Is it possible to squeeze pimples?
The last thing you want is for others to see this “sudden guest” on the tip of your nose. The first thought is not to wait for the pimple to burst or go away on its own, but to be determined and squeeze it out entirely. After all, it seems that redness from a squeezed pimple is not as scary as a blackhead or a white pustule.
Unfortunately, getting rid of acne is not so easy. If you squeeze them out, the situation can worsen radically
. This is the first thing doctors tell all their patients. Dermatologist Philippe Beaulieu explains why you should never get rid of acne on your own.
The gold standard for acne treatment
Stasya: Should antibiotics be taken internally or externally?
Natalya: Inside.
Lera: Oh, these are all sorts of hard tablets, which then make your face really dry.
Natalya: You are now talking not about antibiotics, but about cyclic retinoids. In fact, this is the gold standard for acne treatment, and sometimes it is worth choosing. Naturally, not on your own, but accompanied by a doctor, because there are risks and contraindications. Here is a good time to remember the term acne-disability, when a person suffers so much because of the way he looks with his acne that he develops psychological trauma.
So in the treatment process, the main thing is to find a competent doctor who can explain everything and assess the situation. For women, by the way, the gold standard is the prescription of oral contraceptives. This is the first line, and not cyclic retinoids at all.
Why shouldn't you squeeze pimples?
“I always recommend that patients resist the temptation to pop pimples. This may seem like the simplest solution, but it often only makes the problem worse. Here's why: When you squeeze a pimple, you literally tear the skin. This can damage the infected follicle and thereby increase inflammation.”
By squeezing pimples, you expose yourself to a double risk: firstly, scars may remain, and secondly, even more pimples may appear. Dermatologists are unanimous in their concerns: traumatization of inflamed elements can lead to the formation of scars.
There is a high risk that the infection from the first outbreak, due to physical impact at the time of squeezing, can spread to adjacent areas of the skin. All this can be aggravated by bacteria that enter the inflammation site from dirty hands or nails.
No matter how tempting the idea of quickly getting rid of a pimple by squeezing it out with your hands may be, you should not do this. If there is only one pimple on your face, you can go to a cosmetology office to have a specialist remove it professionally. However, it is more reasonable to disguise this unexpected pimple with a concealer in order to quickly solve the problem. And then consult a doctor if acne continues to appear.
What cosmetologists say: “Suppuration of the soft tissues of the face is one of the mildest consequences”
Elena Markovskaya
practicing cosmetologist, trainer-teacher
– How harmful is it to squeeze out pimples and what happens to the skin at this moment?
– Squeezing pimples is definitely harmful. If we incorrectly calculate the force of pressure and pressure, swelling may appear. Long nails can easily injure your skin.
Another problem is that people often start squeezing a pimple when it is not yet ripe and ready for squeezing, and thereby further aggravate the process.
There is also the following phenomenon: a pimple appears in the same place. This is most likely due to the fact that you once tried to squeeze it out on your own and injured the mouth of the sebaceous follicle - and now it is difficult for sebum to come out there.
Therefore, if you remove a pimple, then only have a specialist.
What to read on the topic: Is acne forever? Can acne appear at age 30? Dermatologist answers popular questions about acne
– Is it safe to squeeze a pimple?
– Yes, a specialist who has certain skills can. But the problem is that people often try to solve the problem on their own. And there are always those who have, are, and will be squeezing their own pimples.
They do this at home, in the elevator near the mirror, some even on public transport - often with dirty hands. Therefore, in order to somehow prevent serious consequences, we suggest following at least the simplest disinfection measures.
I myself often ask clients to wash their hands and face once they are about to squeeze out pimples, but this still definitely will not reduce the harm.
-What about purges? Is this necessary if you don’t want to crush your own pimples?
– I have been working with problem skin for about 11 years, and when people come to me with a problem of acne (acne), classical cleansing is actually indicated for 2 out of 10 people. Facial cleansing does not cure the skin, it is simply necessary at some stage in the treatment acne.
But I repeat: squeezing will not get rid of acne - on the contrary, all this can also aggravate the inflammatory process. Therefore, at the initial stage you need to contact a cosmetologist and choose your optimal set of measures.
The most important thing is to start treatment at the level as soon as you feel that there is a red area with swelling and pain, and not wait until the pimple matures.
By the way, facial cleansing is not done at all in Europe - this is common only in the post-Soviet space. Therefore, you need to avoid the stereotype that every time a pimple appears, you must clean your face. First of all, you need to take proper care of your face.
– What can I do to make acne go away faster, and how can I reduce its number?
– There are a lot of drugs specialized for local use. These are both store-bought and pharmacy drugs that can quickly stop the inflammatory process.
But you shouldn’t abuse all your favorite antibiotic-based spot treatments - they become addictive, and they are not suitable as monotherapy for acne.
You need to understand that acne is a chronic disease, and we try to put our patient into stable remission. And it is very important that a person understands what triggers provoke inflammation in him. This may be stress, decreased immunity, the presence of a chronic source of infection, abuse of the sun, oils, nourishing creams, nutrition.
Nutrition is a completely separate topic: with acne, it plays a leading role. If you have rashes, it is advisable not to eat foods with a high glycemic index and be sure to eat three times a day without snacks to avoid insulin spikes, and drink only water between meals.
When we eat simple carbohydrates or foods with a simple glycemic index, our blood sugar levels rise sharply and the pancreas begins to produce insulin. And because of it, the level of androgens immediately rises, which regulate everything related to sebum. If there are a lot of them, there will be rashes.
There are also drug-induced acne from certain groups of drugs: B vitamins, iodine, some antidepressants. Acne can also appear due to inadequate care: both too good and lack thereof, due to hormonal imbalance. There are many possibilities: for example, if acne appears around the mouth, it could simply be a reaction to fluoride paste.
Home care is very important: many people come for cleaning, but home care is not corrected. And it will be such a vicious circle - you need to start with self-care. It's like with teeth: you go to the dentist, but the health of your teeth depends more on taking care of them at home.
– Is it true that there is an area on the face – the nasolabial triangle – where squeezing out pimples is life-threatening?
– As a cosmetologist, I ask you not to touch inflammation on the face in general, but especially in the area of the nasolabial triangle. Many will say that they squeezed out pimples in this area a thousand times and everything was fine, and this will be true. But sometimes it happens differently - and this is already supervised by maxillofacial surgery doctors.
The danger of squeezing out pimples in the area of the nasolabial triangle is due to the complexity of the topographic anatomy of the vessels in this area.
– What are the most unpleasant consequences of squeezing pimples?
– Maceration (swelling and wrinkling of the dermis. – Ed.), hematomas, post-traumatic pigmentation may appear on the skin.
Suppuration of the soft tissues of the face is one of the lesser evils. Or thrombosis of the cavernous sinus may also occur - and this is the most terrible diagnosis that you can receive due to a squeezed pimple.
How to stop squeezing pimples on your face: tips
Irina : throughout her youth she crushed her pimples mercilessly, until it spread with abscesses all over her face. Then there was a trip to the dermatologist, two years of treatment (if I had gone straight away, it would have been only a couple of months), and scars on my face that I am still treating to this day. I strongly recommend to all young men and women not to squeeze acne, but to treat and care for their face.
Yana (cosmetologist) : Every day people come to me with advanced forms of rashes on the face, scars and other consequences of acne pressure. I don’t even hire some of them; I immediately send them to a dermatologist. At the same time, if you don’t mock your face, but from the age of 14-15 you start taking care of your face with cleansing, masks, and also piercing with vitamins to improve the functioning of the dermis, then you will always have a soft, clean face without rashes. Well, the main advice for girls and women is to wash your makeup brushes and sponges more often. They are the cause of regularly recurring ulcers in 50% of cases!
Take care of your appearance and health? You may like our articles:
- Why do pimples appear on the face - the causes of inflammation
- Red, painful pimples that itch appeared on the neck: cause, treatment.
- Pimple on the chest, in the décolleté area of a girl, woman, man: signs, superstitions
What is dermatillomania and how does it manifest?
Experts call dermatillomania obsessive behavior aimed at the skin: scratching wounds, squeezing out inflammations, combing uneven skin, picking off hangnails, biting the lips and cheeks from the inside.
There are actually many more such examples - they all belong to a large group of body-focused repetitive behavior disorders (BFRB - body-focused repetitive behavior). Along with dermatillomania, it also includes trichotillomania (uncontrolled hair pulling), onychophagia (obsessive biting of nails and cuticles), rhinotillexomania (the need to pick the nose and damage its mucous membrane).
With dermatillomania, open areas of the body most often suffer, or rather, those to which there is direct access - the face, head, hands. But it also happens that a person injures his back, chest, and the front of his legs.
Contraindications
There is a list of contraindications under which it is not recommended to squeeze out pimples and blackheads, especially on your own. So, this cannot be done if:
- the skin is very sensitive, often inflamed, even ordinary scratches do not heal well on it,
- there are deep pimples - nodules and cysts (when they are squeezed out, ugly keloid scars are formed and the risk of re-formation of ulcers increases),
- pimples are located in the area of the nasolabial folds (due to the peculiarities of the blood supply in these areas, there is a risk of purulent meningitis in case of unsuccessful pimple removal),
- acne regularly appears in the same place (squeezing will be ineffective; first you should be examined by a gastroenterologist, endocrinologist and, possibly, a neurologist).
Step-by-step instructions for removing pimples and blackheads
Home squeezing of blackheads and pimples takes place in several stages. By strictly following the algorithm, you will cleanse your skin and prevent consequences in the form of scars and re-formation of ulcers.
It is important to carry out the procedure under sterile conditions and follow the instructions:
- Steam your face . Hot compresses with chamomile or calendula are suitable for this. The pores will expand, making it easier to remove the pus. The rather hard contents of the eels will also soften.
- Wash your hands with soap and treat them completely with antiseptic . Lubricate the skin around the blackheads that you are going to squeeze out with salicylic alcohol or chlorhexidine.
- Wear disposable gloves to avoid damaging your skin with your nails and accidentally causing an infection.
- Grab the skin around the blackhead and apply light pressure . Do not make any effort - this will lead to injury to the blood vessels, which will result in unsightly scars. If the pus does not come out, it means the pimple is not yet ripe. Try removing it next time.
- Squeeze out the contents of the eel carefully , do not rush. It is important to squeeze out all the pus accumulated inside to stop inflammation. When the ichor starts to come out, stop.
- Finally, treat the skin with a sterile napkin , lubricate the area where the pimple was with salicylic, boric acid or any antiseptic. It is better not to use iodine - it is too aggressive and dries out the skin.
Half an hour after squeezing, you can make a soothing mask and use your usual skin care products.
There may be some redness at first, but it will go away soon.
What is needed for mechanical facial cleansing: safety conditions
Mechanical facial cleansing requires compliance with the rules of asepsis and antiseptics, since it occurs with a violation of the integrity of the skin. Thus, there is a risk of introducing not only pyogenic microflora, but also dangerous diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis, etc.
Modern instruments used in cosmetology are made of medical steel with a high rate of corrosion stability during sterilization or pre-sterilization treatment by soaking. The preparation of the disinfectant solution and the choice of concentration are carried out strictly in accordance with the instructions. Further cleaning involves rinsing under running water and sterilizing in a dry-heat oven for at least 45 minutes. Sterile metal instruments can be stored in a UV cabinet. Consumables such as cotton swabs, cosmetic discs, gauze wipes are sterilized in a bix and taken with a forceps or tweezers.
Also important stages of mechanical facial cleansing: regular rinsing of the instrument used and wiping the face with a disinfectant solution during the procedure to maintain the cleanliness of open and already cleaned pores.
Given the need for long-term disinfection and sterilization, it is recommended that the doctor have several complete sets of instruments. Their number may vary depending on the density of customer traffic, as well as taking into account the likelihood of one or another accessory falling on the floor, which subsequently needs to be replaced with a new sterile one to eliminate the risk of infection. For maximum comfort, the catalog presents combined double-sided instruments that combine the most popular tips, for example, an acne squeezer with a spoon or loop, as well as other combinations.
Take care of the health of your patients and choose only high-quality instruments in the FIRST PROFESSIONAL. A wide selection of the most popular accessories in the “Cosmetology Tools” section.
How would people with dermatillomania want to be treated?
Environmental support is an important factor in dealing with any disorder. Dermatillomania has always been a taboo topic: it is not so easy in the era of eternal improvement and striving for the ideal to admit one’s imperfection.
“I would like at least someone to care what happens to me. So that close people who would notice that I have problems would try to find a solution with me (for example, support me in finding a psychotherapist). At the same time, I can’t blame those who think it’s just a bad habit. I myself once thought so, because little attention is paid to this disorder,” shares Inna.
