FAN MAIL FRIDAYS: Is it safe to pop a zit on your own?


Hey girls! Zits are something that plagues almost all of us; they take a while to heal and sometimes, we can't wait. That said, is it safe to pop zits on your own so you can move on with your life? Thanks Neva for the question!

Hi Martha,
Is it okay to pop pimples on your own?
Neva

Hi Neva!

I don't want to straightforwardly recommend that yes, you can pop pimples on your own because the act is 99% prone to mistake, and mistakes can lead to serious complications so my advise is:


If you want to pop your own people, do a lot of research on how to do it SAFELY and be sure that your hands and tools are sanitized.

If you're going to ask me, yes, I pop my own pimples, but only if the white head has fully popped out or is crusty already; I have watched in a T.V. show (I forgot the name of the show, argh!) where a doctor mentioned that zits with white protruding heads can be popped on your own and when popping such zits, lance it sideways specifically on the white spot only because this is the safest part to lacerate. Squeeze the zit gently for the white pus to come out and free the pore from bacteria.

Here are some reminders to keep in mind before popping a zit:

1. DO NOT POP CYSTIC ZITS. They are zits that formed under the skin and need more than DIY treatment. Cystic zits require medicine, injectibles, and professional derma treatments. Similarly, do not force pop a zit nor force the white head to come out prematurely.

2. DO NOT POP ZITS ON THE DANGER TRIANGLE OF YOUR FACE. NOT EVEN WHITE ZITS. This is the triangle of your face that traces from the center of your forehead, trailing down to your entire nasal area, and down to the upper lip. There are nerves there that connect all the way to the brain and a wrong pop can trigger an infection, spread easily to the nerves, and reach your brain quickly. It can cause blindness, paralysis, and worse, death.

3. Always sanitize your tools and hands before and after the deed. Sanitize the popped zit with an alcohol- based toner right away to kill bacteria and sanitize the affected pore and the surrounding areas.

There you go! Happy Friday and safe popping!

**Got a burning question on beauty, makeup, cosmetics, fragrances, skin care, fitness, diet, beauty, career, blogging, love, or anything under the sun? Email me at martha.stabarbara@yahoo.com, message me via the Contact Form, or shoot me a message at THE BEAUTY JUNKEE Facebook fan page.

Post a Comment

9 Comments

  1. OOOOOh! This FMF question hit me good haha! I also pop my own zits if and ONLY IF, as Miss M describes white head has fully popped out and I make sure that I sanitize everything, from my hands, to the tools. Miss M's reminders are pretty much what I do too; those cystic zits should be left alone, otherwise you're gonna regret ever trying to pop them.
    For reminder number two, about staying away from the danger triangle, I don't mean to be grim, but yes, I've heard of someone from my town who had died from popping a zit with unsanitized tools. :(

    ReplyDelete
  2. When I look in the mirror and a pimple stares right back at me, I'm going to get the urge. I want to squeeze it. I really want to squeeze it. Especially most of the times, my pimples show up at the worst times. When popping annoying things on my face, I usually have one rule, and that is to pop zits, but never the cyst. I also do a lot of research before because I suffered from bad pimple-year when I was in college. Also, dont pop the pimple if di pa hinog, based on my experience, nag scaring lang siya. :( May mga alternatives na today na overnight na pinapaliit yung pimple like the one from belo and eskinol, effective naman sia. :) But my fault is that I popped my pimples in my triangle area, now ko lang nalaman na delikado pala sia. :( Now I know, will stop that manner na. Thank you Ms. M, it really helped us a LOT.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think every person who has pimples has done popping his/her pimples by themself even for once or many times. I do know other stuff about popping a pimple but I didn't know that there is a danger zone in the face in which to be avoided when popping a pimple. Even me, have popped a pimple a few times..but still its better to get it done by a professional or in a derma center so as to be safe and completely cleaned.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I cannot do this. I'll just leave it behind and wait for it heal. Haaay.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I rarely pop pimples on my own..but i make sure my hands are clean and i sanitize tools.

    ReplyDelete
  6. When I was younger, I tend to pop my pimple even if the whitehead still hasn't surfaced yet. It hurts a lot but I get irritated with the sight of a pimple on my face. It only left scars on my face, but not too deep, thank heavens! When I got older though, I learned that it is unsafe and unhygienic.

    So now, just like you Miss Martha, I only pop a pimple when it's already "ripe" or when the whitehead's almost out. But I only do it with clean hands and I use a clean tissue or wet wipes. Then of course, I apply a moisturizer or a spot corrector afterwards. ^-^

    ReplyDelete
  7. I learned this the hard way. When I was younger I would pick on any pimples or signs of it and it left me with dark and ugly scabs and scars. Now I have gotten better in controlling it. I saw in Tyra Banks show how to pop them correctly and yes you have to make sure that your tools are sanitized to avoid infection. I promised myself I would be taking better care of my skin this year so I have upped my skin care regimen hopefully I am able to stick to it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I didn't know that there is such thing as The Danger Triangle Of Your Face! I actually got scared while reading that part. Thank goodness, nothing negative happened to me when i popped pimples when i was younger and now, my pimples appear just one or two at time so they don't bother me that much. I have read somewhere that nappy cream helps dry and heal pimples fast because of the zinc oxide content so i'm trying it out tonight.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I usually have one or two pimple only pagmagkakaron na ako. Hindi ko ito pinapop. Hinahayaan ko lang.

    ReplyDelete

Let me know what you think of this post! :)