Warm compresses and acne stickers can help to bring a pimple to a head so that the sebum, dead skin cells, and bacteria can exit to the skin's surface. Using ice can relieve inflammation. If blind pimples occur frequently or are particularly inflamed and painful, a person should seek advice from a dermatologist.
Corticosteroid injections.
To get rid of a deep, painful acne cyst or nodule, your dermatologist may inject blind pimples with a corticosteroid. This speeds healing and reduces the risk of scarring.
If buying new products isn't an option, try a DIY treatment.
Toothpaste—the opaque kind, not gel—can be used to dry up pimples. Ice to a red pimple gives immediate blood vessel constriction and helps with redness. Conversely, you can use a warm compress to bring a pimple to a head faster, according to Dr. Lamb.
A blind pimple, also known as cystic acne, is a pimple that lives beneath the surface of your skin and doesn't come to a head. It is often in the form of a red, painful bump beneath the skin. Blind pimples are caused by oil getting trapped beneath the skin.
Never try to pop or squeeze a blind pimple. Doing so pushes the oil and bacteria deeper, causing more inflammation and increasing the risk of infection. Picking at or squeezing a blind pimple can also lead to acne scars.
While it might seem that pimples form overnight, it actually takes between 1 – 2 weeks for an acne spot to fully develop.
Putting toothpaste on a pimple may seem like an acne home remedy worth trying, but there's no evidence that it actually works. A number of treatment alternatives, most of them widely available over-the-counter products, are more effective.
The expert consensus is a resounding “no.” The AAD notes that toothpaste can make your skin much worse: “Toothpaste contains several ingredients that can clog your pores and irritate your skin, such as hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, alcohol, and menthol.”
Sterilize a needle with 70% isopropyl alcohol and gently prick the skin where your pore is clogged. Then extract the whitehead the same way you would a blackhead. After using an OTC astringent or acne medication and washing your hands thoroughly, apply pressure to both sides of the clogged pore to extract the plug.
“I never recommend attempting to pop, pick, or poke a blind pimple—this inevitably leads to more harm than good because the pimple does not have a connection to the surface of the skin, attempting to pick it will just increase your risk of an infection or scarring,” advises Dr. Zeichner.
Apply a spot treatment that can dry out the pimple. Examples of spot treatments include tea tree oil, benzoyl peroxide, or salicylic acid. Apply to the pimple and area around it, using clean hands, to target the pore and oil builtup underneath.
Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar and 3 parts water (use more water for sensitive skin). After cleansing, gently apply the mixture to the skin using a cotton ball. Let it sit for 5 to 20 seconds, rinse with water and pat dry. Repeat this process 1 to 2 times per day, as needed.
You may have heard this suggestion, but experts on acne say don't try it. Toothpaste could make that spot on your skin even more red, irritated, and noticeable. Why? Today, there are so many different kinds of toothpastes — and lots of them contain ingredients that can hurt your skin.
Toothpaste can be irritating to your skin
Upsetting your pH with too much baking soda could lead to rashes and burning. Sodium lauryl sulfate, another ingredient often found in toothpaste, may be too harsh to be used on blemishes. It's been known to irritate skin on some, depending on your sensitivity.
Benefits. While ice alone may not cure a pimple, it can decrease swelling and redness, making the pimple less noticeable. Ice also has a numbing effect, which can offer temporary pain relief for severely inflamed pimples.
Left alone, a blemish will heal itself in 3 to 7 days. Popped improperly, it can linger for weeks or lead to scarring.
Hard pimples develop when dead skin cells, sebum, and bacteria enter the skin's surface. Once under the skin, bacteria can multiply quickly. This can cause the skin to become irritated and even infected. Hard pimples appear as raised bumps on or under the skin's surface.
The best way to make a zit go away fast is to apply a dab of benzoyl peroxide, which you can buy at a drug store in cream, gel or patch form, says Shilpi Khetarpal, MD. It works by killing bacteria that clogs pores and causes inflammation.
If you've only got a few hours…
Grab an ice pack, or a single ice cube if your fingers can bare it, and apply it directly onto your pimple. Hold it this way for as long as you can stand it, then take a break for a few seconds, and repeat at least twice more.
“The fastest way [to get rid of a pimple] is to go to your dermatologist and get a cortisone shot,” says Dr. Friedier. Most of the time, she says, this steroid injection, which goes straight into the lesion, brings down the inflammation, swelling, and pain from a gnarly pimple within 24 hours.
This can reduce inflammation and redness, so your pimple won't be as noticeable. Just wrap an ice cube in a paper towel and place it on the pimple for five to ten minutes. Give your face a ten-minute break and repeat again. With each ice application, you'll notice your pimple looks better.