Guys, I committed a cardinal skincare sin: I popped two huge pimples with my fingers.
I was minding my own business, carelessly eating a big bowl of greasy, unctuous, creamy pasta carbonara one night when the next day two giant-sized pimples sprouted. I hadn’t changed anything in my skincare regimen and Googling what blemishes in between my eyes meant lead me to conclude that it had to have been what I’d eaten. Ugh.
SEE ALSO: The only way I’ve been keeping cystic acne away
Being mortal and completely horrified, I went in and started squeezing, then bleeding, then regretting the entire experience altogether. I, er, my forehead, was a complete mess. There was not one, but two gaping holes with blood gushing out and surely, this would cause scarring. But can you blame me? I mean, who’d wanna wait a week to make an appointment with your dermatologist when you could do it yourself??! Oof.
Then, I realized I’d purchased a cream from IOPE’s flagship store last month in Seoul before I headed back as a pre-caution. Knowing that my skin’s flawlessness wouldn’t last long, I bought IOPE’s Clinic Intensive Spot Shot, (BUY HERE
, $30) a product that’s supposed to help rejuvenate and protect wounded skin. It’s specifically for people like me who take their skin into their own hands and pick and pop any and everything they see.
What happens immediately after you pop a pimple!
After you take your fingers and rupture your pimple, your skin is wounded. This can come in the form of your blood bursting from small vesicles, pus (AKA white blood cells) spewing everywhere, skin being scuffed, or all of the above. What then happens is your burst pimple becomes a site that’s prone to bacteria and dirt, which can cause even more problems. If you had cystic acne and popped that, chances are you ~really~ went deep into more than just the top layer of your skin into the second layer (dermis).
The pus and bacteria not only pops externally but also under the skin and infects other healthy skin cells, prohibiting new collagen growth. The destruction then creates an ice pick scar or one that looks like a deep groove (or crater) that we know as typical acne scars. Unfortunately, the only way to fix this is through laser treatment. The laser treatment will force collagen to regrow in those places for a more smooth complexion.
How I healed my popped pimples FAST
It’s one reason why this IOPE ointment is really good for such occasions. Though it won’t help with cystic acne scarring, it did a really thorough job at helping my open wound heal.
SkinCeuticals also has an incredible ointment of their own, called the Epidermal Repair (BUY HERE
, $70). It was formulated for patients who just went through a facial, laser treatments, or something else that was traumatizing. The formula comes with a blend of beta glucan and gotu kola extracts, which help to heal your skin’s barrier function. It also helps relieve the redness of your skin for a clearer complexion. Thank GOODNESS SkinCeuticals knew something like this would come in handy and sent this to me two weeks ago. I immediately used this along with my IOPE ointment. Together after 3 days, it saved my skin.
DAY 1 of popped pimples
Here I am, shifty eyed, all kinds of That’s So Raven, guilty AF that I popped my pimples. BUT IT FELT SO SATISFYING, GUYS!!! In any case, right after the disaster zone I regretted it as there was this big, bloody, gaping hole in the middle of my face. I applied the two ointments in conjunction as my last step in my skincare. The IOPE smells so calming thanks to its eucalyptus properties and made me feel more at ease. The SkinCeuticals is fragrance-free for those who hate any smell in their skincare products.
DAY 2 of popped pimples
Are my pimples fading away or is it getting angrier? My thoughts on Day 2 when I saw that the two pimples were even pinker than the day before. The lighting is different because I took this photo at a cafe where as the one before is in my own bathroom. But I do see that the pimple is flat, there isn’t any juice and it’s healing. I’ve used the creams diligently twice a day and am super ready for it to heal.
Day 3 of popped pimples
I woke up and the first thing I do is look at my complexion. Pimples, are you healed?! Nope. The wounds are still there. But I’m pretty pleased to report that both of them are clearing. I’m actually impressed, as it usually takes weeks for pimples to heal. The top one is less red and the one below is almost completely healed. I continue using both creams day and night after my skincare routine and it’s finally healing.
DAY 4 of popped pimples
On Day 4, my bottom pimple wound is completely healed! Hallelujah! The top one has scabbed over and seems to be healing nicely as well. I’ve been diligent with applying these healing creams and am extremely excited about the results. Seems like these products do work! Now, who can help me sprout extra hairs in my balding eyebrows?
BUY IOPE’s Clinic Intensive Spot Shot, HERE
, $30.
BUY SkinCeuticals Epidermal Repair, HERE
, $70.
