteria further into the dermis. This spread of bacteria will increase inflammation and redness.

Plus, the pimple will take longer to heal when your skin is damaged.

Attempting to pop a blackhead, papule, pustule, nodule or cyst will be extremely painful and worsen the situation. And nobody wants that.

RELATED READ: An Acnepedia: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Pimples.

But the truth is, it’s also the easiest type of pimple to eliminate without popping. The pus and fluid has already risen to the top of the hair follicle and is nearly ready to burst on its own.

Maybe you don’t have a Mighty Patch on hand for your whitehead. Or perhaps your pimple has not yet come to a head but is close (and seems “poppable”).

This gives your pimple a spot to spill out the gunk and is much gentler than bursting your skin open by squeezing with your nails.

But if you absolutely must push out the gunk yourself, use a tissue and your fingertips (not nails) to gently apply pressure around the pimple. Pressing directly on the pimple will just force all the pus back into the dermis.

Originally used in medical dressings, hydrocolloid provides a moist healing environment, which is much better than letting a pimple (or any wound) scab on its own and scar.

Do you have another method of popping your pimples. Comment and share below.

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Searching for tips on how to pop a pimple is a little like going to your best friend for advice on how to text your ex. You know the answer is going to be “Don’t do it”, and yet you’re probably going to anyway.

It’s something Sandra Lee, M.D., more affectionately known as Dr. Pimple Popper, knows intimately from the patients she’s treated.

For someone who has built her entire brand on popping, she’s adamantly against at-home extractions. But while you really should leave larger pimples to the pros (due to the long-term damage a wrong squeeze can do to your skin), she cautiously gives a green light for squeezing blackheads.

If it’s taking actual work to get something out, it’s going to damage your skin and it’s best not to push it. “If you try to remove something, and it doesn’t work one or even two times around, don’t be stuck in the bathroom for hours going at it—it’s probably time to back off,” she adds.

So if you absolutely must pop something, there’s a right way to go about it. Read on for the best advice.

“If there’s a visible whitehead that’s so close to the surface of your skin that you can tell it won’t take much pressure to release, it’s ready,” says Arboleda. In other words, wait until the whitehead has completely formed beneath the skin, otherwise cysts or an infections can occur, warns Russak.

“This softens the pus that is contained in the whitehead and relaxes your pore,” says Arboleda. Lee is a fan of tools like blackhead extractors and tweezers, as well as pore strips (she likes the Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips), but says without prep beforehand, they won’t be as effective.

“Make sure your skin is nice and clean. That’s deeply important—sometimes even more important than the actual extraction.”.

Russak advises using “a thin, sterile needle to create a small opening to ensure the pimple will come out from the top rather than go deeper.” For those who would rather not handle a needle, Arboleda suggests “wrapping each pointer finger in a clean tissue, and then pressing down and slightly inward until all of the white has escaped and clear liquid starts to surface.”.

Arboleda suggests Mario Badescu’s Drying Cream. Post-extraction, apply a drying-lotion-soaked cotton swab to the area, and then apply a thin layer of concealer if you’re headed out afterward.