It's OK to pop a pimple. Once in awhile. If you really have to. It's OK.
We got permission from New York City Dermatologist Debra Jaliman, MD. Dr. Jaliman says, "Sometimes you have to pop a pimple. But you need to do it correctly."
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Here's her three step trick:
1. First, clean it with alcohol.
2. If there's pus at the surface, Dr. Jaliman says you should gently push on it with a comedone extractor using even pressure. A comedone extractor is a stainless steel tool which either has a loop or hole which fits around a blackhead or whitehead which is extracted by using pressure. They're sold at drugstores and beauty supply stores like Sephora.
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3. After popping, apply an antibacterial product (like Neosporin, tea tree oil, bacitracin, etc) or some salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
Once in awhile is one thing, but Dr. Jaliman says popping pimples on a regular basis is a bad idea. "Red spots may appear from chronic inflammation, scars if you dig too deeply into the face, and hyper pigmentation may result. Spreading the bacteria further into the skin and getting an infection are also possible risks."
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Dr. Jaliman is an assistant professor of Dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center, a media spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology and a board certified dermatologist in private practice in NYC. Look for more skin care secrets from Dr. Jaliman in her book Skin Rules.
