Should I "Pop" My Pimples?
Picking your skin often leads to an even bigger problem than the original spot. But we get that you don't want to walk around with a massive pimple with a head on your face! So, what should you do? We will tell you that and also let you know the worst ways to pick your skin so you can avoid making a big mistake.
What type of pimples are the safest to "pop" myself?
If you have a raised pimple with a white or yellowish center, while we don't wholly forbid you to touch it, we don't encourage it either. Instead, we’d prefer you come in to see us for a 15-minute complimentary consultation appointment in between your regularly scheduled appointments so that we can expertly take care of untimely pimples for you.
As you know, we don't recommend that you pop, squeeze, or pick cystic lesions, but we will allow a little bit of wiggle room for *those of you who can be trusted* to perform an at-home extraction of whiteheads, papules, or pustules. By now, you know who you are. If you cannot be trusted to be conservative and know when to stop, please discontinue reading this blog now and read this one instead.
How can you safely "extract" a pimple that is ready?
It's important to realize we are not giving you clearance to pick your skin. Regular treatments, professional extractions, and excellent homecare are always the keys to smooth skin. (Learn more about why we extract here.) However, a juicy white head is ripe and ready for you to release the impaction inside safely. Do not try too early! You will only push the pimple's seed further down into the skin and cause a worse situation.
***And a big and final disclaimer: Do not try this at home if you’re not comfortable, have a history of uncontrollable picking, or the pimple is not a simple one that’s ripe and ready.*** But, for the rest of you eager to get that juicy pimple off your face and on its way to safe healing – here’s what to do:
Start by cleansing your skin and hands, then disinfect a small needle with alcohol. Shallowly prick the whitehead directly in the center; you shouldn't feel anything – there is no live tissue or nerves there. This step will make removing the pore's contents easy without "popping" it and unnecessarily using that may disrupt your skin's tissue.
Now, wrap your fingers with dampened paper towels; this will help keep you from friction burn and fingernail imprints. If your pimple is ready (which should be easy to tell because a whitehead is sticking out), you will require little to no pressure. Spread your fingers a little outside of the pimple and then work to manipulate the skin around the lesion very gently by pressing inward.
Do this no more than three times maximum – and know that you're not "squeezing" the pimple; you're just pressing the skin around the pimple. Wipe the puss away, then apply ice, blue LED if you have it, and Sulfur Spot Treatment.
Don't be fooled by whitehead look-alikes.
Do not try to "pop" acne arrest; these are whiteheads underneath the skin that you often have to stretch the skin to see. And do not try to pop milia; those are tiny pinpoint lesions that look like whiteheads but are keratin that's built up underneath the skin and needs to be extracted by a professional. Milia are usually around the eyes and sometimes around the mouth. If you don't know what it is, don't touch it. And again, if you have tried three times to pop your pimple without success, it's time to ice, apply LED, spot treat, and move on.
Avoid these common picking tools that can cause scarring.
Comedone extractors give people a false sense of security because it's a "professional tool." Our hot take is we don't even like them. They hurt and can leave marks where the metal presses into your skin. We understand that different aestheticians have their own methods. However, you should never try this if you are not an aesthetician.
Everyone tends to go way too hard on their own skin, and all that pressure will potentially leave redness and even bruising. You shouldn't be self-extracting anything that requires intricate tools. Plus, we doubt these are getting professionally cleaned!
Fingernails harbor bacteria and leave indentations. Fingernails are the most likely to cause ice pick scarring. Those nails will hack up the skin, and getting that collagen back is hard. Whether you have short or long nails, you shouldn't pick. But if you have a picking disorder that you are working through, the very first step is to cut those fingernails no less than twice a week. Bye-bye acrylics. The good news is you can put that money towards professional extractions.
Magnifying mirrors are finally dying out, and we couldn't be happier. No one needs to see their skin that close. Everyone has pores, and almost no one has completely uniform skin. We aestheticians don't even use them. If you go digging for gold in your poor pores, you will only be left with lots of red marks, and that inflammation you cause in your skin actually creates rebound acne.
Tweezers are meant for errant hairs and splinters, not for picking at your skin or pimples. They’re dirty, too sharp, and not the right instrument for this kind of work. Often ,clients try to pull one piece of flaking skin, but mistakenly find out that piece of dead skin is still attached and end up creating a raw spot that needs to heal.