“If you pop the pimple, it becomes a micro-wound,” explains Kazin. At this point, it's best to apply a little antibiotic ointment like Neosporin ($6, drugstore.com) at night to help speed up healing. Allowing it to “breathe” during the day without anything on it, if possible, will also help it mend faster.
Apply an antibiotic ointment, such as Bacitracin, with clean hands or a clean cotton swab. Wash your hands after applying the ointment, too. Apply an antibacterial spot treatment moving forward, such as tea tree oil. This will help to fight bacteria while ideally reducing inflammation.
Treat your popped pimple like an open wound, because that's basically what it is. An over-the-counter antibiotic ointment is your best friend. Dot a tiny amount directly on the popped pimple or scab. This will help speed up healing time.
Make sure to keep it moisturized.
But once the bleeding has stopped and the area is clean, you can apply a gentle, relatively bland moisturizer to the area. You don't want to use anything “that's going to irritate the skin,” Dr.
This is the most important thing to keep in mind once you have already popped open a pimple. Avoid touching the spot as much as possible and do not pull the scab if there is one on the affected area. Removing the scab will slow down the healing process and may also result in a scar that may become permanent.
It's tempting, but popping or squeezing a pimple won't necessarily get rid of the problem. Squeezing can push bacteria and pus deeper into the skin, which might cause more swelling and redness. Squeezing also can lead to scabs and might leave you with permanent pits or scars.
If you have a pimple scab, it's very important to keep the area clean and dry. You can also treat it with antiseptic ointment, and cover with a bandage. These steps will help the scab heal faster and prevent infection. The steps also lower the chances of scarring.
"It's best to let a pimple run through its life span," Rice says. Left alone, a blemish will heal itself in 3 to 7 days. Popped improperly, it can linger for weeks or lead to scarring.
Health asked Ted Lain, MD, a board-certified dermatologist from Austin, Texas, to weigh in on this dubious claim. The conclusion: No, Vaseline does not treat acne. In fact, using Vaseline on your face may actually cause breakouts.
When you have inflammatory acne lesions (such as pustules, papules, nodules, and cysts), your immune system activates in this area, resulting in noticeable pus. Acne pustules have a whitish fluid inside them. As the inflammation improves, the pustules will also improve and go down.
When it is used long-term, Neosporin and other antibacterial ointments can also wear away at the skin's protective layers, making it more likely to develop other problems. Finally, the petroleum jelly in Neosporin does not allow the skin to breathe, making clogged pores and acne even more likely.
Using a triple-antibiotic ointment may help minor cuts and scrapes heal quickly and with less pain. However, the ointments are not necessary for every kind of wound. 3 You can often get the same results by bandaging the cut, keeping it moist, and changing the dressing often.
Topical antibiotics are applied directly to the skin. Clindamycin and erythromycin are the most common topical antibiotics. A 2018 Cochrane review emphasizes that these antibiotics work best for inflammatory acne, which develops when bacteria enter blocked pores. Other types of acne may not respond as well.
“If you pop the pimple, it becomes a micro-wound,” explains Kazin. At this point, it's best to apply a little antibiotic ointment like Neosporin ($6, drugstore.com) at night to help speed up healing. Allowing it to “breathe” during the day without anything on it, if possible, will also help it mend faster.
It's also important to understand that Neosporin does not speed up wound healing compared to petrolatum. In 1996, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study comparing antibiotic ointment with plain petrolatum jelly.
Most infected pimples get better with at-home treatments. To reduce pain and swelling, use a warm compress and apply over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide. Keep the area clean and avoid touching the pimple while it heals. Some infections require prescription antibiotics.
Neosporin should only be used on small cuts, scrapes, or burns. You shouldn't use it over large areas of the body or for more serious injuries. If you have deep or puncture wounds, animal bites, or serious burns, ask your provider right away about what you should do to treat your injury.
The commonly used ointment Neosporin may disrupt skin's regenerative microbiome, delaying healing. The patchwork of new skin that closes an animal's open sore might seem like the product of the immune system working alone, but researchers found that bacteria are crucial players in skin regeneration.
Dr. Coley recommends skipping the antibiotics if the wound is not showing any signs of an infection and recommends that individuals employ the following measures: Keep the skin injury clean: Wash hands before touching the wound, and gently wash the wound daily with mild soap and water to keep out germs.
Triple antibiotic ointments (TAOs) are made up of three infection-fighting ingredients: Polymyxin B Sulfate, Bacitracin Zinc and Neomycin. While these three ingredients pack a powerful punch when it comes to wound care, they should be avoided when it comes to acne care.
Does it work on acne scars? Neosporin contains several ingredients, such as cocoa butter and petroleum jelly, that may soften acne scars. According to a 2016 article , petroleum ointments moisturize the skin, which may help prevent scarring.
For moderate to severe acne, you may need oral antibiotics to reduce bacteria. Usually the first choice for treating acne is a tetracycline (minocycline, doxycycline) or a macrolide (erythromycin, azithromycin).
If you're treating a wound that's infected—it's red, painful, and oozing pus—or if the wound still looks dirty after washing it, our experts say it's fine to use Neosporin topical ointment within a year after it's expired.