How Should You Treat A Pimple?
There's nothing worse than waking up in the morning, walking towards the mirror and noticing a bright red spot on your forehead.
And you're certainly not alone. In fact, a 2008 study found that 73.3 per cent of adults aged 20 years and older suffer from acne.
But be warned. Mishandling a pimple can cause scaring, infections or long lasting blemishes.
RELATED: 5 Reasons You're Still Getting Acne As A Grown Man
So when you do wake up with a blotch under your eye or below your lip, the first thing you should do is avoid squeezing the head, says Nivea skincare expert, Robyn Hutch.
"Generally speaking, popping your own pimples can lead to infection and permanent scarring, and interfering could make them look even worse. If you resist the urge to squeeze, pimples will usually resolve over a week or so," advises Hutch.
"If there's a pimple that is irritating you and requires urgent treatment, a dermatologist or skincare specialist can get rid of the contents of the pimple safely.
"This is always the best means of popping a troublesome pimple if you really need to. If you have a cystic pimple and it's not treated correctly, it could cause other breakouts.
"There are a number of things that can be used as natural spot remedies like lemon juice and baking soda. It’s always really important to continue moisturising skin even if it is prone to pimples as removing oil from skin can trigger it to produce more oil and continues this process."
Previous research suggests there is a relationship between diet and acne and Hutch agrees this is one cause of spots :"Pimples arise when pores become clogged with oil (sebum) and dead skin. A common cause of pimples can be your diet. However they can also appear when we’re stressed, due to genetics, hot and humid weather, over exfoliating, smoking and touching your face often."
A 2016 study reported that out of 4618 participants over the age of 18, 33 per cent had facial acne scars, meaning that preventing scarring is a real issue. Hutch suggests several tools to minimising the risk of permanent scarring.
Hutch recommends your first port of call be relieving the surrounding skin.
RELATED: 7 Things You Do Every Day That Are Making You Break Out
"After a pimple has been popped you should focus on supporting skin healing to minimise the risk of an infection or scar," suggests Hutch.
"Start by applying a gentle facial toner to disinfect the area and reduce redness. Follow this by icing the area – this will reduce the pain and swelling after popping a big pimple. Once you’ve done this keep the area clean by cleansing and moisturising daily."
Need more reason to moisturise? Check out why men need to add it to their grooming routine.
