How dangerous can popping my pimple be? Here are 6 important questions and answers that could save your skin from severe damage.

 At one point or the other, you might have caught yourself asking questions like;

Is it really bad to pop my pimples? (Most times when you are in the act of popping one)

What type of pimples should I pop? (When there is a severely painful pimple somewhere on your body and you're contemplating popping it)

How can I remedy a bad popped pimple episode? (After the deed of pimple popping has been done and you then realize that you should have let the pimple be)

Do I have acne scars because I popped my pimple? (You have become so good at popping pimples but you still want a clear scar free skin, so you are rethinking your actions)

I have tried everything; will I ever get a face free from pimples? (You are at the verge of giving up on any face/skin regimen, perhaps because you have spent a fortune and you haven't been getting the results you desire)

How can I stop popping my pimples? My hands won't stay away from my face! (You have come to terms that you need help or you might suffer from some form of skincare issue as a result of always popping your pimples)

Guilty or Not, getting the right answers to these questions could really help in saving you from a lot of skincare and health issues as well.

In this article, I will help to answer all these questions and suggest ways forward to you, so that you can have the flawless skin you desire.

In my experience as a skin therapist, I have had lots of clients ask the above questions and if they are asking, you also might be asking the same questions. The skin is the largest and most exposed organ of the body so you will agree with me that the skin ought to be properly taken care of and any wrong skincare act/decision could completely alter the way you look, your personality, the way people see you and describe you, your level of self-esteem and confidence finally, your overall well-being.

Before I go on, let's first look at the possible reasons (not exhaustively) that you might want to give for popping your pimple;

- It came a day before my big day

- It came at a wrong time

- I hate having anything that sticks out on my face

- My hands are always on my face so i pick my pimples even without knowing

- It was really painful and was disturbing me and so on...

Hmm! I can feel a smile trying to escape your lips.

Alright, that been said, let's dive into the first question;

Is it really bad to pop my pimples?

Popping a pimple for some people could be relaxing, fun, a habit or could even be done as a romantic gesture. Oh yes! I said it, can you relate to that statement? Well, whatever reasons you may have for popping a pimple; it doesn't change the implication of the action on your skin.

Reasons why you shouldn’t pop your pimple

 As tempting as it might be, you should know that when you pop or squeeze a pimple, you do not get rid of the problem (the reason you had the pimple in the first place) and you might want to think twice before popping the next pimples that surfaces on your skin for the following reasons;

- There are different types of pimples and not all should be popped at all except it is done by a professional (your doctor, dermatologist or skin therapist).

- When you pop a pimple, you give room for bacteria to find its way deeper into your skin which could cause much more harm to you.

Where do these bacteria come from?

They come from your hands, your face and the pimple itself. Have you ever wondered why that pimple turned into a boil, why that pimple turned into a wound, why you have a swelling after popping a pimple or why your face hurts so much that it could even affect your staying focused?

- Popping a pimple could also lead to having scars or/and pits on your skin.

- You could pop a pimple that is in your "danger triangle" and end up having some kind of bacterial infection that could lead to other serious issues. Read more on danger triangle here.

How to best treat a pimple on any part of your skin

The best way to treat a pimple is not to touch it at all and let it complete its cycle. It will dry off and most likely not leave any scar on your skin, but this might be impossible for some, I mean, resisting the temptation of popping a pimple could be like surviving without air right?

Here are some tips on how to properly pop, pick, pluck, prod, squeeze a pimple, zit or acne.

- Go to a professional for help (your doctor, dermatologist or skin therapist) because they would better understand how to treat the pimple.

- Apply any cream or product made with natural ingredients and extract that contain benzyl peroxide. If you apply such a product on the affected area, it will act by drying the area and killing the acne causing bacteria. This way, you wouldn’t need to bother about having the acne over again. The recommended use is 5% benzyl peroxide, if you react badly to the treatment; please consult your doctor or skincare professional.

If you must pop the pimple yourself;

- Wait till the pimple has a white, yellow or black head (the pustule is much more at the skin's surface at this point) before you pop it, this way, you can minimize the risk of having a scar or even an infection.

- Wash the affected part of your skin and your hands with soap properly; you can go a little extra by using an alcohol based sanitizer to clean your hands (to avoid bacterial infection) before popping the pimple with a sterilized recommended object (lancet, needle etc)

Now, before you get all excited about picking the next pimples that surface on your skin, you should know that you cannot pop every type of pimple. This takes us to the second question;

What type of pimples should I pop?

Imagine having a wedding, party, interview, meeting or a really important big day and then a day before, a pimple, out of the blues, appears on your face or some part of your skin and it didn't stop there, it made itself very visible. You tell yourself that you just have to pop it, you then go ahead to pop it, but unfortunately, the popped pimple turned into a boil perhaps because of an infection or because you popped a pimple in the "triangle of death" region, or because you popped the type of pimple that shouldn't be popped.

Wow, a lot of words with "popped", how about I use the word "pick" moving forward?

Pimples, acnes or zits vary in size and in the way they look, knowing the type of pimple that you have, makes treating it easier, you will also have a better judgement on what type to pick (if you must) and what type to leave be.

Keep reading to learn more about the different types of acne, what they look like and how to treat them. Also, you will find a little gallery of different acne images at the end of this post

LEARN MORE

 Avoid telling stories that touch every time someone asks you "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?" See the type of pimple you can pop here with images. Also learn how to effectively clear scars and pits that may have surfaced on your skin in this article here

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