How To Pop A Pimple Safely
Pratima Ati is a postgraduate in International Business from Staffordshire University. After working in Marketing and Business Development for a few years, she jumped ship to pursue two things she loved – fashion and writing.
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If you were to ask me if I pop my pimples, I’d say no outright. But, let’s be honest, everyone does it. Let’s face it – there’s nothing more unfortunate than being stuck with a protruding pimple when it’s most uncalled for. Those are the times when you resort to popping pimples. Fortunately, there’s a way you can do it safely. Read on to find out how.
In This Article
Is It Okay To Pop A Pimple?
The short answer is ‘no.’ Technically, it is not okay to pop a pimple at home. Not without the know-how, at least. Popping a pimple needs expert intervention, and it needs to be done in a way that doesn’t push the bacteria deeper into your skin. However, by following the procedure listed in this article carefully, you can pop a pimple safely at home. But first, let’s look at what you need to do before you pop a pimple.
What To Do Before You Pop A Pimple
- Wash your hands and nails and clean them with a disinfectant.
- Make sure that your pimple is ready to be popped.
- If you can see a sturdy whitehead, it means the pus or bacteria has reached your skin’s topmost surface, and the pimple is ready to be popped.
- Don’t touch the pimple with your hands.
- Use a tissue, cotton swab, or cotton pad to pop it.
Now that you’ve prepped up, let’s talk about how you can pop a pimple safely.
How To Pop A Pimple the Right Way
The Tools You Need
- Needle or comedone extractor tool
- Hand wash or disinfectant soap
- Cleanser
- Scrub
- Rubbing alcohol
- Cotton pads
- Tissue
Procedure
- Wash your hands with disinfectant soap or hand wash.
- Gently exfoliate your face with a scrub to remove dead skin cells.
- Clean your face with a water-based cleanser.
- Pat it dry.
- Sterilize your tools.
- You can either run the needle/comedone extractor through a flame and wipe it off or clean it with rubbing alcohol.
- Dip a cotton pad in rubbing alcohol and sterilize your pimple.
- Hold the needle/comedone extractor tool parallel to the white part of your pimple.
- Pierce it straight across the pimple at once in a way that does not push the needle down.
- Create a small tear, and gently yank out the first part of the needle.
- To release the pus, take a clean tissue between two fingers and hold the pimple from either side.
- Squeeze the pus out of the pimple gently without spreading it on your skin.
- A little blood may come out along with the pus, which is totally normal.
- Dab a cotton pad or tissue on the pimple and let it soak for a few seconds.
- You can apply a little toner or astringent before applying a drying lotion or spot treatment.
You must be wondering, why go through all that effort when you can just wait for the pimple to go away naturally? Well, there are a few things that happen when you pop a pimple. Check them out below.
What Happens When You Pop A Pimple?
- The redness and bulge of the pimple reduce considerably.
- Your skin heals much faster, provided you popped the pimple when it was ripe.
- It’s easier to hide and conceal popped out pimples because the bump, redness, and protruding whitehead are gone.
- Makeup blends better and lasts longer, without looking cakey.
- On the flip side, there are high chances of the pus spreading and causing infection, and the pimple leaving behind a deeper scar.
Don’t make a habit of popping your pimples. Do it only when you absolutely need to, and do it safely. If you have any more questions, leave them in the comments section below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to pop pimple without leaving a scar?
You can do it without actually pricking it, but this will take a few days and is not an immediate solution. Apply a benzoyl peroxide-based cream to the affected area twice a day, and you will see the pimple shrink, darken, and fall away. This way, it does not leave behind a scar.
Another hack is to apply toothpaste on the pimple. This shrinks the pimple and reduces redness.
Can you pop a pimple with a needle?
Yes, you can use a needle instead of a comedone extractor tool. But, you will need to be careful because needles are much sharper.
Does popping pimples cause more pimples?
Popping a pimple the wrong way can cause more harm than good. If you push the needle down instead of across, you will push the bacteria deeper into your skin and increase the chances of infection. Also, you can cause more pimples by spreading the pus from a popped pimple onto other areas of your skin.
Does popping pimples cause scars?
Popping pimples the right way does not cause scars. Just make sure you don’t pierce the skin too deeply with the needle.
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