“Pimple patches don't work at all on closed lesions or deeper lesions or even blackheads and whiteheads, which are called comedones,” Dr. Kassouf explains. “They are spots treatments for active bumps and have no ability to prevent acne from coming,” nor can they clear clogged pores or other precursors to acne flares.”
Hydrocolloids work on the acne blemish by creating a protective seal over the skin, while absorbing excess fluid such as oil and pus, flattening spots faster and reducing inflammation/skin redness.
The Mighty Patch absorbs and clears fluids from acne that are known to produce pus. After about six hours, you'll start to notice the patch turning white—that's the gunk from the pimple!
Mighty Patch is perfect for whiteheads (the “poppable” kind of pimple). Leave it on overnight for best results. Not recommended for cystic pimples or blackheads – speak with your doctor or dermatologist for more options.
Mighty Patch The Original has received an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars after more than 1,000 customer reviews. The positive reviews are from customers who appreciate that these patches prevent them from picking at their blemishes and love that they speed up healing of a blemish.
Hydrocolloid polymer technology helps clean out pores while DMAE helps to shrink them. Vitamin A minimizes and refines the appearance of pores.
Hero Cosmetics Invisible Mighty Patch
Cosrx is by far the most in-demand brand of pimple patches on our list, based on its high rating of 4.6-stars from more than 11,600 reviews on Amazon, plus it's available at many retailers, including Macy's, Asos, DermStore and Ulta Beauty.
Absolutely amazing for nodular and cystic acne. I had a huge node on my cheek and tried everything, including Rael micropoint patches (which left me with a horrible chemical burn).
Garshick's pick is the Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Original. "This hydrocolloid option helps to draw out excess fluid and keep you from picking at your pimples, which is particularly important for the deeper, hormonal breakouts," she says.
Dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, told Insider that hydrocolloid bandages may not be suited for all kinds of acne. While they won't do much to blackheads or whiteheads, he said they're perfect for drawing out fluid from "red, angry pimples," or cystic acne.
Microdermabrasion: A dermatologist uses a specialized instrument to “sand” your skin. Removing the top layers of your skin frees the clogs that cause blackheads. Chemical peels: Chemical peels use a mild chemical solution to remove layers of skin and reduce blackheads.
It's almost like steaming the face. 'Petroleum jelly dilutes the dried up oxidized oil, creating a hard-topped plug of oil in the pore which is then easier to squeeze out and clear. '
Prolonged exposure to the air causes the blockage to oxidize and darken. Because the pore gets stretched out of shape, it will fill back up again even after it is emptied. These stubborn pores are most likely to occur on the face, chest and back.
Retinoids, which are available by prescription (such as Retin-A) and over-the-counter (Differin) are a reliable method for ridding the skin of blackheads. “Retinoids work by promoting skin turnover and decreasing the 'stickiness' of the skin cells to prevent blockage of the follicular ostia,” Suozzi explains.
Peace Out's pore strips lift dirt, excess sebum, oily wax and dead skin cells up from within pores. They are infused with vitamin A, which minimizes and refines the appearance of pores after they're cleaned.
Pimple patches may work on surface-level acne like pus-filled pimples and blackheads, but aren't effective for cystic acne. They're made with zit-drying hydrocolloid, and many products have additional acne-fighting ingredients.
If an ingrown hair or folliculitis bump has visible white pus, Mighty Patch can help the situation. Simply apply a patch overnight, remove and wash the area in the morning, and then use a tweezer to remove the hair (if there's one present).
Applying the patches helped keep me from popping any zits, and when I woke up the next morning, the bumps were significantly flatter. The patches stayed stuck to my skin all night and were also great to help zits that I had already popped (nobody's perfect) heal.
Dots for Spots are miniature, sticker-like dots that harness hydrocolloid technology to absorb impurities (pus and fluid) from your spots. Sounds too good to be true? They also provide a no-touch healing environment, protecting from breakout causing bacteria.
It can be frustrating waiting for a blind pimple to clear on its own. Warm compresses and acne stickers can help to bring a pimple to a head so that the sebum, dead skin cells, and bacteria can exit to the skin's surface.