How to Spot Treat a Breakout

It happens to the best of us. You wake up one morning to find a huge zit for the whole world to see right in the middle of your forehead, on the tip of your nose, or in my case right now (which is exactly why I’m writing this post): on your chin.

I don’t break out as often as I used to when I was younger, but once in a while a big one sprouts up and must be handled. There are several ways to deal with a breakout, and usually I just let it run its course. Although for some reason this one is bothering me.

3 REASONS NOT TO PICK AT YOUR BREAKOUT

1. To begin with, do not touch it or try to squeeze it. The amount of bacteria that we carry around on our hands is incredible. I cannot even begin to count the number of times people come to me with breakouts on their chin or jawline because they are constantly resting their head on their hands.

2. How many of you have been told not to squeeze your pimples because you’ll break out even more? There is some truth to this.

Think of your breakout as a tube of toothpaste. If you take that tube and squeeze it in the middle, some bacteria will go up and some will go down. This means that some bacteria will come to the surface and spread, so if you sanitize your skin you should be able to eliminate most of it and prevent more breakouts. The bacteria that goes deeper into the skin is likely to spread and produce more breakouts.

3. Finally, squeezing can potentially cause something called post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Do your breakouts leave behind dark marks after they have healed? That is post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and we often make these marks worse and darker than they would have been by picking at breakouts.

SPOT TREATING INGREDIENTS TO LOOK FOR

Cleanse your skin thoroughly with the appropriate cleanser for your skin type, followed by something to spot treat that breakout with. Look for products with the active ingredients benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. If you are allergic to either of these ingredients, go for a product that contains sulfur. Some products that I have used in the past and have found to be very effective are:

SPOT TREATING PRODUCTS THAT WORK

Image Skincare, Clear Cell Medicated Acne Lotion – contains both benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acids. Can be used all over the face if necessary or in certain areas to spot treat.

Clean & Clear, Advantage Acne Spot Treatment – contains 2% salicylic acid, so it won’t dry out your skin.

Dermalogica, Clean Start Hit The Spot – contains benzoyl peroxide and zinc sulfate.

Murad, Acne Spot Treatment – contains sulfur and salicylic acid – perfect for oily skin.

Using spot treatment products more than once a day could potentially dry out your skin. No matter what product you use to spot treat, I suggest applying it once a day to the infected area – ideally at night, after you have washed your face.  Other than that just be patient and resist the urge to squeeze!