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To Pop or Not to Pop? There is No Question
To pop or not to pop, that is the Shakespearean question for many acne sufferers dealing with the real-life tragedies of inconvenient acne flare-ups. While many acne sufferers have their own take on popping pimples, doctors widely claim that popping acne is a bad idea fraught with unnecessary risks.
Whiteheads are the most common type of pimple that acne sufferers try to pop, and it is certainly tempting. A whitehead results from the complete blockage of a pore. Dirt, oil, dead cells and other materials become trapped and a whitish bubble forms. When a whitehead is popped and that bubble is burst, there is an immediate improvement in the appearance of the blemish. However, long after the whitehead is gone, the risks remain.
According to the Nemours Foundation, a group dedicated to improving children’s health, popping a whitehead can actually drive bacteria further down into the pore. The end result could be the recurrence of a more significant blemish, such as a cyst or nodule. As anyone who has popped a whitehead knows, a blemish frequently returns to the exact same area. There is also frequent reddening of the area from infection, which is common when popping pimples.
The other risk with popping is that many people try to pop types of acne that cannot be popped without doing some significant damage. Cysts and nodules are embedded so deeply within the skin that attempts to pop them are typically unsuccessful. However, in the process you can cause bruising, scarring or bleeding and make the blemish look much worse.
There are products sold that are designed to help pop pimples and even remove blackheads, but the Nemours Foundation recommends against these products as well. Even with these products, the foundation points out, you run the risk of infection or driving the bacteria deeper into a pore.
So, the next time a whitehead stares at you from the mirror, try to turn the other cheek. If there is a blemish on the other cheek, make your peace with that one as well.
Whiteheads are the most common type of pimple that acne sufferers try to pop, and it is certainly tempting. A whitehead results from the complete blockage of a pore. Dirt, oil, dead cells and other materials become trapped and a whitish bubble forms. When a whitehead is popped and that bubble is burst, there is an immediate improvement in the appearance of the blemish. However, long after the whitehead is gone, the risks remain.
According to the Nemours Foundation, a group dedicated to improving children’s health, popping a whitehead can actually drive bacteria further down into the pore. The end result could be the recurrence of a more significant blemish, such as a cyst or nodule. As anyone who has popped a whitehead knows, a blemish frequently returns to the exact same area. There is also frequent reddening of the area from infection, which is common when popping pimples.
The other risk with popping is that many people try to pop types of acne that cannot be popped without doing some significant damage. Cysts and nodules are embedded so deeply within the skin that attempts to pop them are typically unsuccessful. However, in the process you can cause bruising, scarring or bleeding and make the blemish look much worse.
There are products sold that are designed to help pop pimples and even remove blackheads, but the Nemours Foundation recommends against these products as well. Even with these products, the foundation points out, you run the risk of infection or driving the bacteria deeper into a pore.
So, the next time a whitehead stares at you from the mirror, try to turn the other cheek. If there is a blemish on the other cheek, make your peace with that one as well.
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