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Ultimate guide to treating adult acne Glowing skin backstage at Kenzo.
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The latest bare-faced beauty trend on Instagram is — surprise! —#freethepimple, a.k.a. acne acceptance (the skin-confident spinoff of the body positivity movement). Even the New York Times is asking, “Is Acne Cool Now?” We say, you should never feel ashamed of your skin — but you also don’t have to resign yourself to painful breakouts. We polled the experts for their top tips.
How to get rid of acne
The best defence is a good offence. Warding off flare-ups in the first place (see “How to prevent acne”) is better than trying to do damage control after the fact. But if you’re looking for an acne spot treatment, “the only drugs that have been shown to help would be benzoyl peroxide, and possibly a topical antibiotic like clindamycin,” says Dr. Shannon Humphrey, medical director of Carruthers & Humphrey, and clinical assistant professor in the department of dermatology and skin science at the University of British Columbia. Benzoyl peroxide may reduce inflammation and shorten a pimple’s lifespan, she explains.
Once you’ve gotten rid of any given breakout, remember that the underlying conditions that let it bloom — sticky skin cells, excess oil, acne bacteria — are still there. Acne is chronic, so being consistent with your skin care, even when you think you’re in the clear, is key.
How to reduce pimple redness
Let’s say it’s the day before your first date/best friend’s wedding/big interview and you’re suddenly sporting a pimple that looks like a bull’s eye on your face. Is there a fast fix? “You can actually put Visine on it,” says Dr. Humphrey. (Be sure to try it ahead of time to make sure you like how it looks, since it can sometimes create a white blotch.) Although the eye drop isn’t a long-term solution, in case of emergency “it just takes the red out.” Then “get yourself a really awesome coverup,” says Dr. Humphrey, who recommends Dermablend. “It’s basically medical-grade camouflage makeup. It’s amazing.”
How to cover up a pimple
Start by neutralizing any redness with a green-based colour corrector. Then, even out your overall skin tone by applying a small amount of foundation; go easy to avoid a cakey mask. Finally, zero in on the blemish by taking a concealer brush and pressing a tiny bit of a highcoverage concealer right on the breakout. Layer if needed, but less is more: piling on too much will only make the blemish more noticeable. Feather the concealer around the edges to blend.
How to pop a pimple
In weird news, one of YouTube’s biggest beauty trends is the rise of the pimplepopping video. If you haven’t yet seen the gross-out genre, just google “Dr. Pimple Popper,” a.k.a. California dermatologist Dr. Sandra Lee. (Warning: NSFWS — not safe for weak stomachs.) Her, ahem, handiwork is so popular, she has a fan base of “popaholics.” And she’s even landed her own TV mini-series: Dr. Pimple Popper premiered on TLC.
So you might be wondering if it’s OK to pop a pimple, and how to pop a pimple yourself. The answer: it’s almost always a bad idea. “I don’t recommend people squeeze and prod and poke, especially if it’s a deeper, larger spot,” says Dr. Rivers. You could cause the pimple to get more inflamed (red and angry — and thus more noticeable). Plus, you could do damage that leads to permanent scarring or potentially even infection.
It’s true that pimple-popping may feel satisfying in the moment, Dr. Humphrey acknowledges, but the risks are real. “Patients are quite vicious and aggressive with their own faces. I often see patients with wounds, like deep scabs,” she says. To deal with a massive whitehead ready to erupt, you’re better off going to a dermatologist, who can skilfully extract it.
If you can’t see a derm in time, and if you really can’t leave it alone, here’s how to pop a pimple as safely as possible. Remember, this only applies if the pimple is the poppable kind: if it’s a ripe, juicy whitehead on the surface of your skin, and not a throbbing, underground zit or cystic acne. (Don’t mess around with the latter types.) “Be gentle and clean,” Dr. Humphrey says. “Give yourself one gentle go at it. The biggest risk I see is people just gouging at their skin. It’s unnecessary to use sharp objects. Wear gloves. Wash your hands and face first.”