What happens to those who often squeeze pimples?

Acne, scientifically known as acne, is a skin problem that almost everyone will encounter at some stage. It is very common, but it is often ignored or treated improperly.

I believe that many people's first reaction when facing acne is to squeeze and scratch it with their hands, thinking that after removing the thorn in their eyes, they can quickly solve the problem of acne. But in fact, if you squeeze acne every time you see it for a long time, it will not only fail to solve the problem, but may also bring some skin problems and health risks.

Image source: pexels

Don’t believe it? Let’s continue reading.

What will happen if you squeeze pimples for a long time?

Many dermatologists do not advocate squeezing pimples because it is not a reliable treatment method and squeezing pimples cannot cure acne. On the other hand, squeezing pimples does have real health risks. In this regard, scholars have statistical data. They found that among people who like to squeeze pimples, 72% of them will have acne-related complications, while those who do not like to squeeze pimples have a significantly lower probability of complications, with a ratio of 61%. In other words, 11% of complications are caused by squeezing pimples.

So, what are the specific consequences of long-term acne squeezing? They include the following:

-Pimple displacement: When squeezing pimples from different directions, sometimes the core of the pimple will move to other places, or even to deeper places. At this time, the squeezing action will make the pimple worse.

-Not conducive to the discharge of waste: Although squeezing pimples can show some results, such as squeezing out white pus, what is invisible is that some waste cannot be discharged smoothly, such as oil and keratin plugs, which may be pushed inside along the channels of the pores.

- Pores rupture and infection spread: If the pressure is too great, the pores may rupture and the substances in the pores, including bacteria, will spread along the ruptured area to other places, which may aggravate the infection.

-Red acne marks: This is a short-term sequelae of acne, which is related to the remaining inflammation and red blood streaks.

-Black acne marks: This is another acne sequelae. The main problem is that inflammation interferes with the function of melanocytes, leaving pigments behind.

- Skin damage: This is the result of frequent or violent scratching, especially for people with compulsive behavior, who are most likely to scratch their skin.

-Acne scars and acne pits: These are long-term sequelae of acne, appearing in various shapes and are essentially scar tissue.

-Pain: This is a common subjective symptom after various man-made injuries. Even if it hurts, you still can't stop squeezing the pimples.

Why can't some people control themselves?

Trust me, you are not the only one who loves to squeeze pimples. A researcher surveyed medical students aged 17 to 27 at several universities in Baghdad. The survey found that 62% of them squeezed pimples. In addition, regardless of the severity of the pimple, whether it was mild, moderate or severe, they all liked to squeeze it.

Image source: pexels

As evidence, I believe everyone has an impression that many people on the Internet like to watch various videos of squeezing pimples. These videos directly show how people expel dirt from the skin. People will have very complex emotions when watching the videos, such as satisfaction, sourness, tension, and release...

There is an old saying that goes, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure,” meaning that what one person may consider ugly and terrible may not only be acceptable but even beautiful and attractive to another. Popping pimples is one such controversial phenomenon.

So why do some people find it hard to stop themselves from popping pimples? This behavior may be driven by several factors:

- Want instant gratification: Popping pimples (and watching others do it) can give people a short-term sense of satisfaction, especially when they see the pimples disappear as a result.

-Myth: Many people truly believe that squeezing pimples is an effective way to treat acne, not realizing that it may make skin problems worse.

- Psychological stress and anxiety: Being overly concerned about your appearance can cause anxiety and stress when faced with a disfiguring skin condition like acne, leading some people to try to control these conditions by squeezing pimples.

-Sensory discomfort: Some people may feel psychologically uncomfortable with their acne and try to relieve it by squeezing it, even to a state of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Some scientists are even using cutting-edge methods to explore the underlying neural mechanisms of those who like to watch people popping pimples. The results showed that these people have specific brain activity areas, such as the top of the frontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens, and have specific neural connection patterns, such as stronger coupling between the nucleus accumbens and the insula.

How to reduce the urge to squeeze pimples?

To some extent, popping pimples is the result of emotion overcoming reason, and sometimes it is still difficult to control. Even so, we still have to emphasize the power of reason. It is important to realize that popping pimples often brings negative consequences. Try to control it as much as possible, especially don't squeeze it hard.

When you feel the urge to pop pimples, you can try to work on both the psychological and behavioral aspects, try to optimize and adjust, and reduce the inner urge to pop pimples.

Here are some tips that may help improve this situation:

- Divert your attention: For example, pay more attention to things other than skin, such as your own life and work. It is best to focus your mind on other things.

-Distract your hands: Don't let your hands idle, reduce the chances of touching your face with your hands, especially don't use your hands to feel the uneven acne areas, which can easily trigger the desire to squeeze acne. You can try to keep your hands busy, such as playing with decompression toys, flipping through books, or doing something else.

-Avoid situations that may trigger the desire and action to squeeze pimples: this may be when you are doing nothing, when you are anxious, or when you are doing something.

-Exercise your patience: Whenever you feel the urge to squeeze a pimple, exercise your patience. Record the duration of your patience each time to see if you can become more and more patient.

-Stay away from tools that squeeze acne: Sometimes, tools such as mirrors and acne needles that are within the reach of the eyes may trigger the desire to squeeze acne.

Acne needle. Image source: pexels

If you have acne, it is best to see a doctor in time, seek professional and reliable treatment advice, and control the acne in time.

In addition, it is very important to establish healthy skin care habits, which is also very helpful for controlling acne, and more importantly, it can reduce the risk of acne recurrence. For example, you should pay attention to daily cleaning, wash your face every day, use cleansing products as needed, and avoid excessively oily skin. Pay attention to not using overly greasy products, products that clog pores, and products that are easy to cause acne.

Image source: pexels

If you wear makeup, be sure to remove it on the same day. In terms of diet, pay attention to foods that repeatedly trigger and aggravate acne. If this is the case, reduce the amount and frequency of intake appropriately.

If you can't help squeezing pimples, you can do this

Although it is better not to squeeze pimples, the reality may be more complicated. The second best suggestion is to flexibly adjust according to your own situation and squeeze pimples selectively, which may not be a big problem.

Here are some key points to keep in mind before you get addicted:

-Be prepared. Pay attention to hygiene, especially hand hygiene and face washing, and trim your nails properly to reduce the risk of infection.

-Pick the "soft persimmon" to squeeze. For example, if the pustule is shallow and thin, and feels "ripe", you can try to squeeze it with very little force. It would be better if you can use a cotton swab to assist, which may be better than squeezing it with your hands.

-Choose the right tools. If you are squeezing pimples, you can choose something close to the surface of the skin, preferably with an opening. It is more appropriate to use tools such as clean, rust-free, and sterilized pimple needles.

- If you try to squeeze but nothing works, it is recommended to stop squeezing and wait for a while. In particular, do not squeeze deep red pimples, swollen and painful bumps, large nodules or cysts, and do not squeeze until the skin bleeds or becomes painful. Do not spend too much time and energy squeezing pimples and "hand-to-hand contouring".

Popping pimples feels good for a while, but it won’t heal if you keep popping pimples. In general, if you keep getting pimples, it is recommended to seek medical attention in time, standardize medication and care under professional guidance, and timely control and reduce recurring pimples. This is a much more cost-effective way than popping pimples.

References

[1]NHS.Skinpickingdisorder.https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/skin-picking-disorder/

[2]Pickingyourskin?Learnfourtipstobreakthehabit.https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/picking-your-skin-learn-four-tips-to-break-the-habit-2018112815447

[3]Howtopopapimple:Safety,sideeffects,andothersolutions.https://www.verywellhealth.com/is-it-ever-ok-to-pop-a-pimple-or-squeeze-a-blackhead-3996549

[4]Pimplepopping:Shouldyoudoit?https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321011#outlook

[5]Pimplepopping:Whyonlyadermatologistshoulddoit.https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne/skin-care/popping

[6]PimplePopping101:Howto(Safely)ZapYourZits.https://health.clevelandclinic.org/pimple-popping-101-how-to-safely-zap-your-zits/

[7]AdelD,OllaAliAH,AliM,etal.Generalizedlookonacneproblemsamongstmedicalstudents.2023.

[8]MooneyA.Ritualsabouttheskin:commentsonpimplepoppingvideos.SocialSemiotics.2023,33(2):286-304.

[9]WabneggerA,HöflerC,ZussnerT,etal.Enjoymentofwatchingpimplepoppingvideos:AnfMRIinvestigation.BehaviouralBrainResearch.2021,402:113129.

[10]Acnevulgaris:management.NICEguideline.2023.https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng198

This article is a work of Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project

Produced by: Science Popularization Department of China Association for Science and Technology

Producer｜China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, attending physician of dermatology department

Review | Feng Jun, Deputy Chief Physician, Dermatology Department, General Hospital of Datong Coal Mine Group Co., Ltd.