It is a gel-like substance commonly used in medical dressings for its ability to absorb exudate—fluids such as pus and oil—from wounds. When applied to a pimple, the hydrocolloid patch draws out these impurities while maintaining a moist environment that promotes faster healing.
The patch acts as an adhesive bandage, creating a protective seal over the skin while also absorbing excess fluids like oil and dirt from your pimple. As it continues to soak up moisture and draw out all the impurities from your blemish, the hydrocolloid pimple patch will turn white.
Once your time is up, gently peel off the patch and throw it away. You should notice some white gunk on the patch. This is hydrocolloid gel that forms when hydrocolloid mixes with pus, bacteria, and oil.
Hydrocolloid is made of gel forming agents like pectin or gelatin (most commonly used) that create a moist environment with the body to promote healing. It draws out the fluids and pus and then forms a soft gel. If you've used Mighty Patch before, you'll notice this as the white stuff that gets sucked out!
Pus is formed from inflamed debris, dead white blood cells and is also produced as the body's response to bacteria invading the system. This can it will heal on its own without treatment. However, skin treatments such as the Acne Beta peel can assist in reducing the risk of future breakouts.
If your breakout hasn't been popped, a pimple patch can act as a helpful barrier to stop you from picking. Keep in mind that hydrocolloid patches are designed to work on open lesions, however, they can still prove effective at drawing out gunk from pimples that aren't open.
Home remedies, such as cleansing the skin, applying ice, and using benzoyl peroxide, can help shrink a cystic pimple. However, in some cases, cystic acne may require dermatological help. Cystic acne is a severe form of acne that causes large bumps to form under the skin.
Dermatologist Leona Yip says patches can be a "good idea". "It's just selecting the right type of spot that would benefit." Dr Yip says pimple patches are best for "that pesky spot that won't go away" or "smaller acne spots", and they're not going to work on cystic or extensive acne.
Dr. Lee uses the video to educate about the difference between a whitehead and a milia, which can sometimes appear quite similar. Milia are bumps containing keratin that has been trapped underneath the skin, and are sometimes called “baby acne” or “Epstein pearls."
Pimple patches are made with hydrocolloid, a gummy polymer typically used in wound care to absorb fluid and promote healing. “Hydrocolloid helps draw out oil and pus from pimples, reducing inflammation,” Dr. Wong says.
Besides the aesthetic perks, by covering pimples, these patches make it less likely that people will push, squeeze, pick at, or try to pop their blemishes; avoiding these actions can reduce the chances of further infection or scarring, says Zeichner.
“They work best on surface-level breakouts but aren't effective for deeper acne like blackheads, cystic acne or nodules, which require more comprehensive treatments. For more severe acne, it's best to see a dermatologist,” suggests Dr. Wong.
Your body can gradually break down pus and reabsorb its components. That's why small accumulations of pus (like in a pimple) often don't need treatment.
Pustules are a type of pimple that contains yellowish pus. They are larger than whiteheads and blackheads. Home remedies and over-the-counter creams may help treat pustules. Pustules appear either as red bumps with white centers or as white bumps that are hard and often tender to the touch.
Adult acne, or post-adolescent acne, is acne that occurs after age 25. For the most part, the same factors that cause acne in adolescents are at play in adult acne. The four factors that directly contribute to acne are: excess oil production, pores becoming clogged by "sticky" skin cells, bacteria, and inflammation.
Blind pimples are pimples (zits) that form under your skin. They may stay under your skin's surface, causing pain and inflammation. Or they may erupt through the surface in the form of a whitehead, blackhead or red bump. Treatment includes warm compresses and acne-fighting creams.
If you leave the pimple patch on too long, you run the risk of the adhesive material not sticking properly, and the patch may start to irritate the skin instead of helping it. Remember, it's extracting and absorbing the gunk. When it's ready to toss, toss it!
The patch often has an outer layer that protects the skin from bacteria or infection. The inner layer can absorb any fluid that leaks from a pimple, such as pus or discharge.
So the pimple simply explodes by itself, because of the huge pressure inside the pimple. This pressure explosion results in damaged and scared skin. Certainly, it is likely that it will cause a red mark on the skin, as you probably get a small wound, which will become a scar.
A comedo can be open (blackhead) or closed by skin (whitehead) and occur with or without acne. The word comedo comes from Latin comedere 'to eat up' and was historically used to describe parasitic worms; in modern medical terminology, it is used to suggest the worm-like appearance of the expressed material.
It can happen when you pop, squeeze, scratch or over-exfoliate a pimple, breaking the surrounding blood vessels. If you have frequent blood-filled pimples or other acne problems, talk to your primary care provider or dermatologist. Several remedies are available over the counter and by prescription.