Three Reasons Why Your Dermatologist Doesn’t Want You To Pick Your Pimples
Pimples. Adolescent or adult, these unsightly skin blemishes are never really welcome. Always popping up at the wrong time (as if there is ever a right time), acne breakouts often come with hours of staring in the mirror, wondering what to do next.
Call it temptation or habit, if the inclination to pick at your acne bumps and pop them creeps into your mind, you’re not alone. “We see our fair share of pickers in the dermatology clinic,” says Emily Johnston, physician assistant at Sanova Dermatology. “It gets difficult. As the health care provider, I am no longer looking for solutions to treat the patient’s acne, but also the skin damage and sequelae that come along with the picking.”
So before you start your DIY at home extraction, consider these 3 reasons why your dermatologist doesn’t want you to pick your pimples:
- Infection – As with any other break in the skin, you are opening yourself up to the possibility of infection. Your skin is one way your body protects itself from infection causing bacteria. Picking your pimples, regardless of what is causing them, can make things worse and require treatment.
- Discoloration – If you pick and squeeze your pimples, you are probably going to experience discoloration of your skin. While your pimple will eventually go away (sometimes treatment is necessary to assist with this), the discoloration caused from picking at it will leave an unsightly reminder for many months to come.
- Inflammation – Sometimes a pimple looks “ready” and the urge to pop it wins over the warnings from your conscience not to. “Squeezing your skin can actually damage it, and will cause more redness and swelling,” says Johnston. If you do this, you’ve pretty much accomplished the opposite of what you were hoping for.
If you suffer from acne breakouts, first, keep your hands at bay. Then, see a qualified dermatologist such as this dermatologist in Redlands, CA and skin care expert. With proper care, you can diminish you acne without causing significant harm to your skin and health.
