Most dermatologists will tell you not to pop a pimple at all, and for good reason: squeezing pushes pus, bacteria, and inflammation deeper into the skin, raising your risk of scarring and new breakouts. But if you’re going to do it anyway, the type of pimple matters enormously, and so does your technique. Here’s how to minimize the damage.
Only Pop Certain Types
The only pimples that are even candidates for at-home extraction are small whiteheads and pustules, the kind with a visible white or yellowish head sitting right at the surface. If you can clearly see the pus collection and the surrounding skin isn’t deeply swollen, you’re looking at a superficial blemish that can be carefully drained.
Nodules and cysts are off limits. These are the hard, painful lumps that sit deep under the skin, sometimes without a visible head. No amount of squeezing will safely extract them at home. Attempting it almost guarantees you’ll drive the infection deeper, increasing inflammation and the likelihood of a permanent scar. Deep, painful acne needs professional treatment.
Start With a Warm Compress
Before you touch the pimple, soften it. Soak a clean washcloth in hot (not scalding) water and hold it against the spot for 10 to 15 minutes. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends doing this up to three times a day. Heat draws the contents closer to the surface, loosens the pore, and makes extraction easier with less force. If the pimple doesn’t develop a clear, visible head after a day or two of warm compresses, it’s not ready and you shouldn’t force it.
The Extraction Steps
Wash your hands thoroughly and cleanse the skin around the pimple with a gentle cleanser. Dry with a clean towel. If you have rubbing alcohol, wipe it across the area to reduce surface bacteria.
Wrap your index fingers in clean tissue or use cotton swabs. Place them on either side of the pimple, not directly on top. Apply gentle, steady pressure pushing downward and then inward toward the pimple. The goal is to let the contents come to you. If the pimple doesn’t drain easily with light pressure, stop. Forcing it means the blockage is too deep, and you’ll only push bacteria further into the skin and damage the surrounding tissue.
Once the pus drains, stop pressing. Squeezing until you see blood means you’ve gone too far and are now traumatizing healthy skin. Wipe the area clean and apply an antiseptic or a thin layer of benzoyl peroxide to kill any remaining bacteria.
Aftercare That Speeds Healing
A popped pimple is essentially a tiny open wound, and treating it like one helps it heal faster with less scarring. You have several good options:
- Benzoyl peroxide kills acne-causing bacteria on contact and helps prevent reinfection of the open pore.
- Salicylic acid clears dead skin cells and excess oil, helping the pore close up cleanly while reducing redness and swelling.
- Hydrocolloid patches (pimple patches) absorb drainage and protect the wound from your fingers, pillowcase, and outside bacteria. Leave one on for at least 8 hours or overnight. They’re clinically tested to improve the smoothness and appearance of popped pimples overnight.
- Honey has natural anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that protect open wounds from infection.
- Aloe vera soothes inflammation and supports wound healing without drying out the skin.
Avoid heavy makeup over the spot for at least a day. Keep the area clean, and resist the urge to touch or re-squeeze it. Every time you pick at a healing pimple, you restart the inflammation cycle and increase your chances of a dark mark or scar.
Why Not Popping Is Usually Better
When you squeeze a pimple, things don’t just come out. Pus and bacteria also get pushed inward, deeper into the skin. This is why a pimple you popped often looks worse the next day: you’ve spread the infection beneath the surface and triggered more inflammation. That deeper inflammation is exactly what causes post-acne scarring and hyperpigmentation.
Bacteria from your hands can also enter through the broken skin, turning a simple whitehead into a genuine skin infection. And popping one pimple can seed bacteria into neighboring pores, causing new breakouts in the same area.
If you can tolerate waiting, a hydrocolloid patch placed over an intact pimple will draw fluid to the surface over several hours without any squeezing. Warm compresses alone will often bring a whitehead to a point where it drains on its own during cleansing. These approaches carry virtually no risk of scarring.
Signs of Infection to Watch For
A popped pimple that’s healing normally will be slightly red and tender for a day or two, then gradually calm down. If instead you notice the redness spreading outward, increasing pain, warmth radiating from the area, or significant swelling that gets worse rather than better, the site may be infected. Pimples near the eyes or in the triangle between your nose and the corners of your mouth deserve extra caution, since infections in that area can spread to deeper tissues more easily. Severe pain, worsening swelling, or a spot that feels hot to the touch all warrant a visit to a healthcare provider.