Should You Be Popping Your Pimples Or Not?

Pimples just happen to come out of no where and the worst part is when you are staring at it in the mirror and suddenly you get an urge to pop it up. Although there’s never a good time to get a pimple, they always seem to appear right before a party, a special date, or a big family reunion. So is it really that bad to pop a pimple? Let us clear this “to pop or not to pop” dilemma once in for all.

What Is The Hype About?
To be honest, dermatologists recommend never to touch and prick-pop the pimple. You should let the pimple live it’s lifespan completely. When you see a zit, it is basically a sack of bacteria, dead white blood cells or debris that have accumulated underneath. It maybe filled with pus or can bleed when you squeeze it. So what you really need to understand is that by popping the pimples or zit, you are doing more harm to your skin. It leads to redness and scarring of the skin.

Moreover, if you are of the opinion that if we squeeze out the pus you are cleaning it out then you are wrong. You must see that it may lead to several issues. Firstly, the pimple is already under pressure and when it is popped, the debris and pus is soaked by the skin. Secondly, all that fuss inside the pimple can spread to other pores and this invites more pimples. 

You may also introduce new kinds of bacteria from your finger into the zit which can cause the pimple to become more red, inflamed, swollen and infected, and may even lead to permanent scarring. If left untouched and spot treated, it will get cured within 5-7 days but if poked unnecessarily, it will last forever as a scar.

Do You Really Want To Pop It?
If you are in a situation where it’s hard to resist the temptation of squeezing the pimple out, there is a safe way to do this. First preference should be a dermatologist or a physician because they know the best. They wear gloves, use clean stuff and are very careful about your skin while they help you get rid of those pimples. If you plan to do this at home all by yourself, then you better be precautious. You don’t want to mess with your face even more! Here’s what you need to get it done like a pro.

1. Don’t poke too early. If you can’t see the white head of the pimple, it’s not ready to be crushed. If you see the white head, it means the pus is near and surface and can be popped.

2. Wash your hands thoroughly with warm water, soap, and a fingernail brush.

3. Sterilize a straight pin with a match or lighter. Let the pin cool, then wipe it down with rubbing alcohol. Swab the zit with alcohol and pour some on your fingers, too.

4.Use your fingers to apply gentle pressure on either side of the pimple. Gentle downward pressure can usually clear it out. If it doesn’t empty out with gentle pressure, stop trying to pop it. 

However, if you are frequently dealing with this and your skin gets acne prone, it is advisable to have a dermatologist consulted. Most of the time the urge to prick the pimples forms a habit that can ruin your skin causing inflammation, scarring and infection. Popping the pimple yourself is good if done once in a while taking all the care that’s necessary.