It’s half past 9 pm and you’re getting ready for bed. You’re finishing up your nighttime skincare routine while simultaneously controlling the urge to pop that gargantuan pimple on your skin. No matter how much you try to ignore it, that sucker is just tempting you to pop it. Despite the little voice in your head telling you to leave it alone, you go against your better judgement and pop it anyway. We’ve all been in this sticky (literally) situation and immediately regretted our decision of popping pimples. It’s true that popping pimples is every dermatologist’s nightmare (besides skipping the SPF), however, there are a few things you can do repair the damage you’ve caused to your skin. If you’ve recently popped a zit, then these 5 tips will help your skin recover ASAP:
1. Keep Your Fingers Away
The number one rule of dealing with pimples is to not touch it with your bare hands. A freshly popped pimple is a breeding ground for bacteria, hence touching it with your fingers can worsen the condition. It’s a horrendous idea to pop pimples, however, if you absolutely must, then the next time you pop them, wrap tissues around your fingertips or squeeze it with two cotton buds.
2. Ice Ice Baby
Use a cube of ice to reduce the swelling and inflammation caused by popping pimples. If the sensation is too intense, then you can wrap the ice cube in a tissue or a clean cotton napkin and apply it to the affected area. Not only does applying ice to your skin reduce inflammation but it also makes your skin more permeable, so that your skin can easily absorb all your skincare products better.
3. Use A Toner
Toners help you cleanse your skin thoroughly and shrinks your pores. Hence, using a gentle alcohol-free toner will clean the affected area and stop the spreading of bacteria. If you’re someone with acne-prone skin then you should add a clarifying toner to your skincare routine, preferably one with glycolic acid.
4. Patch It Up
Pimple patches are God sent and they should definitely be included in your skincare routine if you have acne-prone skin. My personal favourite are The Face Shop Dr.Belmeur Clarifying Spot Patches. They contain two types of patches, one with salicylic acid, to soothe inflammation and one that is a hydrogel patch which is meant to protect open wounds.
5. Use An Antibiotic Ointment
An over the counter antibiotic ointment will help you soothe the open wound that is caused by popping pimples. Take a small bit of the ointment and cover the scab. This will help speed up the healing process and keep the inflamed skin moisturised. However, you should only use this ointment as a spot treatment since it tends to clog pores which can lead to further breakouts.
While these 5 tricks can help repair the damage caused by popping pimples, its best to leave them alone and let them fade away naturally. So in the future stick to an effective skincare routine suitable for acne-prone skin and don’t pop your pimples!
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