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srt4cab3 srt4cab3
 
December 28, 2008 09:07 AM

Is it bad for your face to pop zits and clear out clogged pores?

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mellowgeor... mellowgeor...
 
 December 28, 2008 02:43 PM
Keep your hands away from your face and zits as hands harbor bacteria which may just contribute to your acne.

Popping zits will make you think that you're healing faster but it will usually lead to scars and pock marks (depressions in the skin, very unsightly), esp. for the larger ones.

I assume you're in puberty. Your oil glands are in overdrive and that's the main reason why you're having an acne break out. There's nothing you can do about the oil gland activity. It's part of growing up.

Any dirt or debris will clog up your pores, then bacteria live inside the clogged pore, feeding on the oil and debris = zit.

Your best bet is to use mild facial soap and wash your face 2 - 3 times a day. Keep your hands clean and minimize touching your face.

I know it's unsightly to have a number of zits on your face at any one time. But the zits will usually heal over time but scarring lasts pretty much a lifetime.

Good luck.


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srt4cab3 srt4cab3
 
December 28, 2008 11:34 PM - New Source
I am actually 21 and have a quite clean complexion. Some of my "zits" come from in-grown facial hair actually, after a close shave... you may know what I mean.

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tlrasmus tlrasmus
 
December 28, 2008 09:14 AM
It usually will lead to scarring to it is best to steer clear from the urge to pop, for even worse then a temporary pimple is a bright red scar for weeks.

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srt4cab3 srt4cab3
 
December 28, 2008 09:25 AM
But doesn't it somewhat help the face to be clog-free?

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jonceramic jonceramic
 
December 28, 2008 04:42 PM
Everyone says "don't pop".

But, I have to admit, in my years of being a zitfaced kid, I found that popping zits that were ready to be popped was not a problem. The problem I always had was "going nuts" on zits that weren't ready to be popped - or, trying to get "the last bit", and damaging the skin around them with my fingernails. It's really easy to get obsessed and start damaging your skin. Even with that, I never scarred.

HOWEVER, I literally have "thick skin" and never had bad acne. Other people aren't so lucky.

So, I'd stick with the "don't pop" advice if you can.

There are pills available if your acne is really bad. My Brother took them during puberty. They made a world of difference.

Here's a couple of good write-ups.
http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Acne/acne_ff.asp
http://kidshealth.org/kid/grow/body_stuff/acne.html

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srt4cab3 srt4cab3
 
December 28, 2008 11:37 PM
This makes sense.

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jonceramic jonceramic
 
December 29, 2008 12:29 AM
Shoot, if they're just shaving whiteheads, then heck yeah, I pop those now as an adult. Never had an issue. Never had scarring. (Find a proper razor/shaving cream combo, too, BTW. I've lately found that some old Schick Quattro's my wife had are "horrible" in the sense they won't give a close shave. But, on the flip side, I have no razor burn either, and when I get the angle right, the shave's fine. This is in comparison to the Gillette 5 blades which shave perfect the first week, and then seem to burn my face up after that.)

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darth cont... darth cont...
 
December 29, 2008 12:21 AM
If they're "normal" zits, caused by ordinary bacteria, I think leaving them alone and letting them run their course without popping is best. But, if you suspect that the infection is one of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria (e.g. methicyllin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), I'd suggest you pop it and then treat it with rubbing alcohol, and keep it covered with a bandage and some antibiotic. Left untreated, these types of infections can lead to serious boils which will scar far, far worse than a mere zit.
Source(s):
I've had several such boils on one leg, it's been 2 years but there are still crater-like scars present to indicate where they were.


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