The relief of popping a pimple can be addicting and highly tempting. It may seem like an immediate solution to your blemish, but it could contribute to even more breakouts. Popping pimples leads to inflammation, scarring, and spreading bacteria to other parts of your skin. There are better and safer ways to lessen the appearance and eventually eliminate a pimple. Now that you know what not to do when a pimple arises, let's get into what you should do.
Why Pimple Popping is Harmful:
- Inflammation: Popping pimples can inflame your skin, making the blemish look more red and noticeable. Tissue damage can also occur when popping a blemish, leading to even more skin issues down the road.
- Risk of Infection: When you pop a pimple, you're effectively creating an open wound on your skin, meaning it's now open to infection. Bacteria from external factors like your fingernails, hands, and pollutants can cause infections and more breakouts. We hope pimple popping is starting to sound less enticing.
- Scarring: Popping pimples increases your chances of leaving behind a scar, especially if you continuously pick at the pimple.
- Spread of Bacteria: The bacteria from the pimple you just popped can transfer to other parts of your skin, creating new breakouts.
Tips for Preventing Pimples:
- Cleansing: Make sure you're cleansing your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser that suits your skin type. Dirt, excess oils, and bacteria that your skin accumulates throughout the day can clog pores and cause breakouts.
- Hands off: As hard as it can be, keep those hands off of your face. Our hands are full of bacteria and oils that can be detrimental to our skin.
- Diet: Sugary and greasy foods could be contributing to your breakouts. Balance your diet by getting enough fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins.
- Hydration: Drink plenty of water to hydrate your skin and flush out toxins.
Tips for Treating Pimples Safely:
- Spot Treatments: Spot treatments are a gentler, more effective way of reducing the size of pimples. Ingredients like Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid specifically target breakouts and can help to reduce inflammation and acne-causing bacteria.
- Topical Retinoids: Topical retinoids like Tretinoin help prevent pore clogging and promote cell turnover. Retinoids can be harsh, and certain products like Tretinoin and Adapalene require a prescription, so check in with a dermatologist.
- Hands-Free Healing: Allow pimples to heal on their own without picking, squeezing, or popping. It may take longer, but it will reduce the risk of scarring and further infection.
- Seek Out Skin Professionals: If you have severe or persistent acne, it's best to consult a dermatologist who can develop a personalized treatment plan for your specific skin concerns.
The risks far outweigh the benefits when it comes to pimple popping. Ignoring the temptation can be difficult, but having a plan and staying consistent when treating breakouts will reap far better results for you and your skin.