Zit alert! Your habit to pop a pimple can actually worsen your skin condition. Acne is a problem, which can happen at any stage of your life. Climbing out of bed and seeing your flawless skin in front of the mirror is enough to bring a big smile to your face. On the other hand, there is nothing worse than waking up with a giant pimple. It seems tempting to squeeze out the annoying pimples to get quick relief from pain and irritation. However, prodding at a pimple may lead to more severe unexpected damage to your skin. American Academy of Dermatology has also elaborated the picking pimple may cause many unwanted skin harms like permanent scarring on the face. We understand how frustrating it can be to stay calm in such a situation. The good news is you do not have to be stuck in disappointment anymore because of painful pimples.
Major Risks
- Worsens the outbreak
- Delays the healing process
- Increases the risk of permanent scarring
- Spreads infections
- Leads to skin discolorations
1. Worsens the outbreak
According to skin care experts, your common acne mistakes like touching or pricking the pimple triggers skin inflammation and irritations. It further causes pustules and papules to expand into deeper layers of skin. These deep-rooted acne infections result in bigger and painful bumps. In addition, it also leads to long-term skin infections.
2. Delays the healing process
Gentle skin care is considered crucial when it comes to treating acne-prone skin. Your skin is already sensitive and more vulnerable due to infection. In such a situation applying extra pressure on the pimple is not going to heal the pimple instead, it might disrupt your skin’s natural healing process. Furthermore, dermatologists recommend avoiding scrubbing or excessive face rinsing, mainly for acne-prone skin as it may aggravate your skin condition. A research study published in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, has pointed out that strong surfactants based cleansers bring skin irritations by drying out your skin.
3. Increases the risk of permanent scarring
Board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Shainhouse explains that squeezing the debris out of your clogged pore may leave permanent scars on your face. It not only worsens the skin inflammation and also prolongs the duration of pimple infection. To cope up with severe skin damage, your body also begins to heal the wounds which results in misaligned collagen levels on the skin surface. No bursting pimple is one of the best tips to prevent acne scars on the face.
4. Spreads infections
Touching your face may spread the bacterial infection which ultimately results in more zits. U.S. based dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi also explains that with your hands, you are more likely to transfer the bacteria and dirt on your face which can cause more clogged pores and acne on your face. When you squeeze out the pus from the pimple, harmful bacteria begin to thrive on other parts of your face as well.
5. Leads to skin discolorations
Inflammation caused by picking the pimple may later lead to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, blemishes, or any other discolorations on your face. The sad part is that such hyperpigmentation marks take a longer time to fade away. You should consider to avoid habits which make your skin appear dull and blotchy.
Simple tips
- Use a mild anti-acne face wash with non-comedogenic properties. Numerous research studies out the benefits of Zinc PCA based cleansers for acne problems.
- Application of over the counter products to heal acne may help to cure inflammation caused by acne infection. Natural extracts like rice bran, Boswellia serrata & Scutellaria extract have been found to work effectively to kill the microbial infections along with speeding up the healing process.
- Limit your makeup to keep the acne under control. Slathering on too many products tends to clog your pores, which in turn exacerbates acne infection.
- If you are a gym or a yoga enthusiast, make a habit to clean your face after sweat sessions.
- Dermatologists recommend wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen before going out. When your acne face is exposed to sunlight, UV rays may worsen pain and inflammations.
Acne isn’t a serious problem but without treatment, it can cause irreversible damage to your skin. An international research study of 2008 has elaborated that oily skin due to excessive sebum productions more prone to acne, enlarged pores, etc. It is best for you to religiously follow a skin care regimen for acne-prone skin. However, even after trying the over the counter products (OTC) and necessary preventive measures, your pimple condition does not resolve or worse more, visit a doctor. Doctor would prescribe the best possible treatment and tips by examining your condition thoroughly. Nonetheless, listening to your skin needs goes a long way to attain flawless and radiant skin.
