Some Simple Tips That Your Dermatologist Never Told You For Clearing Your Zits Quickly

There are many ideas on the best remedies to clear our skin quickly. From minor blemishes to full on acne, we've all tried absurd, fast track ideas that would be sure to clear our skin at the speed of light. Growing up, my friends would tell me to use toothpaste to clear a pimple overnight - it was something about drying the blemish out. I’m not sure if this ever really worked, but after successfully clearing acne prone skin for years, I can confidentially say that there are more efficient ways to clear a blemish or zit quickly than with old school remedies.

 

Here are the answers to our most frequently asked questions on fighting zits fast! Get ready because these aren't your’ friends home remedies or simple suggestions from a dermatologist - these are tried and true methods that I, as a professional acne specialist, suggest to clients in my Acne Clinic.  Remember though, these are quick tips for clearing zits or minor blemishes only.  However, to control acne successfully on the face or body you should plan on putting in a good 3-6 months of work with a therapist who has a history of successfully clearing acne.  

 Three Rules

 •           For red bump- (painful under the skin): try icing the area immediately. Take out an  ice cube and use circular motions on the spot couple times a day for two minutes.  Ice will take down redness and inflammation. If you catch this red bump when it begins to hurt by using ice many times the pimple will not progress into a pustule with a whitehead.  Then at night spot treat with a safe benzoyl peroxide spot treatment to kill acne-causing bacteria and shrink the pimple quickly.

  
    •       For pustules (pimples with pus): Do not pop them! Simply, keep the area clean and
            don’t use any abrasive scrubs or wash clothes that could open the pimple. Instead,      apply a warm compress to see if the pimple will release on its own. Follow this up by  applying a dab of benzoyl peroxide to pimple and allow spot to dry before going to bed. The benzoyl peroxide spot treatment can be done two to three nights in a row and then discontinued.  This rule will at least contain the pimple until you can get to a professional for a safe extraction.

     •       For blackheads, forgo the pore strips they pull filaments from the nose, not blackheads.  Instead use a non- pore-clogging cleanser with benzoyl peroxide to loosen oil and debris and then rotate using a mild scrub like cleanser two times a week between regular cleansing on entire face. If you need extractions hire a  licensed skincare professional to do the job. Don’t extract on your own.

What if I already broke the second rule and popped my pimple?

We suggest cleansing the area and patting it dry with a clean towel. Icing the area will help with inflammation both before and after you've popped the pimple. Believe it or not, icing is one of the best remedies for taming redness in acne - its so simple, yet so effective - I bet you never heard that from your dermatologist or girlfriends.

What is the most important thing to do when trying to clear your skin quickly?

DO NOT POP OR PICK AT YOUR FACE! This will only cause scarring and actually spread bacteria throughout your skin. You think that picking will help eliminate the problem, but it actually aggravates your skin and makes things worse.

 

For more information on achieving clear skin, checkout  Skintherapy Skincare and Acne Clinic of Salt Lake City today.

 

Acne Surgery and Popping Pimples

While many people queeze a pimple occasionally, there are more extreme cases in which patients pick at their blemishes compulsively and the picking becomes a terrible habit.  I literally have had patients visit me for acne treatments that don’t have a pimple in existence. Instead, they have scabs that can lead to scarring. These patients can actually turn very mild acne into worse acne and create terrible scarring on their skin just by picking.  So the best advice I give to acne suffers is Don't Pick! 

A great alternative to you picking and popping your own pimples is to find an esthetician who will do extractions and professionally clean out your face.  This is also known in the medical world as Acne Surgery.  A professional knows how to extract zits without causing damage to your skin.  A trained professional like an esthetician also knows how to kill surface bacteria during extractions so that your acne doesn't spread. 

So if  you suffer from acne and find yourself always in the mirror popping, picking and digging at your skin make a conscious effort to stop.  Remember you could be doing more damage to your skin by picking.  You most likely are spreading bacteria into other pores and potentially causing scarring that may never go away. 

Skintherapy Skincare and Acne Clinic in Salt Lake City can professionally clean out your skin and help you control your acne with the right skincare.  We are also happy to refer acne suffers outside of Utah to a local Acne Specialist in your area. 

Popping Pimples

Picking, popping, scratching or doing at home extractions often becomes a bad habit for those people suffering from acne. You see picking your acne can cause damage to the pore and actually drive the pimple or pustule deeper back into the skin. Hence causing more inflammation and even scarring. Picking can also spread bacteria.
A great alternative to picking is actually icing the acne lesion as soon as you feel it coming up.
I recommend taking a small paper cup ( like a dixie cup) filling it with water and placing it in the freezer.  Once it's frozen it's ready to be used.  Remove from the freezer and gently roll it around the entire face, in circular motions for about two minutes.  You can also focus the ice filled cup on single acne lesions using circular motions as well.  Just make sure you don't hold the ice in one place too long. It is possible to get an "ice burn" if not careful.  Icing your acne will help take down inflammation and also help the penetration of the acne products and skincare you are using.
So when in doubt, pull the ice out and leave the extractions to a professional! For more information on acne treatments click here.