How to heal your popped pimpleUpdated a year ago
By following these three simple steps, you’ll help your popped pimple heal cleanly, with a lower chance of scarring or re-infection. Make sure to follow these steps as soon as you can after popping your pimple.
Wash
Keeping things clean is essential for preventing re-infection, which can be significantly worse than your initial pimple. So first of all, wash your hands thoroughly after popping your pimples. Even if you washed your hands prior to popping (and we hope you did), the pus in your pimple was filled with bacteria which now might be on your hands.
Next, wash the affected area gently with a mild cleanser and cool or lukewarm water. Avoid scrubbing or rubbing harshly, so as not to irritate the skin further. Finally, rinse your skin and dry it carefully with a disposable tissue or cotton pad.
Occlude
Immediately afterward, apply a thin to medium layer of a skin protectant to keep the blemish moist and free from bacteria. A moist treatment environment is imperative for healthy wound healing, and your popped pimple is indeed a wound now.
You can use any kind of ointment recommended for wound care, including petroleum jelly or antibacterial ointment.
Consider a hydrocolloid patch
If you’ll be tempted to keep touching the popped pimple, use a pimple patch or hydrocolloid instead of ointment. Much like an occlusive ointment, it will keep bacteria out and help your popped pimple heal, but the smooth layer of the patch will help curb your urge to pop.
You can leave a hydrocolloid bandage on for 24 hours, at which point you can remove it and switch to ointment, or change it completely.