How to Get Rid of a Pimple
Come on, we did it all.
When you look in the mirror at a pimple on your chin that feels like a conjoined twin, it’s tempting to pinch the suction cup until only a faint battle scar remains, but it’s never that easy. Think about blood! Pus! And worst of all, another pimple comes to his rescue, and now you are back in a terrible cycle.
Is there a safe way to get rid of acne? While there are no guarantees in life, especially when it comes to acne removal, there are several ways to help you deal with it as best you can. Here are all the tips you will need to finally get rid of the pimple that is looking at you in the mirror.
Find out if it’s really worth stopping by
First, you should be aware that pimples are rarely, if ever, recommended by a dermatologist.
“In fact, we never want you to get a pimple, it doesn’t really matter from the point of view of dermatologists,” dermatologist Ranella Hirsch said by phone. “The risk of infection becomes significant and this is usually the biggest reason not to.”
Among other things, you also run the risk of a number of other unwanted side effects, such as increased inflammation or permanent scarring of the skin, she added.
But if you absolutely must (and if you stumbled upon this article, you are clearly interested), you should also know that not all acne is created equal.
Some acne forms the familiar white or yellow bump. This is a type of pimple that is easier to burst as it sits on the surface of the skin. However, cystic acne is the kind that you never want to appear from, as it sits deep in your skin. It is usually larger, more painful, and also more prone to scarring, and will not help clicking it.
“Often times nothing comes out and people just keep squeezing and trying to get something. You really don’t want to do this, ”Hirsch said.
She added that if your skin has an open wound or infection, it is best not to open it, as this usually indicates more serious health problems that you should address beforehand (see your doctor!).
Prepare a pimple
So, you do it – good luck! You will need a couple of tools. First, Hirsch recommends sterilizing the pimple and the surrounding area with rubbing alcohol (such as an alcohol wipe, which you can find in your medicine cabinet). “You really want to get rid of any bacteria that you’re about to bring in by popping a pimple,” she said.
Then decide on your plan of attack. While you can use your nails, Hirsch recommended gauze to cover them so that you don’t spread bacteria (experience has been that some websites may also recommend cotton swabs, but they are too dirty for you to control).
“There are also extraction tools that you can buy from places like Sephora or Ulta, [which are] better because you get even pressure around what you are trying to extract,” she said.
These instruments are more like needles and tend to be slightly more precise than your fingers (and you want to be precise).
Take it and use a topical corticosteroid
Oh my god, you do it.
Now that you’ve used rubbing alcohol, leave it on standby. According to Hirsch, no matter what tool you have at your disposal, you need to press on the pimple at an angle of about 90 degrees (as if you were attacking the pimple from the sides. Maybe he won’t see?)
Continue pushing until you have removed all of the white material from your head, and when it is gone, sterilize the area again with rubbing alcohol – you don’t want a new pimple to reappear. Apply a topical corticosteroid or acne treatment to it and keep the area clean (which means you don’t have to fiddle with it after you’ve done this).
If after enough effort nothing comes out, stop! You have gone too far! Your pimple may be a cyst, and there is no point in doing anything about it other than taking acne medications or seeing your doctor. It should be easy to pop a pimple, and if it takes more effort than necessary, you are likely to do more harm – and who needs it?
Go to the doctor
So you’ve decided to see your doctor instead. According to Hirsch, this is a safer choice. “If it’s really sore, hot, or bothersome, we would prefer you to come to us so we can do it under sterile conditions,” she said.
At the dermatologist’s office, you can often get a corticosteroid injection into the pimple itself (this can also help resolve the problem of a deeper cyst). It only takes a few seconds and the pimple will swell significantly within 24 hours.
This is due to the warning that the injections are often much more expensive than your usual acne treatment, and using too many corticosteroid injections can lead to pits or gradual dents. But if you are desperate and tomorrow there is a big wedding or some other important event, it doesn’t hurt to try it once (just don’t make it a habit).