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updated November 20, 2009

The SAFE way to pop a pimple (only if you have to)

If you are looking for the safe way to pop a pimple, it's best not to pop a pimple. I'll put that out there first. The best way is to leave it be, wash it regularly, use a good acne treatment, and frankly let nature run its course to some degree. You avoid unnecessary skin damage, and frankly it's all around better. But the fact is that most of us don't take the smartest approach, and sometimes we don't even follow our own advice. Unfortunately, I can honestly say that I was one of the biggest experimenters with how to pop pimples as a teenager.

With this in mind, although I went through the stage of doing with nails, this is the worst way causing infections, causing irritation, causing more inflammation, you get the basic idea. So here's a basic breakdown of what I figured out along the way. There are just a few steps to successfully popping a pimple while doing the least possible damage.

  1. Heat up the pimple-Heating up the pimple softens up the oils and makes it easier on the skin and on you in general. So you can use a hot wash cloth that is sterile of course, or for that matter you can steam over a pot of boiling water for blackheads in general. But really, I suggest the washcloth. You can spread it pretty far if you're trying to get more of your face. Just be prepared for the hot sensation.
  2. Get a sterilized needle. I take the extra precautions of boiling it and then dipping it in alcohol to sterilize. But really, if you just dip it in the alcohol, the likelihood is that you will be fine. In this process, you should actually take rubbing alcohol and sterilize the pimple as well before sticking that needle into it. Sticking it in will release pressure, allow some to come out, etc.
  3. Take 2 q-tips and squeeze from the sides-the oil will not come out all on its own just because you poked it. But you really don't want to get bacteria or anything else in there from your fingers. So use sanitary and not previously used obviously q-tips to squeeze a little and it should be fine.
  4. Sanitize again-by this I mean apply rubbing alcohol to and sanitize your pimple again. Yes, it's completely necessary, especially to remove any puss that may be sitting there. If you don't do this, you will be missing a vital piece of the puzzle
  5. Wash your face on a regular basis-you should be doing this anyway. But to keep your zits good and going down after this, you really have to remember to wash on a regular basis and really take care of your skin in general.

The reality is a big part of things is to remember to distinguish between pimples you should pop and pimples you should not. Not every pimple is ripe and ready for the popping. If it has a little white dot above, it's a pretty safe bet that it's ready. But there are plenty of pimples out there that are more cystic or otherwise, and therefore they are extremely likely to scar.