What happens if you scratch pimples

You will feel better. Remember the popped pimple is essentially an open wound and should be treated as such. In order for the wound to heal quickly, you must keep applying the ointment on a daily basis, until it is dry. Doing so can cause a fresh wound and a new scar which may take longer time to heal and leave a permanent mark on the skin. Click here to join our channel indianexpress and stay updated with the latest headlines. Australia beat Pakistan to reach the finals Explained: Who is Devasahayam, the first Indian layman to be conferred sainthood?

Even if depressed scars don't develop, dark marks can. These dark spots on the skin, called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation , are caused by inflammation. Popping a pimple causes inflammation, so you're more likely to see post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation once a pimple heals. Picking at your blemishes can spread infection and, ultimately, worsen your acne. Clearly, a hands-off policy is the best choice when it comes to your skin.

But, honestly, zits are annoying enough that we just want to get rid of them fast. There are safer ways to get rid of individual pimples. First, try over-the-counter acne spot treatments. These products are dabbed on existing pimples to help dry them out and heal them quickly.

These work best for relatively minor pimples, though. If you have a really big pimple that won't go away , you may need to see a dermatologist for help. Spot treatments are unlikely to be much help with these more severe blemishes. Your best bet, always, is to leave the zit alone to heal. But, if you just have to squeeze it, at least extract the blemish safely.

Don't use your fingernails or another hard object, don't force the zit to drain, and never squeeze a deep pimple or one that hasn't come to a white or yellow "head. We all have, at one point or another, popped a pimple even knowing we shouldn't. Occasionally squeezing a blemish, while not great for your skin, is normal. But when squeezing pimples, popping zits, or picking at the skin becomes a compulsion, it's time to look a little deeper.

You may have a form of acne called acne excoriee also known as excoriated acne. People with excoriated acne pick at their pimples, real or imagined, to the point of seriously damaging their skin.

Talk with your dermatologist or physician. Of course, we all want to keep pimples from forming in the first place. The absolute best way to do that is to use an acne treatment medication every day. Over-the-counter acne products can help stop minor breakouts. But if those don't work after two or three months, or if your acne is more severe, put in a call to a dermatologist.

There are many prescription acne treatment options that will help clear your skin and make pimples a thing of the past. The word zit is another name used to describe a pimple. According to Healthline, the blood vessels in this particular zone are actually connected to areas of the skull where infections can spread quickly and become serious. Though dermatologists believe that the likelihood of a lethal infection arising from a popped pimple is pretty slim , there's no harm in trying extra hard to avoid any self-surgery in the "danger triangle.

Squeezing a pimple might result in a satisfying release of its contents, but dermatologists caution that you're likely leaving some of the gross stuff behind.

According to Verywell Health, putting pressure on a pimple inadvertently forces debris from the pore deeper into the follicle. Even worse, this sometimes causes the follicle to rupture and spill infected pus into the lower level of your skin.

This means that even if you see material emerging from the top of your pimple and the pore looks clear, you may have trapped infected goo deep within your skin. In what sounds like the plot of the scariest horror movie ever, dermatologists say that popping one pimple might actually lead you to develop more. Plus, popping pimples usually involves a fair amount of face-touching. Unless you've thoroughly scrubbed and sanitized your fingers before hunting down that zit, you might be spreading bacteria and grime to clean pores in the process.

If you're a veteran pimple-popper, you know that going in with the best intentions doesn't always guarantee optimal results. According to Teens Health, trying to pop a pimple by squeezing or applying pressure might just push pus deeper into your skin. This could prolong the time it takes for a pimple to heal and even make the blemish look more noticeable.

Continually pressing, scratching, and squeezing your skin can also irritate surrounding skin, making the entire area look more inflamed and unsightly that before. This is probably the number one reason people cite when they explain why you shouldn't pop pimples. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, picking at pimples can cause long-lasting scarring to occur. Though some scarring may fade after months or years, special treatments such as laser surgery are occasionally needed to completely rid skin of scarring.

When you're dealing with a pimple, patience is key. The dry, flaky, and dead skin cells are part of the healing process, but they can also cause uncomfortable itching sensations. Everyone understands the maddening sensation of being itchy , and the uncontrollable desire to scratch and rub the itch away. In addition to harming your skin, scratching the acne hotspots can cause:. This can cause the bacteria inside the pimple to spread to other parts of your body and create more outbreaks.

There are ways to treat these uncomfortable itchy pimples and their annoying itching sensations. While there are many different treatments for itchy acne, the main points to keep in mind are keeping your skin moisturized, clean, and safe from abrasion.

Itchy acne is an uncomfortable and extremely common affliction. Clogged pores primarily cause acne. Itchiness is caused by dryness and irritation. You can book an appointment with a dermatologist in your area using our Healthline FindCare tool. With patience, acne and its associated itchiness can be overcome to reveal clearer, brighter, and healthier skin just below the surface. If your hormones are in flux, whether from puberty, menopause, or stress, it may lead to hormonal acne.