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Should I Pop My Pimple or Wait? A Habit Log for When Urges Strike

6 sourcesLarge or systematic studies 2Small or observational studies 2Medical societies & agencies 2Reviewed Next review See sourcesEvidence criteria

At home, it is better not to pop pimples. Write down the moments your hands reach for your face, and decide in advance what you will do with your hands instead when the urge comes.

A woman with curly hair pinned up, in a pale yellow sweater, leans on a cushion by the window, holding a mug in both hands and looking outside
What this note covers7 sections
  1. Why shouldn’t you pop a pimple?
  2. What is the white stuff that comes out when you squeeze?
  3. How is popping at home different from a dermatologist’s extraction?
  4. What do you do the moment your hand reaches for your face?
  5. Habit log for the urge to touch
  6. When is it time to see a dermatologist about it?
  7. Evidence recap
Item Detail Basis
How the urge works 30 people who pick at their acne scored higher on the non-planning part of an impulsivity scale than 30 who do not 2023 PMID 36409553 · B
The mood behind it In 56 women with acne, perfectionism and obsessive traits were more strongly tied to scratching and picking than acne severity was 1996 PMID 8742540 · B
When you squeeze it yourself Scratching or squeezing on your own makes scars more likely KDCA · official
Extraction at a clinic Comedone extraction with an extractor is described as a procedure done by medical staff at a dermatology clinic Korean Dermatological Association · society
Research on the habit In 32 adults with acne excoriée (acne marked by picking), adding 8 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy to standard care lowered skin-picking scores more 2022 PMID 32502358 · A

The institutional sources are Korean: the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Korea’s national public health agency, and the Korean Dermatological Association, Korea’s professional society of dermatologists.

Why shouldn’t you pop a pimple?

The KDCA says squeezing acne yourself makes scars more likely. The same page explains that if you squeeze it the wrong way and the sebum bursts inward, the skin can end up pitted and uneven.

A young man in a pale yellow hoodie sits on the floor by a window next to the bed, one hand resting on his knee, looking at the view outside
The moment your hand starts toward your face, set it down on your knee or the desk first, then open your log.

What is the white stuff that comes out when you squeeze?

The Korean Dermatological Association describes a comedone as keratin and sebum that have collected in a hair pore. Being able to see it does not make it something to pull out; extraction is a job for the clinic.

How is popping at home different from a dermatologist’s extraction?

Comedone extraction at a dermatology clinic is a procedure done by medical staff with sterilized tools. A 2021 trial that split 128 people with moderate acne into groups (PMID 34804358) reported results where clinicians handled lesions every 2 weeks while patients also used prescription medicine, so it cannot be read as permission to squeeze at home.

What do you do the moment your hand reaches for your face?

First write down the time, place, mood and spot, then give your hands something else to do. The urge tends to strike without a plan (a 2023 study of 60 people), so even one week of notes shows you the times it keeps coming back.

Seen from above against a yellow background, two arms stretched out with the fingers of both hands laced together
When your hands head for your face, clasp them together or give them something else to hold.

Habit log for the urge to touch

Date and time Place Mood then (1–5) Spot you reached for Outcome (held off / touched / squeezed) What you did instead
Tue 11:40 p.m. (example) In front of the bathroom mirror Nervous the night before an exam, 4 Chin Held off Turned off the mirror light and picked up a mug
Wed 3:10 p.m. (example) At the office monitor Deadline pressure, 5 Cheek Touched Washed hands and put on moisturizer

Replacement actions are easier to pick if you decide them ahead of time. Put the magnifying mirror in a drawer, and in weeks when your hands wander more, like late-work stretches or exam weeks, keep something to hold on your desk, such as a pen or a mug. After a week, find the time slots where “touched” and “squeezed” pile up, and start by cutting how long you stand at the mirror then.

A small potted tree with fresh light-green leaves beside a glass hourglass with a thin stream of falling sand on a sunlit windowsill
Also note in the log how long you waited for the urge to pass.

When is it time to see a dermatologist about it?

  • If your hands reach for your face several times a week despite trying to hold off, and every spot you touch leaves a scab or mark, bring your habit log to a dermatologist.
  • Leave large, swollen, painful pimples or deep lumps alone and have a dermatologist check them.
  • If the urge often comes with anxiety or a low mood, consider talking to a mental health professional as well as a dermatologist.

Evidence recap

  • In a 2023 study (PMID 36409553), 30 patients who pick at their acne scored higher on the non-planning part of an impulsivity scale than 30 patients who do not.
  • In a 2022 randomized trial that split 32 adults with acne excoriée (PMID 32502358), the group that added 8 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy to standard care had lower skin-picking scale scores after 2 months.
  • The KDCA says squeezing on your own makes scars more likely, and the Korean Dermatological Association explains that deep lesions can leave permanent scars.

Frequently asked questions

Why shouldn't you pop pimples?

Korea's disease-control agency (KDCA) says squeezing a pimple makes it redder and more swollen and inflamed, and it ends up leaving a scar. The Korean Dermatological Association also explains that deep lesions such as pus bumps and nodules can leave permanent scars even after they settle, so when your hand reaches for one, write it in your log and move on to something else.

What is the white stuff that comes out when you pop a pimple?

The Korean Dermatological Association describes a comedone as keratin and sebum that have built up in a hair pore. A plug of keratin blocks the opening and sebum collects behind it, swelling the follicle, so even if you see a white bit, it is not something to pull out yourself.

What is the difference between popping pimples at home and extraction at a dermatologist?

At a dermatology clinic, medical staff take out comedones with a sterilized extractor or open and drain pus bumps. The KDCA also advises against squeezing on your own and says to get it done professionally at a clinic, so your job at home is just to log the moments you reached for your face and show that at your visit.

Sources

  1. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) National Health Information Portal — Acne (Korean)Institutional
  2. Korean Dermatological Association — Acne vulgaris (Korean)Institutional
  3. Impulsivity in acne patients who pick their skin, 60 people, 2023 (PMID 36409553)B
  4. Self-excoriation and psychological factors in 56 women with acne, 1996 (PMID 8742540)B
  5. Randomized trial adding cognitive behavioral therapy in 32 people with acne excoriée, 2022 (PMID 32502358)A
  6. Randomized trial of in-office lesion extraction in 128 people with moderate acne, 2021 (PMID 34804358)A

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