I have a love/hate relationship with extracting or picking at pimples. Sometimes popping a pimple will make it scab over but heal faster, while other times squeezing and popping just makes it even bigger and redder. After years of picking, here's some advice: DON'T DO IT!

Really resist it if you can...Avoid all mirrors... Don't touch your face...Clench your fists and count backwards from ten... Do whatever you can to not pick because picking can cause even more pimples and possible scarring. However, I know it's hard to resist, especially the ones that are just screaming to be popped, so here are some simple rules/tips to help you properly pop a pimple:

1)     Buy a pimple extractor (check Ulta, Sephora..) These tools have a needle point on one end (used for pricking open pimples) and a loop on the other (used for pressing down on pricked or open pimples to squeeze out the gunk).

 

2)     Disinfect the extractor with some rubbing alcohol and be sure to wash your face and hands before proceeding with any extractions.

 

3)     It's best to do extractions after you've washed/steamed (be careful not to get too close to the steam or you'll risk broken capillaries!) so the gunk inside is softened and more ready to be squeezed out.

 

4)     ONLY attempt to pop pimples with a big, white or yellow-ish head. Don't even think about trying to extract ones without a head because you will only make it grow bigger and cause other pimples to pop up around the surrounding area.

 

5)   So, using the extractor, prick the tip of the pimple if necessary (you can also use a lancet), then put the loop part over the pimple and press down. If the pimple is ready to come out, the gunk should be squeezed out quite easily. You want to make sure to get it all out (a more solid part, the root or "mother seed", should be extracted to make sure the pimple doesn't come back the next day).

 

 

 

 

        Sometimes using the extractor doesn't get all the gunk out, so I find that wrapping my index fingers in tissue and squeezing/pressing both sides of the pimple make for a clean extraction. Oh and the clear liquid that comes out? That's lymph fluid.

 

6)    I like to use a q-tip to disinfect newly popped pimples with some rubbing alcohol (beware, it'll sting!) Then I dab popped pimples with some polysporin and cover with some DuoDerm Synthetic Skin (a bandaid will suffice). This helps it heal faster and prevents scarring. 

Needless to say, I advise against the above procedure because it can cause lots of unwanted scarring! So resist if you can! However, my derm tells me that sometimes popping pimples truly helps them to go away faster, but ONLY those that are ripe and ready to be popped! I also find that aestheticians and derms do a much better job extracting....so you can consider going to them for help.

One last thing, do not attempt to pop a cyst (those gigantic, under the skin pimples that hurt). Cysts are really deep in the skin and trying to pop one will cause nothing but pain and an even angrier cyst. The best thing to do is to either hit it with some kind of spot treatment every hour or to put a warm compress on it to bring it to a head faster. Another option is to get a cortisone shot from a derm, which however, could result in indentation.

Anyway, let your pimples run their coarse and try to keep your hands away from your face at all times!