If popping zits is bad for you, why is it they heal afterward?

[Nero]

I had the most painful zit on my cheek of all places (that's face cheek ). I left it alone for days, perhaps a week even thinking I better not squeeze it. Well last night I just couldn't take it anymore, so I did. And lo and behold this morning it is dried and healed and no longer hurts. Why is that? Why is popping supposedly bad for you, if they heal afterward?

Damn puberty!

[Catherine]

I had the most painful zit on my cheek of all places (that's face cheek ). I left it alone for days, perhaps a week even thinking I better not squeeze it. Well last night I just couldn't take it anymore, so I did. And lo and behold this morning it is dried and healed and no longer hurts. Why is that? Why is popping supposedly bad for you, if they heal afterward?

Damn puberty!

I always squeeze them. Luckily i don't scar easily either.

It always seemed to me to me that getting the poison out was the best option.

[Autumn]

Personally, when I *don't* pop them, they last for months/years and scar

When I do, they heal much faster. Or at least if they scar they leave a faint red mark instead of a 3d looking red mark like two of mine did a few months ago...

The worst for me is when I leave them alone for a few days and then finally have to pop them. I have a nice scar at the top of my cleavage from the WORST ZIT i've had in years... *sigh*

I rarely get them, but they sure hang around when I do.

[Catherine]

Do you use any of the creams that are out there ??

I never have myself.

[no_id]

I suppose the trick is to pop at the right time. If you give it a go too early then there's a chance it might get more infected; a blemish might appear. Of course there's also the whole scar/crater thing that might make 'popping' a bad idea.

My suggestion; if you get a zit, throw on some toothpaste and go to bed. This will dry it out. What also helps is to apply talcum powder to more greasy areas and on upcoming zits. This dries them out as well (though when used frequently you might want to apply a hydrating skin cream in the morning to balance things out). Lastly; tanning, same principle. Don't need to become a sunboy, but some tanning can do wonders.

[Sandy]

Welcome to male puberty!  Having oily skin is one of the main reasons you get them.  And males have more oily skin especially during puberty.

I think everyone has popped or lanced them at one time or another, and probably isn't too bad on the occasional zit.

However a severe acne breakout and forced eruptions (popping) can cause significant scarring.

The only real solution is time.  And take very good care of your skin.  Regular cleansing with an exfoliant helps and then a drying agent topically applied will help prevent further outbreaks.

Here is an acne site for review of some OTC medications:
http://www.acne.org/reviews/

If you get them REALLY bad, seeing a dermatologist for a prescription is called for.

-Sandy

[Miniar]

I don't "pop", I "pierce"...
I got a very sharp little needle in the bathroom cabinet that I use to take the pressure off.
It makes the healing go much faster.

[Sandy]

I don't "pop", I "pierce"...
I got a very sharp little needle in the bathroom cabinet that I use to take the pressure off.
It makes the healing go much faster.

Lancing is probably less injuring than popping, but please sterilize the needle before and after.  Otherwise you are introducing whatever is living on that needle directly into your pore.

I used flame to sterilize my lance, but rubbing alcohol works as well.

What a yucky subject!

-Sandy

[Alyssa M.]

They heal the first few times. And the they scar, and your face gets all pockmarked, and you start looking like Bill O'Reilly. (So, yeah, lance if you need to, and clean it afterwards so it actually does heal.)

[Pippa]

I have a few large pores and one small scar from squeezing zits.   They definitely do not heal properly.   The best way of treating spots is not to get them.   Watch what you eat and have a good skin care regime (cleanse, tone and most importantly, moisturise).   It is also a good idea to use an exfoliator every now and again.   There are lots of male skin care products on the market nowadays and there is no stigma in using them.   If you are FTM, the testosterone will have an effect as your 'second puberty' increases the secretion of oil in your skin.   

[Jamie-o]

The thing with squeezing zits is, if you get the infection to go out, you're all good.  But sometimes the pressure causes the infection to be forced further in, which makes it worse.  Personally, I have never had the self control not to pop zits.    But lancing them first does give you a better chance of getting it to go the right direction.

[Ender]

Popping has the potential to increase scarring, or so I've heard.  I usually try to leave 'em alone, but sometimes they get nasty enough (deep, painful, and just won't go away) to warrant some attention.  I usually take a new, sterile needle (the medical kind, since they're sharper) and lance it.  Then it heals without a scar in a couple days.

Lol, and I just noticed... why the blazes is this in the philosophy forum? 

[Ryuu]

Lol, and I just noticed... why the blazes is this in the philosophy forum? 

I wondered that myself.
My mom told me that if you pop a zit inward (since the membranes can break either way) the infection can go to your brain and you can die. Not sure if it's true or not.

[Sandy]

Lol, and I just noticed... why the blazes is this in the philosophy forum? 

... If a zit pops in the forest and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a noise?

Now it belongs in the philosophy section!

-Sandy

[Janet_Girl]

Witch hazel works to help them come to a head quickly.  Don't pop them, pierce or lance them.  Using a good face scrub will help keep the face clean and less oily.

Witch Hazel or Hydrogen Peroxide will help to dry them out.  And anything you use to pierce or lance them must be sterilized.

[fluffy jorgen]

Some don't heal and leave small scars.

[pebbles]

It's not bad for you necessarily what you need to do is make sure you have clean hands and when you burst them make sure you squeeze them until blood and clear plasma is coming out then disinfect the area.

it scars up if the injury gets infected or you pick it when it's scabbed over. It's so gross that I know all about this >_<

[glendagladwitch]

I think that popping is discouraged to try and avoid spreading the infection.  Some germs are worse than others, and if you get the bad kind, then it can be really bad for some people. 

Some zits are actually blood boils.  My spouse gets those.  I'd never seen them before.  Vitamin B is the treatment.

[Walter]

Mine tend to heal after popping them. But, depending on if I completely get all of the poison out, it might just come back until all of it comes out. Those ones are the worst..

I've been popping them all my life and only just recently did I find an acne product that actually keeps my acne almost non-existing

[Silver]

My mom told me that if you pop a zit inward (since the membranes can break either way) the infection can go to your brain and you can die. Not sure if it's true or not.

It's not.