Popping a pimple can also cause scarring. How long does a pimple last if you don't pop it? A pimple typically heals on its own in three to seven days. However, if you pop the pimple, it can become infected and take longer to heal.
Usually, cystic acne can improve with age. However, the stubborn and painful bumps won't go away on their own. If you suspect you have cystic acne, your dermatologist is your best line of defense. They can prescribe the medication necessary to help clear your skin.
Depending on the treatment, cystic acne can last for eight to twelve weeks. When a pore gets clogged from skin cells, oil, and bacteria, it can become infected, leaving a red and swollen bump. Cystic acne occurs when this infection goes deep into the skin, creating a bump that can be painful to the touch.
Squeezing also can lead to scabs and might leave you with permanent pits or scars. Because popping isn't the way to go, patience is the key. Your pimple will disappear on its own, and by leaving it alone you're less likely to be left with any reminders that it was there.
Apply a hydrocolloid acne patch
“The patches are often made out of hydrocolloid materials that are super absorbent to help flatten the cyst. In addition, some of these acne patches contain active ingredients such as salicylic acid or tea tree oil that treat the pimple while concealing it.”
This can cause the pimple to become even more red, inflamed, or infected. In other words, you'll still have the pimple, rendering any attempts useless. Also, by popping the pimple yourself, you'll spread the pus and debris to the surrounding skin, creating more pimples.
Don't pop or squeeze pus-filled pimples
You can cause the bacteria to spread and the inflammation to worsen.
A blind pimple, also known as cystic acne, is a pimple that lives beneath the surface of your skin and doesn't come to a head. It is often in the form of a red, painful bump beneath the skin. Blind pimples are caused by oil getting trapped beneath the skin.
Hormonal changes, including those caused by menopause, menstruation, pregnancy, and certain medical conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), can be triggers for cystic acne.
You're most likely to get cystic acne in your teens or early 20s. But it can happen to children as young as 8 or adults as old as 50. Your face, chest, back, upper arms, or shoulders can be affected. If one of your parents had severe cystic acne, you have a higher chance of getting it.
Isotretinoin (Accutane), a powerful prescription medication, is considered the most effective treatment measure for cystic acne. It's derived from a powerful form of vitamin A, taken in tablet form every day. About 85 percent of people who take it experience improvements within four to six months.
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. This usually occurs within 10 days of its appearance.
Hot compress
Simple heat is the most recommended and effective home measure for draining or shrinking cysts. Here's how it works: Heat may reduce the thickness of liquid in the cyst. In the case of liquid-filled epidermoid cysts, this may help fluid drain quicker into the lymphatic system.
Pus, a thick, white substance made up of bacteria and white blood cells, sometimes fills the pimple.
If bacteria living on the skin also become stuck in the follicle, this can cause inflammation and infection. White blood cells flow in to fight infection, and, as a result, dead white blood cells, bacteria, and other debris form pockets of pus. Pus filled pimples do not reflect an individual's cleanliness.
When to Pop, and When to Stop
If your pimple has a white or yellow head, it's prime for the popping. “At that point, it is OK to extract because the bump is very superficial to the surface of the skin,” says Lee.
While most people pop their pimples on occasion, skin picking can be a symptom of a psychological disorder. Zakhary defined skin picking disorder as "skin picking resulting in skin lesions, with repeated attempts to stop the behavior and that is causing distress and impairment."
If your pimple contains infected pus, popping a pimple can spread bacteria into other pore and hair follicles and create a bigger acne outbreak. Popping a pimple can also delay your body's natural healing process, meaning what is meant to be a “quick fix” ends up giving you a blemish that lasts even longer.
Milia won't pop and can take a long time to go away. Milia can show up anywhere, but they are most common on the face. They may appear around the eyes and cheeks, nose, and forehead.
Hold this [cooled] needle in your hand, and brace that hand against your face, or a non-moving surface to stabilize your hand so it doesn't shake about, and gently pierce the top of the pustule with the needle. Then, pull up to lift open a hole within the pimple,” instructs Lee.
Simply put, cystic acne causes pain due to the pimple's size, depth, and inflammation. Because they're so deep in the skin, they're closer to nerve endings, so high amounts of inflammation may be especially painful in certain areas.
Cystic acne is a type of inflammatory acne that causes painful, pus-filled pimples to form deep under the skin. Acne occurs when oil and dead skin cells clog skin pores. With cystic acne, bacteria also gets into the pores, causing swelling or inflammation. Cystic acne is the most severe type of acne.