Pimples have a tendency of showing up at the wrong time and in the wrong place, which is always in the face where you cannot hide them, even with makeup. When you take a look into the mirror, you feel the urge to pop them out and be done with them. It is understandable that the urge to pop them might be greater than the patience of waiting for them to dry away but before going for the latter, think about the scars and most importantly, how about the following reasons?
1. It can Lead to the Development of Scabs
A scab is the rough crust that develops over any opening on the surface of the skin particularly on healing wounds and in this case, popped scars. The simple act of pimple popping can create a chain of successive development of scabs covering the skin area from where the pus from the pimples came from. Their development is inevitable since it is how the skin react this particular scenario. Concealing them with makeup is even more difficult as compared to pimples.
2. It can Worsen Inflammations
Pimple popping process involves finding the best angle of popping or more specifically the eye of the pimple from where the pus will ooze from the skin. In this process, there is a lot of poking, pricking and prodding of the skin to the point where it will start developing redness and swelling. In worst scenarios, the skin may become infected with external pathogens and can even lead to permanent scarring.
3. It can Lead to Discoloration
The aforementioned reddening of the skin can lead to skin discoloration especially in the areas where the pimples have been removed or there are attempts to remove it. This condition is technically referred to as Post Inflammatory Hyper-pigmentation. Fortunately enough, this discoloration is not permanent on the skin and dies out with time. This period of recovery is unfortunately long and who’s got the time? Therefore, it is advisable to avoid popping pimples on your own.
4. It can Cause Permanent Scarring
As pimples are popped, scars are left behind from the healing process of the ruptured skin surface. It is important to note that; it is not that pimples should not be popped, but it is the procedure of popping them that is of utmost importance; if preventing scaring is a cause for concern. When this procedure is performed by a professional, they will use sterile equipment and demonstrate care in the process, a situation that cannot be said about the doing it personally.
5. Infections
This is another reason why pimple popping is prohibited. When popping a pimple to get rid of pus and debris under the pustule, you are actually creating another pathway for foreign substances and bacteria to enter into the body through the skin’s open wound. Consequently, this can lead to skin infections. The source of the infection can be the dirty hands that come into contact with the pimple or even sweat that runs over the open skin surface.
6. It can Create Additional Pimples
You might be trying to get rid of the few pimples on your face, but in the process there can be a series of other pimples developing from the old ones or even in new areas of the skin altogether. When the pustule is pierced or broke open, the oozing pus from that particular point of the skin spreads to other areas of the skin and if not done correctly some pus may still be left in the skin cavity leading to even bigger and more painful pimple.
7. Popped Pimples Heal Longer
A developing pimple may die away in a week or two but as for a popped one, the duration can be substantially longer. When you pop a pimple, the skin will develop a scab over the open skin cavity to prevent additional infection and protect the resulting wound. This scab may dry off in a week; maybe less. However, the resulting discoloration may take longer than anticipated to completely disappear off the skin’s surface, which can be very inconveniencing.
Conclusion
The urge to remove pimples by popping them open usually string but before doing so, consider the aforementioned points. Avoid the spread of pimples and most importantly avoid introducing more bacteria into your body because the possibility is high in the popping alternative as compared to other medically recommended options. However, if you must just pop it urgently because of reasons best known to you, consult the help of a professional dermatologist for an efficient way of removing the contents of the pimple without causing too much scarring, health risks and other complications to the skin tissues.
