Don’t: Pick at Your Pimples
Your very first instinct might be to squeeze or pick at any new pimples, but try to hold yourself back.
“When you pick at a pimple, you increase the inflammation as well as introduce more bacteria into the skin, possibly causing an infection,” warns Cybele Fishman, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist with Advanced Dermatology PC. “More inflammation means a longer-lasting pimple, more chance of a scar, and more chance of persistent redness in lighter skin or hyperpigmentation in darker skin.”1
American Academy of Dermatology. Pimple popping: why only a dermatologist should do it.
What to Do Instead: If you know you can’t resist picking, place a hydrocolloid patch over the pimple. Dr. Fisherman says that this keeps your fingers away, keeps bacteria out, and absorbs pus.