How to pop a pimple safelyUpdated a year ago
The safest way to pop a pimple is to not do it in the first place, but we all know that abstinence-only education doesn’t really work. If you’ve never been able to resist the urge, here’s what you can do to mitigate damage.
- Start with clean hands and clean skin. Consider washing your face with a medicated cleanser that contains benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.
- Hold a warm compress against the pimple for a few minutes. You can simply use a washcloth dipped in warm water. This will help soften the surface, making it easier for the pimple to pop with minimal damage.
- Use the pads of your fingers or cotton swabs. You don’t want to use your nails when attempting to pop, since they’re more likely to harbor bacteria and damage the surrounding skin.
- Apply light pressure with your fingers or swabs, just along the sides of the pimple - this might be enough for the pimple to pop.
- Continue pressing on your pimple gently until the entirety of the clog has come out, or else your pimple may refill.
- Use a disposable lancet to gently create an opening from the side of the pustule if pressure from your fingers isn’t doing the trick. Diabetic lancets are ideal because they’re sharp and disposable.
- Don’t try to pop under-the-skin cysts or bumps. Popping should only be done when the congestion is near the surface of the skin. Once you damage the dermis layer of your skin, you’re nearly guaranteed a scar, not to mention you risk causing a worse infection very deep in the skin, that’ll be much harder to treat and may require systemic antibiotics.
A poppin’ conclusion
The best way to heal a popped pimple is by following simple first aid. There’s no need to overcomplicate it!
After all, popped pimples are basically open wounds. The treatment should involve keeping the skin clean, moist, and protected from external forces of irritation or infection. That way, it can heal on its own quickly, with a lower risk of developing a dark mark or scar.
Aside from that, it’s better to skip the popping when dealing with a breakout. We’ve created a complete guide on how to get rid of breakouts both short and long-term, so you can avoid damage control in the first place.