Popping pimples can be bad for your skin, leading to inflammation, infection, discoloration, more breakouts, and scarring. It can damage the underlying tissue of your skin and leave your complexion looking worse.
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Pimples and Inflammation
Pimples occur when excess oil (sebum), dead skin cells, and bacteria become trapped in pores. This can lead to redness, inflammation, and pus-filled bumps (pustules).
Dermatologists and estheticians warn not to pop pimples because your pores are already swollen and under a lot of pressure.
Why Pimple Popping Is Bad for Your Skin
When you squeeze a pimple:
- Debris can be forced from the pore deeper into the follicle (the structure that anchors each strand of hair to the skin).
- That can cause the follicle wall to rupture, spilling the infected material (including pus) into the lower layer of skin, called the dermis.
- This can result in even more inflammation than before, with increased redness, swelling, and heat in the surrounding skin.
- The break in the structure of the skin can also promote infection, which can, in turn, lead to the formation of an even larger pimple and/or a new pimple next to the one you just popped.
When you leave a pimple alone, it typically clears up within a few days. A whitehead is close to the surface and may pop and drain on its own. A deeper pimple will eventually dissolve naturally.
How the Skin Changes After You Pop a Pimple
In addition to new pimples forming near a pimple that's been squeezed, other skin changes, such as scars, and discoloration, can occur.
Popping a papule (a pimple without a white head) forces the skin to break open to release the pus. This leads to the formation of a scab and the darkening of the surrounding skin.
Squeezing the area frequently can lead to the formation of acne nodules (hardened acne lesions in deeper tissues) or acne cysts (deep, pus-filled lesions that look similar to boils).
Popping Pimples and Scarring
Popping pimples can cause more than a swollen spot or a scab; it is a surefire way to increase your chances of developing acne scars.
Every time your skin is damaged, there's a possibility tissue will be lost during the healing process. That is how you get depressed or pitted acne scars. The more extensive the damage, the higher the chance of tissue loss.
Even if depressed scars don't develop, you can be left with dark marks known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This occurs when severe inflammation damages cells known as keratinocytes, causing them to release large amounts of a pigment called melanin.
If the damage is minimal, the darkening of the skin will often reverse. But, if the damage is severe or ongoing, the discoloration may lighten but not entirely disappear without treatment.
Safer Ways to Care for Pimples
Picking at pimples can spread infection and worsen acne. A "hands-off" policy is best when it comes to caring for acne-prone skin. Fortunately, there are safer ways to achieve clear skin.
Acne Spot Treatments
Instead of popping a pimple, try over-the-counter (OTC) acne spot treatments. These products are dabbed on or applied as hydrocolloid patches to existing pimples to help them dry and heal. Ingredients to look for include benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or sulfur.
You can also try applying ice or a warm compress to help shrink a pimple that's bothering you.
OTC remedies work best for relatively minor pimples. You may need to see a dermatologist if you have a really big pimple that won't go away. Spot treatments are unlikely to be of much help with more severe blemishes.
Safer Blemish Extractions
When considering how to manage acne breakouts, it's important to understand that some options are safe; some are not ideal but are likely harmless; and some could be dangerous or unhealthy.
At one point or another, most people have popped a pimple. Occasionally squeezing a blemish, while not great for your skin, is normal and understandable. A dermatologist or esthetician can teach you when it's safe for you to pop a pimple at home and how to pop a pimple safely.
Things you should never do when popping pimples include:
- Using your fingernails or another hard object to squeeze a pimple
- Squeezing hard or forcing a pimple to pop
- Pop a pimple that doesn't have a white or yellow "head"
Compulsive Pimple Popping
When squeezing pimples becomes a compulsion, you may develop a condition known as acne excoriée (or excoriated acne). People with excoriated acne pick at their pimples, real or imagined, to the point of seriously damaging their skin. You can learn to stop this behavior, but you will likely need the help of a professional, particularly if acne is causing ongoing anxiety or depression.
Summary
Popping a pimple should be avoided. Popping can force the contents of the pimple into deeper tissues. This can lead to skin inflammation, the formation of new pimples in nearby areas, scarring, and discoloration. In some cases, the damage caused to the skin may be permanent.
Instead of popping pimples, try OTC acne medications or seek professional pimple extraction by a dermatologist or esthetician. If you can't resist popping a pimple, ask your dermatologist how to do it more safely. Severe acne often requires treatment by a doctor.