How to Pop a Pimple Using Science! Avoid Scars & Speed Recovery
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Let me start off by asking: what in the WORLD do you think youāre doing? Why? WHY? WHY?!?! Pimple popping is horrible for you! Leave this article right now and weāll forget this ever happened.
Do you feel guilty yet? Good.
While I don’t recommend that anybody pop their pimples, I understand that weāre all human and succumb to this awful temptation from time to time. Do know that you if decide to take this route, there are some potentially devastating long term side effects like atrophic scarring if not done properly.
And believe me, if anyone knows a thing or two about scarring ā itās me.
This is the result of not taking proper precautionary measures when popping pimples. Most of these scars could have been avoided entirely had I followed the guidelines I will list here.
God, what I would give to go back in time and slap myself!
The difference in acne scarring you see didnāt happen overnight. Itās the result of a long, extensive, and strenuous journey of skincare treatments throughout the past year. I will eventually make a whole post about how I achieved this kind of progress completely from home. Subscribe to the email newsletter to stay tuned.
With that said, if you absolutely must, and I mean absolutely must Ā pop a pimple,Ā I will be going over the best and safest method possible to minimize your chances of atrophic scarring and speed up recovery time.
If I sound like an angry or disappointed father or friend throughout this article, itās probably because I am. My apologies ahead of time. I take this subject matter very seriously, and would prefer that people abstain from popping pimples at all cost. Iām simply relaying this information to you all in case you absolutely can’t help yourself or think it’s warranted.
Table of Contents
What You Will Need.
A comedone extractor, 70% isopropyl alcohol (no, not for the face),Ā single use sterile lancets, hydrocolloid bandages, and vaseline or aquaphor. Optional: liquid bandaid.
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A Comedone Extractor.
For the uninitiated, this pimple popping tool is called a ācomedone extractor.ā Itās what dermatologists and estheticians use worldwide during extractions. Youāre going to need one.Ā This is the set I use.
Itās cheap, durable, made of surgical steel, and will last you a lifetime. It comes with a set of five (I lost one) to address different needs (whiteheads and blackheads), pimple size, and pressure intensity. For example, see how the one on the left has a slight bent to it at the loop?
This provides a bit of a buffer by bending slightly if too much pressure is applied. The one on the right doesnāt bend at all, so itās super sturdy and only to be used on very stubborn clogs, but can do some real damage. For most purposes, the first one will do just fine. Learn from my mistakes and don’t opt out for something cheap like this. It will only do more harm than good.
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Can I just use my fingers?
NO! Using your hands often results in squeezing pimples, an absolute no no. There’s a reason dermatologists and estheticians worldwide use comedone extractors and not their hands. These tools ensure that all the gunk is removed. There’s so much room for error when using your fingers. Even if you think you got everything out, chances are you didn’t.
****TRIGGER WARNING:****
Here’s an old photo. This is the result of not using a comedone extractor.
Aren’t you all glad I’ve taken photos of absolutely everything? :p The last thing I want to see, is you ending up in my shoes. Acne scars are some of the most difficult things to treat.Ā Cut the BS, save yourself the trouble, and drop 5 to 10 bucks on some professional extractors.
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70% Isopropyl Alcohol
You will need this to sterilize your comedone extractors. The brand doesnāt matter, just make sure itās 70%. No, 99% is not better. To properly sterilize surfaces and tools you need 70%. This has to do with the way microorganisms are killed.
To summarize, higher concentrations of alcohol evaporate more quickly, which donāt allow complete contact with microbial life. Thereās more to it, namely how water works in the solution but you get the point. If you want to read more about why 70% is optimal for sterilization āĀ read this.
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Hydrocolloid Bandages.
After you pop a pimple, you needĀ to put a hydrocolloid bandaid over it (more about this in a bit). Hydrocolloid dressings are bandages used on open wounds to absorb exudate (i.e. the pus-like or clear fluid that oozes out of cuts and pores).
Itās a waterproof gel-like adhesive that prevents blood-clotting, and creates a moist wound healing environment to speed up the recovery of the tissue beneath it. If you want to read more about how they work, go here.
How will this work on acne?
Essentially, itās gonna suck out all the gunk inside a popped pimple, and close up the wound without the possibility of it tearing or opening back up when the bandaid is removed.
Iām warning you now: this is highly addictive. Nothing is quite as satisfying as waking up the next morning after popping a zit and seeing a bandage filled with juicy white pus from your now non-existent pimple. š If you have no idea what this looks like ā check it out!
[Misc] Is there anything more satisfying than waking up to 4 full hydrocolloids? No.
Which hydrocolloid bandages are best?
Iāve had the lovely pleasure of dealing with tons of whiteheads in the past (sarcasm), so I kinda consider myself a connoisseur of hydrocolloid bandages. As you can tell, Iāve tried quite a few brands. Not shown here because I threw boxes away: Nexcare Acne Absorbing Covers, and Dream Dots.
Some work extremely well, others simply donāt. In my quintessential experience (HAHA), the Duoderm Extra Thin Dressings are the best.
They’re medical grade and used on wounds after surgery. They may seem more expensive initially (about $20), but theyāre the best bang for you buck considering how many of them you get
Avoid buying Nexcare Acne Absorbing Covers, Dream Dots, and [Cosrx] Acne Pimple Master Patches. They work fine but are the same thing as Duoderm just cut up into tiny circles, and overpriced for how much product you actually receive.
The Walgreens brand use to be my holy grail, but theyāve recently changed and a took a dip in quality for the worse. We should all start a movement and protest⦠maybe theyāll restock the original kind.
I digress. The CVS brand is a close second to Duoderm bandages IMO.
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Sterile Single-Use Lancets.
The reason we use these is threefold:
1. LOOK HOW SMALL THE NEEDLE IS!
I’m not even sure you can see it in the photo that well, but trust me it’s super thin ā even smaller than pores! This will ensure we do absolutely no damage to the skin when we GENTLY stab the pimple.
2. For sanitary reasons.Ā I donāt have to explain to you why using the same needle over and over again is a bad idea. The last thing we want is to poke our pimple with a microbially-infested sewing needle. Single-use diabetic lancet needles are sterile and safe.
3. Itās important to minimize as much pressure possible when pressing against a pimple during extraction. (That alliteration though.) Lancing it beforehand with a tiny needle relieves the blockage and gives room for the āplugā to exit more freely. Again: make sure you do this as gently as possible!
UPDATE: Several people have asked which ones I use.Ā Here ya go.Ā
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Aquaphor or Vaseline.
This will be used for aftercare. More about this in a bit.
When to Pop A Pimple.
WHITEHEADS ONLY. Don’t you dare do it otherwise. If the pimple hasnāt come to a head yet, leave it alone. You can do some things to speed this process up, for example warm compresses or chemical exfoliants.
THE PIMPLE POPPING PROCEDURE!!!
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Step 1:
Disinfect your comedone extractor by letting it sit in 70% isopropyl alcohol for approximately 5-10 minutes. (1)
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Step 2:
Cut out your hydrocolloid bandage to the approximate size of the pimple you will be placing it over.
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Step 3:
Make sure your face is throughly cleansed.
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Step 4:
Go to a mirror and lance the pimple gently with a single-use lancet needle.
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Step 5:
Now using your comedone extractor press down GENTLY against the pimple you just lancedā¦. AND POP! The entire “plug” should have come out at this point. It should look like a little grain of rice. If it didnāt, you did something wrong. Nowās the time to start panicking.
Just kidding⦠sort of. If you find yourself in this position: LEAVE IT ALONE. In most cases, it will do you no good to continue trying to extract it at this point. Accept your losses, and live to see another day.
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Step 6:
Wipe down the area with a q-tip, preferably with saline solution.
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Step 7:
Place your hydrocolloid bandaid over the popped pimple, and leave it alone for a minimum of 8-12 hours. You can leave hydrocolloid dressings on up to a couple of days if you want, but most people would rather not go to work or school with a pus-filled bandaid on their face.
If youāre the kind of person who wouldn’t care, more power to yuh. *Cyber high-five*
If you have plans during the day itās a good idea to do this whole procedure at night so you can simply remove the bandaid in the morning.
And thatās it! Youāve made it! Hurray! Congratulations, you now have a new juicy pus-filled bandage as a souvenir. Take a photo, frame it, and show all your friends!
Aftercare.
Hydrocolloid bandages do a good job of creating a moist wound healing environment that speeds up recovery time. Itās important to recreate these conditions once the bandaid has been removed to reduce any chance of scarring, PIE (post inflammatory erythema), or PIH (post inflammatory hyperpigmentation). Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline), Ā Aquaphor, or Cerave Healing Ointment are you best friends for this.
Both contain a high amount of Petrolatum, which is the most powerful occlusive in the world, capable of preventing up to 98% of transepidermal water loss and accelerating barrier recovery. (2,Ā 3)
Aquaphor has the added benefit of containing lanolin alcohol, another healing agent.Ā Contrary to popular belief, Vaseline (Petroleum Jelly) is non-comedogenic. I will be doing a whole post about this soon.
If the wound hasnāt closed or completely healed yet and you want to apply makeup, use a Liquid Bandaid. This provides an even surface for makeup application while also protecting and covering up the wound. Make sure to cleanse the area before applying it, as hydrocolloids can leave behind some sticky residue.
Dermatillomania (Excoriation Disorder).
This is a very serious subject matter and bares mentioning.Ā Dermatillomania is a compulsive skin-picking disorder that can cause severe emotional distress. If you suspect you have a picking problem, please please get help. Talk to a medical professional, or at the very least join a support group. This is a really good place to start.
Thanks for reading! Have a great day.
Don’t let your friends pop their pimples! Share this! š®
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Hi! First off, this is such an amazing and helpful guide! Thank you for sharing!!
Can you give advice on my situation please? I don’t struggle a ton with acne but I have super clogged skin. Recently, with the help of a BHA, my deep-seated clogs have been surfacing. I’ve been doing the whole wait until a whitehead forms and lance it and use a comedone extractor, but the clog, still stuck inside the pore (I guess a little different than your plug?) will refuse to come out. If I wait longer, another whitehead will form but the same thing. The only way the clog will come out is if I use enough force to make the pore bleed, which is clearly not a good thing at all. (I’ve been guilty of doing this a couple times and the result is a permanently stretched out pote) Any advice for either getting the clog out or dealing with the resulant enlarged pores ?
Thanks for this blog, I never knew that hydrocolloid dressings are so beneficial.
What gauge lancet do you use?
i wanna cry!!
Im a popper and have asked derms and estheticians how to do this and have given my self so much scarring. Thank you thank you thank you!
I proudly rock my hydrocolloids to work! I do buy the cosRX because I like them best for wearing in public; I keep a pack in my purse and when one fills up and turns white I remove it and slap a new one on until I wash at night. It helps me not pick during the day and they aren’t that noticeable on my fair skin
Ok, so I am 61 and my forehead has some small bumps under the skin that are hard and do not come to a head.
Your How To states NOT to use this method unless they come to a head. I thought they were a “closed comedone” but am confused.
Do I poke them, try to extract using the tool or not? Thanks for your assistance.
Hi, this is very informative for my occasional “I can’t stand and I need to pop” self, thanks before. I do have question tho, for the “I am patient enough to wait for this zit to go away” self, what do you recommend to dry out the whiteheads? Thanks!
thank you for this amazing article! I have slowly been going through all your posts and wish I had found them sooner. until I read this I didn’t know there was a word/disorder for it but I have been unable to see a pimple and not pop it since I’ve been about 14 (now 28 -.-) I can literally stand in front of a mirror for half an hour going over my face and consequently have to stay in because of how i’ve irritated it. I’ve also definitely been guilty of using that “microbially-infested sewing needle” lol. your disappointed father/friend comment was amusing and spot on, I felt obligated to comment and promise that I will use your above-mentioned tips form now on š
This is such a great article. I struggle with the popping addiction, but I haven’t got any of these supplies, so you can only imagine how bad the scaring is. One problem that bothers me is the presence of milia near my eyes and the bridge of my nose. Do these popping tips apply for those too? Or should I not touch them?
Hello, I just wanted to share with everyone some tips that I followed from this website.
1) I stopped using chemical/physical exfoliators for the time being until my acne heals.
2) I use differin almost everyday, and rosehip oil as an alternative when my skin needs a break.
3) When I have a new pimple I use benzoyl peroxide and let it dry out during the day underneath makeup so the whitehead appears faster.
4) I unfortunately was too aggressive with a comedone extractor because I usually have cystic acne and if I don’t get everything out it never leaves my face!!
5) MOST IMPORTANTLY, I tried niacinamide and didn’t see great results, so I tried Vaseline and that worked better! But you must moisturize beforehand.
Hi! Does this work with blackheads? I just want them gone so bad please š
Once again , another great and helpful post . Do you have a good spot treatment you’d recommend to keep a zit from fully forming ? I have 2 working their way to the surface. One is on my chin . I can tell there is puss under the surface . I’d prefer to nip it in the bud . I have fair skin and my spots stick around forever . I put some Curology w Climdamycin, Epiduo , and calamine on it before bed . Helped a bit . I haven’t had a true zit like these in three years . Thanks for any suggestions ?
Haha ! Thanks for your advice . I immediately babied my face , continued the Epiduo , and Doug disappeared . You’re right tho . He’s waiting to come out . I’ll go back to the BHA , BUT once a week , then twice a week …etc . HAHA that thing about a baby glued to your face is funny ! Like when Peter Griffin taped Brian to his face cuz he’d lost is mustache in a fire ????? . Thank you so much ????
Wow. Amazeballz. The link to why to use 70% alcohol is broken, can you please update?
Thank you! I was wondering whether you would recommend doing this before or after a skincare routine. I don’t want to apply the hydrocolloid before skincare or go thru my skincare routine with an open wound, but I also don’t want to risk acne bacteria spreading across the face of I extract after skincare.
Hey! I have one question! after 3 months of cyst free life, I had one week where I couldn’t use actives and got two cysts, one had developed a head and the other looks like a nodule or cyst without head š
I tried following this method with the one cyst that developed a head but when I lanced it, it was just blood :/ and some yellow liquid, I panicked and put on a hydrocolloid. Now it’s slightly less inflamed but it’s still there. So what should I do? lance it again or leave it alone? š help me please š
Hiii! Thank you so much for creating this blog <3 I just wish that I read your blog earlier… I broke out a year ago because of cleansing oil. Thank God, most of them are gone for good now but still leave me with PIH and a dormant acne on my cheek I don't know how to deal with. It's painless and I just know it's there when touching it. I've been using BHA 2% and AHA 10% for 4 months and switched to Paula choice BHA 9 recently but nothing happened. So I saw estheticians few days ago in hope of getting rid of the dormant acne, they tried to squeeze it but it didn't come out because it's too tough and deep. Then they recommended me to have microneedling to soften the acne, so they might pop it later. The worst scenario is that I need to visit doctor for injection. Now I really don't know what to do. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you!v
Hello, thank you so so so much for your informative blog. Please keep writing, we need you. š
Anyway, iām wondering, can you pop extract malasezzia? Is that possible? Thank you in advance.
Just found your site and have to say it’s the best thing I’ve found in weeks! I seriously wish I had this when I was battling high school acne. Thank you for all the posts with research and hard work – it’s really well presented and clear (and hilarious at times). My highest compliments on a job well done.
So is lanolin good or bad, in terms of choosing a patroleum based product to put on top of my moisturizer at night?