While it is normally not a good idea to pop a pimple, there are times when it is in a very obvious place, is quite large and gross, and you have important plans that this pimple greatly interferes with. Whether it be a big date, job interview, or the first day of high school, there are some situations that where you are not going to walk out the door with a big white head bursting out the side of your face.
This is when you must learn to get rid of pimples fast, without causing inflammation, spreading oil and bacteria to other areas and definitely without making it look even more obvious. Pop a pimple the wrong way and you could end up with a swollen, bright red, leaking spot that will be just a much of an embarrassment.
Here is how to do it correctly so you limit the chances of getting an even larger breakout.
1. You need to get warm moisture into the pimple so you soften the skin and reduce the scarring that can come from bursting it. The simplest way to do this is hold a warm cloth gently over the pimple until you feel the skin loosen some. The most effective method is to boil water on the stove and hold your face down over the steam as it boils, with a towel over your head to hold the steam in near your face.
2. Take a soft
tissue, cotton ball, or Q-tip and hold it up next to the pimple. Squeeze from the sides as gently as possible until it starts to drain out. Be careful to drain it into the tissue so you do not track bacteria and oil across surrounding areas of skin. There should be a more solid ball or core that comes out as well, or you may have to gently take it out from the center.
3. Do not wipe on the pimple at this point as there will still be bacteria and oil coming from where the pimple was. It is likely to be red, swollen, and may continue to drain or even bleed a little. It is time to gently wash the area with a very mild soap, patting it with a tissue or very soft rag instead of rubbing or wiping over it. Pat it until it is clean and dry.
4. Pressing a cotton ball with alcohol directly onto the site will help to dry it up some and bring down the redness a bit.
You may still wish to apply a water based concealer if you are going into public before it has a chance to reduce swelling and redness, though this is not the best for a newly opened lesion. Avoid oil based cosmetics and products such as cleansers or facial scrubs which contain chemicals, as these can irritate the newly popped pimple.
Learning to get rid of pimples fast can be useful in the long run, but it should be avoided at all costs as it can lead to scars on the face.