How to Heal a Popped Pimple Scab

Skin Health Acne Living With How to Heal a Popped Pimple Scab 6 Steps to Heal a Popped Pimple Fast By Angela Palmer Angela Palmer Facebook Angela Palmer is a licensed esthetician specializing in acne treatment. Learn about our editorial process Updated on April 05, 2022 Medically reviewed by Leah Ansell, MD Medically reviewed by Leah Ansell, MD LinkedIn Leah Ansell, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and an assistant professor of dermatology at Columbia University. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Don’t Continue to Pick at the Pimple Gently Clean the Blemish Apply Ice If Swollen Dab on an Antibiotic Ointment Continue Using Your Acne Treatments Frequently Asked Questions So you popped a pimple that was driving you crazy. (Yes, you know you shouldn’t pop pimples, but sometimes you just can’t help yourself.) Now, instead of a pimple, you have an angry red sore or a dry crusty scab. This article will discuss how to quickly get your popped pimple to heal. It will talk about various at-home treatments that will help soothe your popped pimple and avoid any scarring. Verywell / Emily Roberts Don’t Continue to Pick at the Pimple First things first: You must allow the popped pimple to heal. That means no more messing with it. Don’t squeeze it to see if any more will come out, even if the blemish develops a whitehead again. Don’t pick at the scab. Let your skin start the healing process without being interrupted. As your skin heals, keep your hands off of it. If that’s hard for you, there are small stickers called hydrocolloid sheets that may help. These are bandages that trap moisture and keep dirt and excess oil away from your popped pimple. Gently Clean the Blemish If you’ve just recently popped the pimple, go ahead and give it a good cleansing now. You can use your regular facial cleanser for this as you’re washing your face. Be gentle, though, and try not to knock off the scab that is trying to form. You can also use a touch of witch hazel on a cotton ball or swab. Carefully dab the popped pimple with this solution a few times a day, at least until a good scab forms. Again, don’t aggressively rub at it or disrupt the forming scab. Although lots of people suggest cleaning a popped pimple with rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, those can sting. They also aren’t as effective as witch hazel at reducing inflammation. Apply Ice If Swollen If you’ve really gone to town squeezing at a blemish, you probably have a big, swollen, red bump on your face right about now. Ice is the best way to soothe it down and reduce inflammation. Use an ice cube or cold pack, either wrapped in a soft cloth or paper towel. Apply it over the swollen area for a few minutes at a time, several times a day. This will help take down the swelling and make your popped pimple look and feel a whole lot better. A warm compress may help too. If your popped pimple isn’t swollen and already has formed a scab, icing the area won’t do anything, so you can just skip this step. Dab on an Antibiotic Ointment Treat your popped pimple like an open wound, because that’s basically what it is. An over-the-counter antibiotic ointment is your best friend. Dot a tiny amount directly on the popped pimple or scab. This will help speed up healing time. It also keeps the scab moist, so it won’t look as dry, crackly, and obvious. Keep a picked-at pimple covered with a small amount of ointment until it’s fully healed. This can take a few days. Also, make sure you’re only covering the pimple, not the skin around it (especially if it’s on your face). Antibiotic ointment may clog your pores, so you want to keep it just in the area where it’s needed. Continue Using Your Acne Treatments If you’re using any over-the-counter (OTC) acne products or prescription acne medications, you should continue to do so. Most acne medications have antibacterial properties that should be helpful in getting the pimple to heal. If you treat your popped pimple well, it should heal within a few days. Try to be patient until this happens. Summary If you need to heal a popped pimple, there are several things you can do. Avoid touching the scab so it has time to heal. Apply a small amount of witch hazel on the scab several times a day. Use your normal facial cleanser to keep the area clean. If the area is swollen, you can apply ice or a warm compress. Continue using your acne treatments. You can also use an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment to help heal your popped pimple. A Word From Verywell The best way to avoid facial scarring is to never pop your pimples. Popping a pimple increases your risk of developing acne scars, and can make acne worse. But we’re all human, and most humans occasionally pop pimples. Still, try your very best not to squeeze your blemishes. If you have an overwhelming need to pop, pick, or squeeze your blemishes, to the point of causing damage to your skin, talk with your healthcare provider. You may have a specific type of acne called excoriated acne. Your healthcare provider can help you get the treatment you need. Also, if you aren’t a compulsive picker, but still need help getting breakouts under control, you should give your healthcare provider a call. There are prescription medications that can help you clear up your acne. Frequently Asked Questions Does Neosporin help acne? No, Neosporin does not help acne. Corticosteroids like Neosporin are known to worsen acne, or in some cases, cause new acne to form. These medications are meant to treat a number of skin conditions by reducing redness, itching, and swelling, but they should not be applied to acne. Can you pop a blind pimple? It is possible to pop a blind pimple (cystic acne), but it isn’t recommended. Popping any kind of acne can potentially make it worse, cause skin damage, and leave a scar. Cystic acne is often treated using oral antibiotics and corticosteroid injections. These methods of treatment are more safe and effective than popping. What happens when you pop a pimple? When you pop a pimple, the materials contained inside (sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells) may unintentionally be shot into a follicle. If the walls of the follicle rupture, those materials can be sent to a lower layer of skin. This can cause inflammation and infection. Learn More: Is Popping Pimples Bad for Your Skin? 4 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Baxter H. A comparison of two hydrocolloid sheet dressings. British Journal of Community Nursing. 2000;5(11):572-577. doi:10.12968/bjcn.2000.5.11.7127 Thring TS, Hili P, Naughton DP. Antioxidant and potential anti-inflammatory activity of extracts and formulations of white tea, rose, and witch hazel on primary human dermal fibroblast cells. J Inflamm (Lond). 2011;8(1):27. doi:10.1186/1476-9255-8-27 Zaenglein AL, Pathy AL, Schlosser BJ, et al. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016;74(5):945-73.e33. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2015.12.037 MedlinePlus. Hydrocortisone Topical. Additional Reading Zaenglein AL, Pathy AL, Schlosser BJ, Alikhan A, Baldwin HE, et al. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2016;74(5):945-73. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2015.12.037 By Angela Palmer Angela Palmer is a licensed esthetician specializing in acne treatment. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit