How to treat a pimple once it has erupted ?

[newprincesita]

There are threads devoted to acne, but here I propose to give advice on the ideal way to deal with ugly zits.


Once prevention has failed, and you cannot get an appointment with your dermatologist because the zit is here and now.... This is the scenario: Big zit, ugly, the kind of zits that make your area feverish and swollen, the kind of infectious zit that makes you wanna hide under a matress and wait for better times...


My questions are:

What do you do to let the ugly stuff trapped inside come out?

What do you do once the zit has popped? Do you cover it with concealer? Or do you just let it be? In that case how can you conceal it?

Are hot compresses good for zits (they make the zit mature), or is it better to put ice on them (to calm the growing infection?

I know the subject is kinda gross, but hey...it happens to a lot of people (like me) quite often.

 

[Eurasian Mélange]

My advice probably won't be the best, but I'll try!

What do you do to let the ugly stuff trapped inside come out?

When I get one of those huge, ugly, extremely painful spots I do get all the gross pus out of it. This is mainly because of how painful it is, but its size can also mean if I don't pop it I will eventually rip it off by accident (for example, when I brush hair out of my face I can catch it on my nail) with disastrous results. What I do is, instead of squeezing it, I make sure the area around the spot and my fingers are dry, place a finger either side and stretch the skin. This helps if you've showered or steamed your face beforehand as that opens the pores. It usually pops out very easily. Sometimes it can bleed, but I have rarely gotten scarring from this method (when I've needed to use it). If you have to squeeze because it is stubborn do not use your nails! Either try to pinch the skin with your fingers or press cotton wool buds/Q-tips either side of it to get the pus out.

What do you do once the zit has popped? Do you cover it with concealer? Or do you just let it be? In that case how can you conceal it?

When I had 10% benzoyl peroxide spot cream I would put some of that on. I would not use concealer as that may only serve to block that pore again and cause another spot.

Are hot compresses good for zits (they make the zit mature), or is it better to put ice on them (to calm the growing infection?

If you're sure you've got everything out of the pore, put ice on it as cold helps the pore to close and there is less chance of it becoming blocked and infected again.

 

[newprincesita]

My advice probably won't be the best, but I'll try!

Karma Eurasian!

Thanks a lot...I learnt some great things, for instance the pulling instead of the pinching...great tip!

Keep them coming.

 

[Suburban Snob]

You can try to put Neosporin on a broken pimple, it can prevent more bacteria and possibly help prevent scarring on your face.

 

[lalabelle]

I just tried something new the other day with one of these big nasties. Once it was poped I was dreading the week of healing so I put Elocon creme on it and 8 hours later, it was much better and so I did it again before bed. Im telling you in the morning it was so unnoticeable that I covered it with a bit of powder and the following morning it was totally gone. Elocon is a prescription I have for exzema and its a steriod creme and cause it heals my exzema so fast I though why not. Its pretty easy to get topical treatments prescibed, I just go in and say "I have exzema, please give me Elocon".....it's called Elocom in Canada and the US though. Too bad I discovered this at 25, Ive had zits and exzema for years!

 

[Guessgirl96]

I pop mine and just cover it with retin-a before bed or makeup in the morning. heat is good before you pop it and cold it good after. For ones that wont pop or take forever you can go to the dermo and get a shot, it goes away completely the next day.

 

[wishing.s22]

what do you mean get a shot?!

 

[Batgeline]

^Cortisone shots.

Cortisone is useful in suppressing inflammation in the short term, and in the long term, dissolving scar tissue, stabilizing the body's defenses, speeding the healing process, and is very effective in causing certain cysts to disappear.

 

[eleria]

I agree with the Neosporin comment!

 

[daniellat]

I once read you should put toothpaste, bc the ingredients make the zit heals faster. i always do it before i go to sleep, pop that thing, wash and then put tooth paste on in, it hurts for a bit but then i fall asleeep and wash it by morning. its not a magic wand but it sure works for me. But most important is tat i dont pop it with my fingers, i use two qtips so i wont leave a mark and press from different angles, i think thats the best tip

 

[brokenenglish]

^ I have always heard conflicting info about toothpaste on zits.
A friend of mine who studied skin care says it's a big no no.

 

[Guessgirl96]

All toothpaste does it dry it out. It's ok if you dont get it on any surrounding skin but it's better to just dab on acne cream.

 

[Mchunu]

using alcohol can stop irritation,however, IMO leaving a pimple completely alone is a great way to deal with it. i know it's not treating it, but the more you fiddle with the pimple, the heavier & more permanent the blemish can be afterwards

& blemishes, IMO, are worse than actual pimples.

 

[brokenenglish]

^ I agree about leaving it be.
I have the bad habit of picking my pimples and it always makes them look 10xs worse and stay even longer.
It's much better when I just dab a little zit cream on it and leave it be.

 

[Mchunu]

yes. we must remember the more you fiddle with it, the darker the blemish will get. I guess b/c my skin doesn't blemish, it's better. When i get a pimple & leave it completely alone, it actually just vaporizes, leaving no mark. i have noticed it it's one i continually scratch & the more i scratch it, the darker the mark becomes after it leaves. this is even with misquito bites, etc.

 

[Fabulyss]

^Cortisone shots.

Cortisone is useful in suppressing inflammation in the short term, and in the long term, dissolving scar tissue, stabilizing the body's defenses, speeding the healing process, and is very effective in causing certain cysts to disappear.

By the same logic could you then just apply a hydro-cortisone creme topically at home?

 

[satin chic]

By the same logic could you then just apply a hydro-cortisone creme topically at home?

I used to do that before I 'discovered' benzoyl peroxide and it seemed to work pretty well.

 

[Fabulyss]

^I better try that, thanks so much!!

I agree that an antibacterial gel could work as well (such as Neosporin) since it helps heal cuts - and that is essentially what a squeezed zit is.

 

[brokenenglish]

^ Exactly. Everytime I pick a zit it turns into an ugly scabbie.