We love when our readers and customers ask us their burning skin care and beauty questions! While our advice is never intended to replace the advice or professional opinion of a doctor, we are able to dig through our years of beauty experience to bring you great skin care tips and tricks.
Today’s featured question comes from Adrielle on Facebook. Adrielle asks, “Do those pimple popping tools really help us non-doctors safely?” We love this question because – let’s face it – everyone tries to pop their pimples, and sadly it can cause a lot of damage! Here are our thoughts on safely and effectively dealing with breakouts.
First off, if you’re unfamiliar with the “pimple popping tools” that Adrielle references, check out our post’s photo. You’ll see a small wand with two cup-shaped ends. This is a blackhead extractor. There are similar styles with loops instead of cups that are often used on whiteheads. These tools can be used safely and easily, but there is still a better way to treat acne breakouts that doesn’t require spending money on excess tools.
Rule number one of how to pop a pimple is to…NOT pop it! I know, not what you wanted to hear, right? The truth is, most pimples heal faster and better if you leave them alone. Shatter your magnifying mirror and get lower lighting if you have to; just ignore 99% of your pimples or use a basic clarifying product like our Clarifying Face Toner.
When it comes to that one pimple that you just have to pop (we all know the type) there are some basic skin care tricks you should follow to safely pop the pimple without damaging your skin. These steps should only be used in case of a pimple emergency — we’re talking the painful, inflamed whitehead that is threatening to become sentient.
- Wash your face in a very warm shower, and keep the bathroom door closed. This is to make the room super steamy, which helps the skin to “open up” and become extra supple.
- Dab a very small amount of tea tree oil onto the pimple to help kill surface bacteria.
- Rip a tissue in half (or use toilet paper) and wrap both your index fingers in the paper.
- Place both index fingers on either side of the pimple; not at the head of the pimple, but to the sides of it.
- Gently press your fingertips down and in toward the pimple. If it’s ready, the pimple should pop easily. If the pimple does not pop easily, leave it alone for a day or so! Don’t keep pressing.
- Release the pus but stop before you see blood. Drawing blood means you’re damaging the skin, and it will also cause an unsightly scab!
- Toss the tissue or toilet paper and walk away.
This process is best done at night in order to allow you to leave the newly popped pimple alone. Applying skin care products and makeup over a freshly popped pimple can seriously irritate skin and introduce bacteria into the wound, which can lead to an infection. If you must, you can apply another light layer of tea tree to the area a little while after dealing with the acne breakout. Some people prefer to apply a healing ointment instead to speed the process along.
Hopefully these acne tips will make your next pimple popping process a little easier and more effective. But remember, if you can help it, it’s always best to let the skin heal itself!
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