So the subject a pimple is a bit crass, but whenever you have a painful zit the size of a Buick parked on your face it suddenly transforms into useful information especially when you want to prevent excess scarring, pain, or even an infection. Read on for the complete guide on how to pop a pimple.
1. Give the pimple time – If you want to pop a pimple correctly you first have to give it time to come to a head. If you have a red and inflamed pimple that seems to have arrived out of nowhere when you wake up, unfortunately you can’t pop your pimple on that day because it’s still new and is nowhere healed yet.
Wait a couple of days until the pimple has healed a bit, or you can speed up the process by using a hot compress or a salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide treatment, before even attempting to pop the zit. Look to see that the pimple is smaller and not as inflamed as it had been before, if it’s white that’s even better. But whatever color it is be sure that the pimple has a tiny point (pore) that you couldn’t see before.
2. Put away your hands – Some people attack their pimples with their bare hands, or even worse crazy objects like needles. This only hurts and spreads bacteria right onto your open pore, which can cause an infection or lead to more pimples cropping up in the same spot weeks from now. Instead use a Q-tip which is smaller, softer, cleaner, and more precise than your hands. It will create an even pressure that will help to reduce scarring and pain.
3. Get to popping – So wash your hands and grab a clean Q-tip, break it in half, and put one half in each hand. Use the tips of the Q-tip to surround the perimeter of the zit, making sure to avoid the bump itself. Then gently push the perimeter together slightly, until the pimple erupts. White goo should begin to ooze from the pore which is only your white bloodcells and plasma which has been working to help your skin heal. Keep squeezing until you get all of it out. When it starts to hurt or at the first sign of red blood stop.
4. Soothe your skin – Your skin is going to be a tad irritated so apply a cool cloth to it for a few minutes, then layer on a salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide spot treatment, to continue to heal the pimple. While the zit might still be a bit swollen right afterwards keep your hands off of it, and it should become much smaller within a couple of hours and clear up completely within a few days.
5. Exercise restraint – Even though this is your safest bet for popping pimples, exercise restraint and don’t try to pop every tiny bump that crops up on your face. Pimples do their best when they’re treated with a spot treatment and then left alone, especially if you want to minimize scarring. Only use this technique on the occasional huge pimple that you feel uncomfortable walking around with or with those that are really painful. If the zit you have is small and almost undetectable and it’s not bothering you just leave it be.
