You Popped a Pimple–Now What?
You’ve heard the warnings countless times about how damaging it is to pop a pimple. But that whitehead was calling your name and…you popped it. So now what? First of all, we hope you used a warm compress to soften the area beforehand. And don’t even think about touching the area with your bare fingers, which can lead to further infection thanks to the bacteria on your hands. Here’s what you need to do to safely clean up the popped pimple:
- Clean up the popped pimple with an antibacterial solution, such as alcohol or benzoyl peroxide. If it’s bleeding, keep a warm compress on it to stop the bleeding.
- Dab some salicylic acid on the area. This will help treat and heal the area and any remaining bacteria left inside the pimple.
- If the pimple begins to scab, apply an ointment, such as Neosporin onto the area to help with healing and to keep it moist. By all means, do not pick at the scab. If it looks that bad, then put a band-aid over the area. This will also help prevent you from picking.
- If you are concerned about a scar forming, call your dermatologist.
- If a scar does form, there are many different treatment options to consider. Focal Acne Scar Treatment (F.A.S.T.), Dr. Schweiger’s proprietary laser technique treats acne scars that has faster healing results than previous treatments.
