Is it ever OK to pop pimples at home?

Unless you possess the discipline of a trained monk, you’ve more than likely picked at your pimples against the advice of your dermatologist (or your mother, for that matter).

I don’t blame you. When it’s just you, a magnified mirror and a pimple that’s ripe for the picking, I’d think you were strange if you weren’t tempted.

Any skincare professional would advise against taking these puss-filled matters into your own hands if you can help it. But if you must (and I know you must), there are certain instances where you can go to town.

I wanted to get the scoop on how to handle the most common skin blemishes and learn which ones we can safely remove on our own. Enter Crystal Pallister, a skincare expert at Ritual Spa in Toronto, who schooled me on matters of the skin.

“I think it is definitively okay to extract blackheads and I tell my clients to keep an extractor handy to do a light scraping technique on their own at home,” she says. “It’s also okay to do extractions on what are called microcomedones or undersurface congestion - these are tiny raised blackheads on the skin that can be caused from cell phone use or sleeping on one side of your face (amongst other things).”

Blackheads

Blackheads are microcomedones caused by dirt and oil clogging hair follicles and are safe to remove on your own.

“They (blackheads) can usually be alleviated by improving your cleansing and exfoliation routine, but sometimes they need to be extracted,” says Pallister.

“In this case, I suggest using Q-tips. They are handy because they won’t cause damage to the skin and you can get underneath a congested spot much easier. I never suggest using your nails as this will cause scars and damage, especially later on in life.”

Pustules/Pimples

Those fiery red zits are what’s known as pustules. You would be lying if you said you’ve never popped one (and probably felt pretty satisfied doing it).

“Pimples should never be popped or extracted as this causes major damage to the skin,” Pallister explains.

“You can use masks, spot treatments and exfoliants to treat acne,” she continues. “Ingredients that are great to look for are enzymes, salicylic and lactic acid, antibacterial ingredients like colloidal silver and tea tree, activated charcoal and purifying clays.”

Milia

Milia are little white bumps or cysts you often find in clusters around your eyes and cheeks. They’re hard little buggers filled with keratin.

As tempting as they may be, fiddling with milia is a no-no for Pallister. “Milia need to be extracted with a lancet by a professional only,” she says. “The only way to treat them at home would be to use an enzyme-based exfoliant like rice bran to loosen up the buildup.”

Retinoid creams and chemical peels will also help rid yourself of milia faster than just waiting them out.

Whiteheads

We’ve all had encounters with whiteheads, but according to Pallister, you shouldn’t succumb to the temptation to pick at them either.

“A whitehead is the tip of the iceberg,” she says. “Whatever you are seeing on top is nothing compared to what is underneath. The follicle is actually expanded to hold all the grossness and if you pop it, you can break the follicle lining which will at the very least leak into surrounding areas causing more breakout and at the worst dermal structural damage which cannot be fixed.

Whiteheads can be treated with a combination of spot treatments, clay masks, exfoliants and a whole lot of patience.