What to do after popping a pimple

You popped a pimple. The care you give it over the next few days affects how it heals. A popped pimple is a small open wound, so the care that helps is the same care dermatologists give for any small wound: clean it, keep it moist, cover it and leave it alone. This guide goes through those steps, what is normal while the spot heals, the signs of infection, and what to do if the pimple you squeezed was a deep cyst. Skinli gives general education and is not a doctor. If you are deciding whether to pop the next one, read should you pop a pimple first.

Why a popped pimple needs care

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) explains what squeezing does. "If you push some of the contents inside the pimple deeper into the skin, which often happens, you increase inflammation. This can lead to more-noticeable acne. Some people develop acne scars and pain." It adds: "When you pop pimples yourself, you also run the risk of getting an infection from the bacteria on your hands."

The AAD's tips page says that picking, popping or squeezing acne "will make the acne take longer to clear and increase your risk for scarring and dark spots called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation." Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation means a flat dark mark left where the skin was inflamed. Inflamed means swollen and red.

The steps below come from the AAD's and the NHS's advice for small wounds.

Step by step: the first hour

1. Stop squeezing. More pressure can push more of what is inside deeper into the skin, as the AAD describes.
2. Wash your hands. The AAD names bacteria on your hands as a cause of infection.
3. Stop any bleeding. Press a clean tissue or gauze on the spot. MedlinePlus says "The blood will start to clot within a few minutes or less and stop the bleeding."
4. Clean the spot gently. The AAD's wound care advice: "Gently wash the area with mild soap and water to keep out germs and remove debris." Use your fingertips and lukewarm water, then pat dry with a clean towel.
5. Put on a thin layer of petroleum jelly. The AAD says "use petroleum jelly to keep the wound moist. Petroleum jelly prevents the wound from drying out and forming a scab; wounds with scabs take longer to heal." It adds that "As long as the wound is cleaned daily, it is not necessary to use anti-bacterial ointments."
6. Cover it. The AAD says to "cover the skin with an adhesive bandage." A hydrocolloid pimple patch is another option, covered below.

The next few days

• Change the cover daily. The AAD says "Change your bandage daily to keep the wound clean while it heals." If your skin reacts to adhesive, it suggests "a non-adhesive gauze pad with paper tape."
• Leave the scab alone if one forms. MedlinePlus says "Avoid picking at or scratching the scab. This can interfere with healing and cause scarring."
• Keep acne products off the open spot. The adapalene Drug Facts label says "Do not use" it "on damaged skin (cuts, abrasions, eczema, sunburn)." Keep using your acne treatment on the rest of the acne-prone area, and go back to the healed spot once the skin is whole again.
• Protect it from the sun once it heals. The AAD says "Apply sunscreen to the wound after it has healed. Sun protection may help reduce red or brown discoloration and help the scar fade faster." It advises a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.

What to keep off an open spot

Home remedies often end up on a popped pimple. The AAD warns against one of the most common: "Toothpaste often contains abrasive ingredients like calcium or baking soda, whitening agents like peroxide, color, and flavor. None of these ingredients fight acne, but they can irritate or harm your skin." Keep the open spot to the simple steps above: gentle washing, petroleum jelly or a patch, and a clean cover. The AAD says an antibacterial ointment is not necessary as long as the wound is cleaned daily.

Using a pimple patch on a popped pimple

A hydrocolloid pimple patch is a small version of a wound dressing. Hydrocolloid is a soft material that forms a gel as it takes up fluid. The AAD says "a hydrocolloid acne patch can be applied to protect your skin and improve healing." In a 2025 AAD news release, a dermatologist said pimple patches "help draw out fluid from pimples and stop you from picking." For burst blisters, the NHS says "A hydrocolloid dressing (a moist dressing) can protect the blister, help reduce pain and speed up healing."

Put the patch on skin that is clean and dry. Use either the patch, or petroleum jelly with a bandage. The guide how long to leave a pimple patch on explains when to change it.

What is normal while it heals

MedlinePlus describes how a small wound heals. In the first days:

• The wound may look swollen, red or pink, and feel tender.
• "Some clear fluid oozes from the wound. This fluid helps clean the area."
• A scab may form, which "protects the tissue underneath from germs."

Clear fluid and mild tenderness are part of healing. MedlinePlus says "The smaller the wound, the quicker it will heal."

Signs of infection

The NHS page on cuts says to ask for an urgent GP appointment if "a cut is swollen, red and getting more painful or pus is coming out of it," or if you "feel generally unwell or have a high temperature."

Cellulitis is a skin infection that the NHS says starts when bacteria get into "the deeper layers of your skin if it's broken." It says to get an urgent GP appointment if "your skin is painful, hot and swollen," and that "The area usually looks red, but this may be less obvious on brown or black skin." The NHS says to call 999 or go to A&E for cellulitis with a high fever or if you "feel hot, cold or shivery," "a fast heartbeat or fast breathing," or "confusion or disorientation." In the United States, call 911 or go to an emergency room for the same signs.

For a small cold compress to ease pain while you watch the spot, see ice on a pimple.

If you popped a cystic pimple

A cyst or nodule is a deep, painful bump, the kind people call a blind pimple. Squeezing one carries more risk than squeezing a whitehead. The AAD says "picking at or squeezing an acne nodule or cyst can make it more noticeable and increase your risk of infection, discoloration, and scarring," and that the risk is higher "especially if you have darker skin." Discoloration means dark or light marks. Its page on scars says: "In general, the deeper the acne goes into your skin, the more likely it is to cause a scar."

If a cyst has been squeezed or has burst:

1. Clean it gently and cover it, as above.
2. Do not squeeze again, even if the lump is still there.
3. Watch for the infection signs above over the next days.
4. See a dermatologist. The AAD says a dermatologist can inject a corticosteroid, a medicine that calms swelling, and "A corticosteroid injection will flatten most acne nodules or cysts within 48 to 72 hours." For a large cyst, a dermatologist may instead open it with a sterile needle or blade and remove what is inside, which the AAD calls incision and drainage.

The AAD's list of what to avoid shows why the doctor visit matters: "Permanent acne scars," "More noticeable acne," "More painful acne" and "An infection."

After it heals: marks and scars

A popped pimple can leave a flat mark. The AAD calls the dark ones post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Sunscreen helps, as the AAD's wound care page says. The guide dark marks after pimples explains how long they take to fade and what helps.

A dent or a raised scar is treated by a dermatologist. NICE, the UK body that writes treatment guidelines, says doctors should advise "that persistent picking or scratching of acne lesions can increase the risk of scarring." The guide how to fade acne scars and dark marks covers the options.

Breaking the popping habit

If you pop pimples often, a few changes help. The AAD's advice is to "Keep your hands away from your face," to use ice for painful spots, and to treat the acne itself so fewer pimples form. A pimple patch over a spot keeps fingers off it. Daily treatment across the acne-prone area lowers the number of pimples you are tempted to squeeze. Skinli's plan uses benzoyl peroxide 2.5 percent and adapalene 0.1 percent, and the free Skinli acne plan builds it from a photo of your skin. If you pick at your skin and cannot stop, tell a doctor. A 2024 review in the International Journal of Dermatology describes compulsive picking of acne, called acne excoriée, and says dermatologists should diagnose and treat it to limit long-term damage to the skin.