I’m a skin doctor – here’s why you should NEVER pop a spot
WHEN you spot a pimple, chances are you get the uncontrollable urge to pop it.
But far from quick relief, you’ll often be left with an inflamed crater that looks much worse than before.
Dr Raj Arora – a GP and skin doctor – has taken to TikTok to urge wannabe spot poppers to suppress the urge and step away from the pimples.
“It’s really tempting to pop or squeeze a pimple when it’s right there on the skin surface,” she said in a recently posted clip.
But giving into the temptation could be doing your skin a lot more harm than good, she warned.
“Popping your pimple won’t necessarily get rid of the problem and actually might push pus and bacteria deeper into the skin,” Dr Raj explained.
“This can result in more swelling and redness, which actually makes the pimple more visible,” she went on.
Popping your zits can also land you with scabs, redness, scarring and hyper-pigmentation that according to Dr Raj can take months to go away.
Some scarring – called pitted scarring – can even become permanent, the skin doctor added.
If all you desire is your pimple to disappear, squeezing is not the way to go – but there are things you can do to treat it.
Dr Raj first suggested you apply 5 per cent benzoyl peroxide gels or creams, which can help dry the offending spot out an reduce its appearance.
You can grab a tube of Acnecide 5% Gel Benzoyl Peroxide for £6.59 at Chemist4U or £9.99 at Boots.
You could also go for creams, toners or washes with salicylic acid to help unclog pores and get rid of acne.
She suggested using the INKEY LIST salicylic acid cleanser – £11.99 at Boots – or the more pricey option of Paula’s Choice BHA Liquid Exfoliant, which goes for £29.75 on Amazon.
“If you have a lot of breakouts and pimples that are pus filled and you’re tempted to pop, do go and see your GP or skin doctor and they can give you a treatment plan to help get on top of your acne,” Dr Raj said.
Consultant dermatologist Dr Justine Kluk has previously said that certain foods like refined carbohydrates, sugar and dairy could be making your acne worse.
Veronica Long, an aesthetic practitioner at OMNI Wellness, told Sun Health what the location of that pesky spot on your face can tell you about your health.