Pimples can really be frustrating. They can also dent one’s self-confidence, leaving them conscious of their look and feeling unattractive. While it may be tempting to try to remove a pimple yourself, you should think twice as you might end up spreading the bacteria to other pores, creating more problems for your skin.
Compiled are five reasons shared by dermatologist Alison Moseley of West Lake Dermatology on why you should never pop your pimples.
Additional pimples
The most common negative effect of popping a pimple is the development of even more pimples. This happens when excess oil builds up, clogging your pores and therefore creating pimples. Acne bacteria leak out of the pustule and become reabsorbed back into the pores.
Infection
When you pop a pimple, you actually create a wound (tear) in the skin. The lesion is a perfect means for bacteria to cause infection. Worse, infection-causing bacteria can live almost anywhere, so you may be at risk no matter how clean your fingers are.
Scabbing
As the resulting skin wound heals, a scab naturally forms. At this point, you may begin to realise that scabs are extremely hard to camouflage with makeup. You may be even tempted to pick off the scab, resulting in even more damage to the skin.
Inflammation
Pimple popping can result in increased inflammation or irritation for two reasons. First, the physical pressing and pulling motions needed to pop a pimple often cause more inflammation in the area. Second, subsequent puss from a popped pimple is often driven deep into the skin leading to more redness and swelling.
Acne scars
Chronic pimple popping can increase your odds of developing permanent acne scars. Instead of properly healing over time, the picking and squeezing of your acne further irritate the acne lesion. In an attempt to heal itself, the skin will often produce more collagen at the site which leads to scar contraction (a sunken acne scar).
Also see: Lifestyle habits to adopt when dealing with acne prone skin
