We all have had to deal with some kind of acne and we all do it in different ways. You can see on google trends how the searches of people popping pimples have gone up compared to a year ago, however, it might not always be the best idea to pop them when you deal with the average small pimple.

There are many different kinds of acne. The one in focus here is acne vulgaris, a common acne according to this article from BioClarity. A pimple is simply one of your hair follicles being clogged up by dead skin cells, bacteria and excess sebum that then causes inflammation.

A good way to deal with pimples is to try to prevent them in the first place. One can do so by eating healthy, making sure to wash your face thoroughly every day, no sleeping with make up on, etc. Of course, we are all humans and may forget to do these things, and pimples are still likely to come even if we do everything right because our hormone levels change and life can be stressful.

It is important that you do not touch the pimple. However impossible it might seem to not do so, popping it will most likely make it worse. When you do pop a pimple, you damage the skin over it and create an open wound, completely defeating the protection from the inflammation your body made for you. If you leave it alone your body will deal with it by healing itself.

What I personally do to take care of my skin is to clean and moisturize my face morning and night. I have extremely dry skin so a day without moisturizer will make my skin peel, which is not fun. I use a skincare that works for my skin type; however, there are others with oily skin, or oily to dry skin. There are many products available to help with your skin type. What is important is to not pop your pimples! Yes, they are annoying, but it’s best to let them heal on their own. Start by drinking lots of water to hydrate your skin and avoiding oily foods.

Cleansing and moisturizing your skin with products suitable for your skin type is a good way of taking care of it. If you have a really painful and irritating pimple, an ice-cold can of any beverage can help with the pain. In the picture below, actress Lucy Hale is icing her pimple–she posted it on her Instagram story.

We all have to deal with pimples, but the best way to do so is to let your body to handle it for you. You can help out by trying to be healthy, keeping your face clean and just trusting the process!