Popping Pimples – Yay Or Nay?

So, you have that big date tonight and the only thing that threatens to ruin that perfect moment with your loved one is that ugly zit that seems to have magically grown on your chin overnight. In situations like these, you may find yourself desperately wanting to squeeze or pop that pimple and then cover the reddish bump with some concealer. But a lot of people frown at the idea. The most commonly heard advice, would be to let the pimple heal on its own because of the ugly scars and infections that could affect your skin as result of the popping. Though the advice holds true, sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures. The trick is to understanding if your pimple is ready to be popped, how to do it the right way and then take the necessary precautions to make sure that it doesn’t make a repeat appearance.

7 Steps To Pop Pimples Like A Pro 

1. Before you begin attacking your zit, check if your pimple is ready to be popped. If you see that there is sufficient pus accumulation and can be popped with minimum skin breakage, then you may proceed with the next step. If the pimple is still fresh, red, inflamed or painful, resist the urge!

2. Gently exfoliate your skin with a mild scrub and wash your face with some lukewarm water to remove any dirt or oil build-up on your skin. Alternatively, you could also wait till you have finished your shower. What this does is it opens the pores on your skin and helps with prepping the pimple for the next step.

3. Wash your hands thoroughly and make sure you use a sterilized whitehead/blackhead remover tool to squeeze the blackhead/pus out. If you don’t have one at home, you could use a mild, fragrance-free cotton ball on one side of the pimple and using the tip of your other finger, gently push the pimple from both sides to squeeze the pus out.

4. Make sure you don’t use your nails for this because it could leave lesions on your skin and you could pass on bacteria from your nails to the exposed skin, risking an infection.

5. Once the pus is out, gently massage the area and dab the area with some fresh cotton. If you see blood, stop applying pressure on the pimple right away and give it time to dry out.

6. Apply some antiseptic solution over the bump with a Q-tip or an acne solution that contains benzoyl peroxide to stop bacteria from settling into the pimple. If you see scarring at later stages, you could naturally treat and lighten the scar at home by applying lemon juice over it.

7. You could alternatively get blackheads/whiteheads surgically removed by a certified dermatologist.

Popping zits should not be a regular affair. Let them heal naturally if you can afford to wait it out. If you face regular acne eruptions or pimples, it could be the cause of an underlying health issue that you may need to get checked by your doctor. There are of course a zillion ways you could tackle pimples naturally and stop them from occurring; by drinking lots of water, washing your face regularly, reducing the intake of oily/fatty/foods and alcoholic beverages and regular exercising.

Handle your pimples delicately, understand if the pimple should really be popped at the stage it is in and make sure you have taken the necessary precautions to avoid lacerations, infections and future occurrences.