Don’t Pop That Zit! Why You Should Never Pop Pimples

A popular fiction among teenagers is that you can solve your acne problems by popping zits. Don’t! We’ll tell you why.

A zit contains dead skin cells, bacteria, and sebum (an oily substance that keeps hair and skin from drying out). When you pop the zit, several unpleasant things can happen:

• Some of the contents of the zit will go down into the hair follicle, which can allow the infection to spread if the follicle wall breaks. In other words,  rather than being a way to get rid of zits fast, popping pimples can actually make your acne worse! You also risk transferring more bacteria from your hands, which can lead to nasty infections.
• If the follicle walls break, the body will attempt to heal the injury; this can lead to scarring. Is it worth getting rid of a simple faster if it means possibly getting a scar on your face?

Aside from regular pimples (which can be popped, although it’s dangerous), people also try to pop other types of acne that are embedded much too deeply in the skin for it to be successful, leading to bruising, bleeding, or scarring. Cysts and nodules, for example, should only be treated by a trained professional.

If you absolutely must ignore this advice and pop your pimples, please follow these guidelines:

• The pimple must be fully developed; you should be able to see some yellowish-white pus just below the surface. Immature pimples cannot be popped successfully.
• Wish your face with warm water; this softens the skin and removes bacteria that could otherwise infect the popped pimple.
• Using a sterilized needle, gently poke the surface of the pimple and pus should leak out; either press gently around the pimple with a cotton pad, or hold a tissue over the pimple to absorb the pus.
• Once the pus has been removed, stop popping! By continuing, you risk damage to your skin.
• Afterwards, clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide to avoid an infection.

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