All About Pimple Popping: Is It Really Bad For Your Skin?

Believe it or not – pimples are more common than you think and are not usually a cause for concern. However, most of the time, it can be incredibly frustrating to have these pesky spots pop out of nowhere, especially when they develop on your face. As such, it can be tempting to pop or squeeze your pimples. But is popping or squeezing a pimple really effective in getting rid of it? Well, the short answer to this question is no.

As a matter of fact, popping your pimples can exacerbate them and possibly lead to more serious skin concerns. For this reason, it is always best to let your pimples heal on their own or undergo professional acne treatment in Singapore. To understand more about this, here is a brief discussion on why popping pimples is never a good idea. 

What Happens When You Pop a Pimple?

Pimples develop when dead skin cells, bacteria, and excess sebum are trapped in the skin’s pores. This leads to the formation of red and tender bumps that are usually filled with white pus. Although your first instinct may be to squeeze a pimple when you see one, this can actually cause more issues. Here are the scenarios that may happen when you pop or squeeze a pimple:

• The debris from the pore may be forced deeper into the follicle, which is the structure that connects every strand of hair to the skin.
• The follicle wall may rupture, thereby spreading the infected matter (including pus) into the skin’s lower layer or dermis.
• More inflammation may arise, along with increased swelling, heat, and redness in the surrounding skin.
• The break in the skin’s structure can also increase the risk of infection, which can, in turn, result in the development of an even bigger pimple or a new pimple right next to the one you squeezed. 

What Changes Occur In Your Skin After You Pop a Pimple?

Aside from the formation of larger or new pimples near the pimple that has just been squeezed, your skin may also experience changes after you pop a pimple, such as discoloration and scars. When you pop a pimple, especially one that has no white head, you force your skin to break open to discharge the pus. This results not only in the development of a scab but also in the darkening of the surrounding skin.

Furthermore, popping pimples can also cause more than a scab or a swollen spot — it increases the possibility of acne scars developing on your skin. Each time your skin is damaged, losing tissue during the healing process is very likely to occur, and this is how you get pitted acne scars. The larger the damage, the higher the possibility of tissue loss.

Even if undesirable acne scars do not form, you can still be left with dark sports called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This happens when cells known as keratinocytes are damaged by severe inflammation, thereby causing them to produce large amounts of a pigment called melanin. If the damage is only minimal, skin darkening may still be reversed. However, if the damage is severe or persistent, the discoloration may no longer disappear completely without acne scar removal treatment in Singapore.

Get Rid of Your Pimples The Right Way By Seeking Professional Help From The Clifford Clinic

Pimples can undoubtedly be a great cause of annoyance. However, although it can be tempting to pop or squeeze these unsightly bumps, you should always restrain yourself from dealing with your pesky pimples on your own. You can either just let them disappear on their own, or you can consult the best acne dermatologist in Singapore, The Clifford Clinic, to help give you the right treatment. Ultimately, popping your pimples is a big no-no, as it can do more harm than good to your skin!

One such treatment that you may consider is our AGNES acne treatment. Following the initial treatment, the majority of patients have a 50–70% decrease in acne outbreaks, making AGNES a long-term cure for recurring acne! Your face will be examined under a microscope to look for any blocked or damaged pores. Then, using a thin wire attached to the AGNES machine, the oil-producing gland is shocked with a tiny electrical charge. The size of the gland and the amount of oil it generates are both reduced. Without oil, a blockage cannot develop, preventing pimples from showing up.

Our Gold Photothermal Therapy treatment (PTT) may be helpful for individuals with recurrent breakouts and mild to cystic acne. This non-invasive procedure will assist in successfully reducing the appearance of inflammatory acne lesions by concentrating on the oil-producing sebaceous glands that contribute to acne production. 6 weeks following the final treatment, you can anticipate an improvement in your acne.

If you have tried popping a pimple, and it developed into a scar, we also provide the most effective acne scar treatment in Singapore. Our Q-Switch Laser Treatment effectively removes undesirable spots and marks on your skin like acne scars and hyperpigmentation. A single treatment can eliminate between 75 and 100% of a brown spot! You may also consider our Secret RF treatment, which delivers controlled heat to selected areas of the skin to eliminate acne scars, or our INFINI treatment, which aids in treating deeper acne scars.

Besides acne and acne scar treatments, we offer many other procedures for dealing with a variety of beauty concerns, including nose threadlift, nose fillers, double chin reduction, laser eye lift, eyebrow transplant, non-surgical eye bag removal, hand rejuvenation, and more.

For more information about our treatments or to book an appointment, contact us today.