How to Start Popping Pimples Properly

Popping pimples will generally do more harm than good most of the time, but there is a way to pop pimples that is most effective and that will result in minimal to no damage to the skin at all.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gentle facial cleanser
• Antibacterial soap
• Q-tips or Cotton Balls
• Washcloth
• Towel
• Hand sanitizer
• Acne ointment (such as Benzoyl Peroxide)

1. Wash your hands with antibacterial soap. Anything that will help to get rid of the oil and germs will work.

2. Rub a hand sanitizer into your hands to make them as clean and germ-free as possible.

3. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser. It should be alcohol free and non-comedogenic (meaning that it won't clog pores).

4. Gently pat skin dry with a clean, dry towel.

5. Place either cotton balls, Q-tips or the pads of your fingers on both sides of the pimple and gently squeeze. The only time you really should pop a pimple is when it has a whitehead on it and it looks like it's about to burst. If it doesn't pop, move on to the next step.

6. Run a clean washcloth under very warm water. Don't use scalding hot, but make sure it's about as hot as you can stand. Soak the pimple, making sure to reheat the washcloth whenever it cools. Repeat for about 1 minute. Then try popping the pimple again referring to step 5. If the pimple still doesn't pop, don't try to force it. Simply leave it alone and proceed to step 7.

7. Whether the pimple has popped or not, wash hands again with anti-bacterial soap.

8. Wash face again with gentle facial cleanser.

9. Again, gently pat face dry with a dry, clean towel.

10. Apply an acne gel or treatment such as Benzoyl Peroxide to the pimple itself. This will help to dry out or heal the pimple.

11. Apply an oil-free moisturizer to be sure you don't dry out the skin too much. Moisturizing gels tend to work better than lotions for those who have oily skin.

Tips & Warnings

• Once you've popped the pimple and you start to see blood, stop squeezing.
• If the pimple doesn't pop, leave it alone and try again at a later time.
• The only type of pimple that should be attempted to pop is a whitehead (where you can already see the pus through the skin's surface).
• Don't try popping pimples that are red bumps, all this will probably do is damage the skin.
• Don't use your fingernails to pop pimples, use your fingertips (or the pads of your fingers) so you don't cause damage to your skin.

Resources

• All About Popping Pimples & Blackheads