That's Disgusting: Popping your pimples

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Nothing ruins the day like waking up to find a huge nasty zit on your chin. Your fingers may be itching to pop it, but experts say you ought to keep your hands off.

Those day-ruining pimples form when your body’s naturally produced oils combine with dirt from the outside environment, clogging a pore. When this happens bacteria attack the goop inside the pore, which creates that unattractive red bump, says Soony Hall, certified physician assistant at the Wichita Clinic office for dermatology. Even though it’s tempting to give that zit a squeeze, it can actually make your acne worse. The bacteria oozing from the infected pore can spread and clog other pores, leading to more yucky blemishes.

Popping your pimples can also expose you to outside germs and lead to infections, says Kathy Tompkins, licensed practical nurse at American Dermatology Associates in Shawnee. Opening your skin by force irritates the pore. If you do this often enough it can make pores bigger and eventually cause scarring, she says. Also, because every pore on your face contains a hair follicle, pinching that follicle irritates it, which can lead to an infection.

Photo illustration by Kirsten Hudson

Just let it go: Popping pimples can actually cause clogging in other pores.

The best way to avoid popping your pimples is simply to keep your acne in control by cleansing your face daily, Hall says. “It’s like brushing your teeth, it’s something you have to do every day,” she says.

If you absolutely refuse to leave the house with a whitehead on your face, don’t pick at it. Hall recommends using a comedone extractor. This device, often used during facials, uses a pin to remove the gunk from a pimple without spreading bacteria or abusing the skin.

“You have to be kind to your face because that skin isn’t like any other skin on your body,” Tompkins says.

When it comes to popping pimples, just say no.

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