Buzz
Photo: Delmaine Donson/Getty ImagesEver wondered what it's like to ask a beauty editor for advice? Or maybe you'd love some insider beauty product tips from someone who’s tried everything? You're in the right place. Each week, beauty editor Hana Hong answers the biggest skincare, haircare, and makeup questions submitted by Mytour readers. Tune in every Tuesday and submit your own beauty queries here for a chance to be featured.
Reader question: What’s the quickest way to bring a pimple to a head? —@opposumpooka
Have you ever had a stubborn pimple that seems to have no head but feels like an impossible mountain to deal with? It stays just beneath your skin, making your usual acne treatments and pimple popping methods ineffective.
This pesky problem is known as a "blind pimple," which might sound harmless, but it’s actually the worst type. Unlike a typical whitehead (which is non-inflammatory and easy to treat with spot treatments), a blind pimple is deep, painful, and difficult to treat because the pus is buried under your skin. FYI: These pimples often appear before your period due to increased oil production during that time.
As anyone who has dealt with pimples knows, treatment is much easier once a pimple comes to a head. A blind pimple is technically called a "papule," which is a raised, red bump. At this stage, the skin’s oil glands are swollen and clogged, and the pus causes pressure that activates your skin’s nerves, which can make it painful.
The aim is to turn it into a "pustule," which, as the name suggests, contains pus and can be squeezed. First off, NEVER pop any pimple that doesn’t have a visible whitehead, as this can make the inflammation much worse and lead to scarring—which may require additional treatments for removal. Instead, focus on gently coaxing the bacteria and debris to the surface.
While there's no quick fix for making a blind pimple disappear instantly, there are a few methods to speed up the process and make it go away faster (and no, using toothpaste is not one of them). These methods are the only dermatologist-approved ways to bring a pimple to a head in a safe and effective manner.
Use a warm compress
Warm compresses have long been used to reduce inflammation and aid in the drainage of wounds, and a pimple is essentially a small, inflamed wound. If the pimple is shallow enough, applying a warm compress could help it come to a head, allowing it to burst and release the pus causing discomfort, says Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. To make this method effective, you may need to repeat the process multiple times a day in 10-minute intervals.
Stick on a pimple patch
Similar to the warm compress technique but with a more modern twist, hydrocolloid bandages, commonly used in hospitals to draw blood and pus from open wounds, work the same way for pimples. These smaller patches help draw out the debris from your pimple. An added benefit: they also keep bacteria out and prevent you from picking at your cystic acne while it heals naturally. Consider using Starface Hydro-Stars ($15, starface.world) if you want to make your inflamed pimple look Instagram-ready. For a deeper cystic pimple, opt for a more intensive microneedling patch, like Zitsticka Killa Kit ($29, ulta.com), which features tiny needles and a concentrated serum to promote collagen production and reduce inflammation.
Use anti-inflammatory ingredients
Although this method takes a bit more time, applying topical benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and/or adapalene gel can penetrate the clogged pore, dissolving oil, dirt, and other impurities. Just be sure to only use one product containing the ingredient at a time, as overuse may cause irritation to your pores (For example, if you're using a spot treatment, avoid using a face wash with the same ingredient.).
Get a cortisone shot
This option doesn't involve a simple, cheap DIY remedy, but it's the quickest method to tackle a blind pimple. "Cystic pimples can be treated with intralesional cortisone injections to reduce inflammation and shrink the size," explains Dr. King. Just a heads-up: these shots typically cost between $50 to $200 each (though insurance might cover some of it), but they are effective. If you have an important event coming up, it might be worth seeing a dermatologist—just be sure to schedule the appointment at least 24 to 48 hours ahead to allow for full results.
