Do you struggle to leave your blemishes be? You’re not alone. According to Dr Mehmet Oz, up to one in five of us are obsessed with picking pimples – but the majority of us go about it totally the wrong way.
So the 54-year-old cardiothoracic surgeon and US television personality went on The Oprah Winfrey Show to set the record straight. According to the doctor, ‘squeezing’ a pimple – aka pressing the healthy skin around the spot – actually damages it. Using a fairly revolting-looking giant blemish as a prop, he then showed the best – and least painful – way to attack blemishes.
Here are the steps:
Step 1: Use a needle that has been cleaned with alcohol (not your dirty fingers).
Step 2: Don’t jab it into the front of the blemish (as that will hurt). Instead, place the needle parallel to the skin – “rather like you would skewer something” – and pierce the skin from one side to another.
Step 3: Rip upwards, taking care to only hit the white part of the pimple, “because that bit is already dead”.
According to Dr Oz, using this parallel technique will prevent damage to the surrounding, healthy skin, resulting in less soreness and redness post-pop as well as reduced scarring.
The final step? Helping to prevent new pimples from sprouting in the first place!
Would you use this new-and-improved pimple popping technique? What other tips do you have for getting rid of acne?
