Popping Pimples: Helpful or Not?

When I was in my teens, my parents always had an eye on me, to keep me from itching, popping or picking the pimples that were populating my unfortunate face. They feared, I would worsen my acne and scar my face. But even their warnings could not keep me from trying to get rid of my pimples manually. In the end it did not cause as much harm as feared.

Today it's the same situation. It seems everyone has a different opinion or experiences on popping pimples. And even in well-informed magazines you will find articles that are urging you to stop popping your pimples as well as articles that say the opposite. So it is understandable, if you ask: "Is it harmful or helpful to pop my pimples?"

Beside this it is really hard to follow any well-meant advice, popping pimples is way too much fun. It is some kind of perverse pleasure, to get rid of a pimple, if it is a big fat white mass on your face, that really screams for being popped. I even heard of people that got addicted to popping pimples. So what is the right way - is it harmful or helpful to pop pimples?

How to remove pimples has been a question that has always plagued people suffering from acne. Popping them is one of the ways that seem promising. But it is not always the answer, it is something that can only be used on a pimple-by-pimple basis. Of course, no one doubts that releasing the oil, skin particles and infected matter from a whitehead can be helpful for healing it (and quite satisfying). But that's the point: it works best only on whiteheads and should be reserved for these alone!

Red cyst-like pimples are a no-no to pop. They are sitting deep within your skin and sometimes hurt like hell. But opening them with a needle and then trying to squeeze it won't work and be even harmful. Instead of removing the pimples contents you would press them deeper and deeper into the skin, prolonging the pimples life and preparing the seed for more pimples to grow.

Popping big whiteheads on the skin surface will help you to get rid of them within some days - if done properly, a popped whitehead may disappear even over night. But some rules should be followed: 1. Always wash your hands before starting. 2. Puncture the white-head with an clean needle - you can clean with alcohol or by heating it in a flame). 3. Then use cotton balls to wipe away the material that comes out. Make sure you doesn't wipe it to other areas of the skin. 4. But never try to squeeze the pimple by force, you will only push the whitehead's contents deeper into the skin, prolonging the pimples life or even creating such a nice nasty zit that sits deep in the skin and takes weeks to go away. 5. Very important: after successfully removing the whitehead, disinfect its remains, using an astringent

If you follow these rules, there should be no danger in popping some pimple. Happy Hunting!