Should you pop a pimple? What squeezing does, and what helps

The best answer is no. The AAD’s advice is to leave popping to a dermatologist, because squeezing often pushes some of what’s inside deeper into the skin. That means more inflammation, a spot that takes longer to clear, and a higher chance of infection from the bacteria on your hands. Wanting to is completely human, so here’s the practical version: what squeezing does, what works better tonight, and what to do if it’s already done.

Is it bad to pop pimples? What happens under the skin

A pimple is a blocked, inflamed follicle, and the inflammation is the part that does the damage. Pressing from the surface pushes some of what’s inside out and, often, some of it further in, into skin that then reacts even more. The AAD lists the results as more painful acne, more noticeable acne and permanent acne scars.

Different marks can follow. On lighter skin a flat pink or red mark is common once a spot heals, and DermNet NZ notes these show most on fair skin. A flat dark spot is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, especially common on brown and black skin, where acne shows less redness and more change in pigment. The AAD’s estimate for a dark mark that’s only a few shades darker than the skin around it is 6 to 12 months to fade, once new spots stop forming there, while deeper, slate blue to gray discoloration can take years. Its plan for fading them starts with sunscreen before you go out, ideally a tinted one with iron oxide, which also helps protect against the visible light that can darken these marks. A scar is different: it changes the texture of your skin, not just its color, and it’s the permanent kind the AAD warns about.

Should you pop pimples when they’re white?

A white head makes a spot look ready, but it’s still a no from the AAD, for the same reason: the pressure lands on an inflamed follicle. Waiting usually works. DermNet NZ says individual acne spots usually last less than 2 weeks, though deeper bumps and nodules can stay for months. People also search for how to pop a pimple without scarring, and the honest answer is that no technique takes the risk to zero, because the problem is the pressure, not your method. A warm compress and a patch let a ready spot run its course without the squeeze.

What to do instead of popping a pimple tonight

Do pimple patches work?

Mostly yes, within limits. A hydrocolloid patch is a small gel dressing that soaks up fluid and keeps the spot covered. The research is small but encouraging: in a 2006 pilot study of 20 people with mild to moderate acne, 10 per group, a week of hydrocolloid dressings reduced redness and overall severity more than plain skin tape, and the dressing let through only 7.4% of UVB light, compared with 38% for the tape. It’s one short trial, so don’t expect miracles. Our read: since a patch works by soaking up fluid, it makes the most sense on a spot with a head or one that’s already open. On a deep lump with no head, think of it mainly as a very good fingers-off reminder.

What to do after popping a pimple

The “danger triangle”: real risk or internet myth?

The area runs from the bridge of your nose to the corners of your mouth, and the worry has a real basis. Veins there link to the cavernous sinus, a network of large veins behind your eye sockets, so an infection in that area has a short route inward. Cleveland Clinic says that in very rare cases a facial infection can lead to septic cavernous sinus thrombosis, a clot in those veins, and its dermatologist calls it relatively unlikely. Today it’s usually treatable when it’s caught in time.

Can a dermatologist drain a cyst or inject a pimple?

Using sterile instruments, a dermatologist can remove blackheads and whiteheads that haven’t cleared with other treatment, or open and drain a large pimple or painful cyst. For a single painful nodule or cyst, they can inject a corticosteroid. The AAD says that injection flattens most within 48 to 72 hours and lowers the risk of a scar, which makes it the real emergency option before a big day. If big, painful ones keep coming, book a visit. The last episode in this series covers what happens there.

Safety note: Spreading redness, heat, swelling or a fever after picking a spot, especially between your nose and mouth, needs a doctor soon.