The best way to make a zit go away fast is to apply a dab of benzoyl peroxide, which you can buy at a drug store in cream, gel or patch form, says Shilpi Khetarpal, MD. It works by killing bacteria that clogs pores and causes inflammation. You can buy it in concentrations ranging from 2.5% to 10%.
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. Using ice can relieve inflammation. If blind pimples occur frequently or are particularly inflamed and painful, a person should seek advice from a dermatologist.
Warm compresses have been used to encourage the draining of wounds -- including pimples. The warm compress helps to open the pores and draw the pimple to the surface to form a head. You can apply a warm compress to a clean face for up to 20 minutes.
Does putting toothpaste on a pimple make it go away? You may have heard this suggestion, but experts on acne say don't try it. Toothpaste could make that spot on your skin even more red, irritated, and noticeable.
Don't pop or squeeze pus-filled pimples
You can cause the bacteria to spread and the inflammation to worsen.
Pores are tiny openings in the skin that allow oil to seep out and keep the skin soft. A pimple is a result of a pore becoming clogged. A boil, or furuncle, is a pus-filled lump caused by bacterial infection. It can appear red and swollen.
Apply warm compresses and soak the boil in warm water. This will decrease the pain and help draw the pus to the surface. Once the boil comes to a head, it will burst with repeated soakings.
What should you do? The rumor mill might have you believing that dabbing some regular old toothpaste on your zit will help it clear up overnight. But, while it's true that several ingredients found in toothpaste are drying to skin and might help shrink your pimple, this home remedy for breakouts isn't worth the risk.
Warm compresses
Once the area surrounding the cyst is clean, apply a warm compress to the area. The warmth and moisture helps encourage the trapped substance to work its way out of the hair follicle without the need for popping the cyst. You can also use a soft warm, moist washcloth for the same results.
Pus, a thick, white substance made up of bacteria and white blood cells, sometimes fills the pimple.
"Cleanse the affected area with a gentle exfoliator like salicylic acid and/or anti-bacterial agent like benzoyl peroxide, then apply a warm compress. Use the pads of your fingers, not your fingernails. Use Q-tips to pop your whitehead. Better yet, wrap clean tissue paper around your fingers or a Q-tip in each hand.
In fact, blood-filled pimples happen as a result of the picking or popping of a regular pimple. The forced trauma to that area of the skin not only pushes out puss — the white or yellow liquid bacteria — but also blood where the skin or pimple is infected or irritated.
Calming for spots
One of the most famous uses for Sudocrem is to treat acne. As well as being a nappy rash cream, the brand recognise it as another great way to use the product. It's thought to be effective in dealing with acne spots because of the zinc oxide and benzyl alcohol in the cream.
Honey isn't the magical end-all, be-all of curing acne and preventing future acne from ever popping up again. But it is known to have natural antibacterial and calming qualities. These qualities may help soothe inflamed acne blemishes.
"Petrolatum is inherently comedogenic, which means it will clog the pores," he says. "It won't heal acne—it will literally cause it." Since petroleum jelly does have some anti-inflammatory effects that can help diminish the look of redness, Dr. Lain says.
Baking soda is known to draw out impurities and will bring your pimple to a head, so make sure you are ready to deal with a whitehead before using this method. Baking soda also has an exfoliating texture that can help remove any dead skin cells or debris clogging up your pores.
There's no real harm in using zit stickers — but they may not work, either, leaving you pimply and frustrated. “They're really just wound healing dressings for a very specific type of lesion,” Dr. Kassouf says. “They can be helpful, but for overall acne treatment, there is little use for them.
Before you apply toothpaste onto a pimple, you should wash your face with a gentle cleanser and warm water, then pat your skin dry. Then, apply a very small amount of toothpaste directly onto the pimple. Leave the toothpaste in place for at least 2 hours, or let the toothpaste stay on overnight for extra drying.
If you've only got a few hours…
Grab an ice pack, or a single ice cube if your fingers can bare it, and apply it directly onto your pimple. Hold it this way for as long as you can stand it, then take a break for a few seconds, and repeat at least twice more.