Question: What is the best spot treatment for a pimple?
Answer:
This question is asked a lot and the reason why it’s always asked is because no one really knows the answer. Everyone’s skin is individual and an acne spot treatment that works for one person may or may not work for another.
In general, the best way to spot treat a pimple is to:
- Apply a warm compress on it several times a day. This emulsifies the sebum beneath your skin and reduces swelling, bringing the pimple to a head faster. To bring the pimple to a head faster, you can also try a salt water compress.
- Apply a treatment product, such as retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, etc. several times a day to dry up the pimple or exfoliate the surface of your skin to help push the plug out faster.
- Cover it up. Sometimes covering up the pimple after you’ve applied a spot treatment can enhance its effects. I like to put a small band-aid or piece of DuoDerm synthetic skin dressing over any pimples to speed up its healing. It also helps to cover up zits because it reduces the temptation to pop the pimples.
- Leave it alone. Usually, the best thing you can do is to just let a pimple run its course. A lot of the spot treatments that try to make a pimple go away faster end up causing extra irritation or end up making the pimple linger around even longer.
Consult the acne treatments section for more information about treatment options.
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