When Is It Safe to Pop A Pimple?

In general it is never a good idea to pop your own pimples because if not done correctly, it can cause an eruption under the skin that can lead to cysts. The main issue is technique, that can take years to develop even as a licensed professional esthetician. I know so many (in fact, I think most estheticians do not know how to extract properly) who just have not developed their skill enough and/or are afraid to remove blackheads and other impurities from the skin. Most people try to pop their own pimples and do not remove all of the pus, oil or infection inside, and this causes another pimple to emerge, larger and more inflamed than the first one. There is usually a hard waxy core deep inside of the pore and if this isn’t extracted, the remaining oil will mix with new bacteria and another whitehead will emerge. If you must, here are a few tips.

When a pimple begins to form, it starts out as a red, sore inflamed follicle, this is the time you want to use ice 2x a day and try to get the inflammation to go down. I also recommend my clients take zinc orally, which is a super anti-inflammatory mineral. Only about 15-25mg a day works great, and is good for the whole body. I do not recommend taking zinc all the time, only when struggling with a lot of inflammation in the body or on the face.

Here is the zinc I recommend to all my clients who are struggling with inflammation:

This means that all of the inflammation has gone away and you are left with the pus that is ready to be removed. Once this happens, take a tiny pin or lance and pierce a tiny opening, you do not need to apply a lot of pressure with this lance, you are only trying to create an opening for the infection to be extracted. Pierce, and squeeze in an upward manner, never smash your fingers down into the skin, you want to push up and out. All of the infection should emerge with ease.

After extraction, you can apply some Witch Hazel or alcohol to the affected area. Do not continue putting alcohol on your skin, this is only to kill the bacteria in this area, after extraction. I would rather you not begin getting into the habit of squeezing and picking at your skin, most are not trained in any way about skin extractions and you can severely damage the skin. Depending on your skin tone and skin’s condition, you may be left with major scaring and/or hyperpigmentation that will take weeks-months to go away.

For my lighter to caucasian skin clients I recommend they use cleansers and serums that contain Benzoyl Peroxide. For clients that have brown skin from light to dark, we use Mandelic Acid cleansers and a smaller percentage of Benzoyl Peroxide at night time on a timed schedule.

A lot of clients experience hyperpigmentation (dark spots) after the pimples go away. This is why we use a lot of Alpha Hydroxy acids such as Mandelic, Glycol, Lactic Acid, to speed up the exfoliation process and allow the skin to shed this pigmentation. Having facials and chemical peels regularly will assist in lightening the pigment as well.

If you have any questions about your acne, feel free to comment, send me an email or schedule an appointment with me.