Dr. Pimple Popper shared a guide for safely squeezing pimples during a quarantine
- On Sunday, dermatologist Dr. Sandra Lee, who also goes by 'Dr. Pimple Popper,' offered tips to safely pop your pimple at home.
- Lee said that it's best to not touch pimples, but understood that may be unrealistic especially when people are social distancing and staying indoors during the coronavirus outbreak.
- She stressed the importance of disinfecting and prepping the area before squeezing your spot.
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As social distancing and self-quarantine become more common amidst the coronavirus outbreak, people are searching for ways to combat their boredom.
In the event that people get an itch to pop their own pimples while social distancing, dermatologist Dr. Pimple Popper shared tips for doing so safely at home.
On Sunday, Dr. Pimple Popper, whose real name is Dr. Sandra Lee, shared a photo of a blackhead on Instagram with an educational caption.
"If you are starting to go a little stir crazy and can't keep your hands off your pimples…A) WASH YOUR HANDS (sorry I know I probably sound like a broken record there) and head to my link in bio to learn the proper way to pop a pimple (because I know you won't listen to me when I say just don't ‼️)" Lee wrote.
Lee also provided a link to a blog post she wrote detailing how her fans can safely pop their own pimples while limiting chances for infection or scarring.
Don't even try to pop your pimple if it hasn't come to a head
Lee said people should only consider popping their own pimple if it's formed a white or yellowish "head," because that signals that it will be easiest to pop and therefore have the least risk of scar formation.
If your spot has come to a head, Lee said you should wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, and then wash the area with the pimple with a gentle facewash.
Next, "gently press a warm washcloth against the pimple for a few minutes to soften the contents in pores, allowing an easier extraction process," Lee wrote.
Once those few minutes are up, wipe the area clean with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab. You should also use the alcohol to clean the tool you're using to pop the pimple. Lee recommended using a comedone extractor, which is metal and has a looped end you can use to squeeze the pimple.
"Place the preferred loop over the pimple and apply slow, even pressure to push contents of the pimple out," Lee wrote, adding that if gentle pressure doesn't pop it, you should stop because you'll only end up irritating the skin.
Clean the area when you're done popping to prevent infection and scarring
Lastly, it's important to clean the area where your pimple was after you pop it because it will prevent scarring, according to Lee.
"Apply a cold clean washcloth against the area and a spot treatment with Salicylic Acid like SLMD Skincare Salicylic Acid Spot Treatment, which will keep the area clean and safe from bacteria and help with the healing process!" Lee wrote.
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