Acne, blackheads, boils, cysts… Whatever the form, it’s never a good idea to pop a pimple on your face. Dermatologist Marc Perrussel explains to us why it is not without health risks.
Purulent, unsightly, painful… For some, as soon as pimples appear, the first instinct is to immediately want to pierce them. Error. “Pimples can be dangerous! » warns Dr Marc Perrussel, dermatologist at Pontchaillou University Hospital in Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine), interviewed in 2021.
Several people have already paid the price, like this American woman who suffered a serious infection in 2017. In 2020, a 19-year-old young woman also had the sad experience in China. The one who thought “just press a weird button”reports the British newspaper The Daily Mail, was hospitalized for a much more serious illness a few days later.
She suffered from cavernous sinus thrombosis (blood clot), a serious and rare infection that affects the hollow spaces under the brain, behind each eye socket.
Read also: On the nose, forehead, cheeks… What your pimples say about your health
A cursed triangle not to be touched
Teenagers troubled by their skin imperfections can rest assured, it was not an acne pimple. “She suffered from a boil, which is an infection linked to Staphylococcus aureus. The boil may appear like a large acne pimple, but it is very different. It is extremely painful, very inflammatory and centered by a dilated and yellowish bubble, where the necrotic hair follicle is located.develops the dermatologist.
Moreover, the young Chinese girl’s button was in a triangle which has nothing to do with that of Bermuda: the so-called “cursed” triangle.
“This is the area from the base of the nose to the corners of the lips. It is an area of vascular drainage that goes directly to the brain, explains Dr. Perrussel. You should therefore never touch a pimple located in this area, otherwise it could be the start of a boil that could cause a serious brain infection! »
Scars and pimples in series
Boil or not, it is better to avoid picking at the unsightly pustules on your face, insists the doctor. Even the most benign pimples. “Acne is an inflammatory process localized mainly on the T zone of the face. This skin disease is caused by thickening of the skin, hyperproduction of sebum linked to the production of hormones. explains the specialist.
“If we manipulate blackheads, microcysts or pustules, the contents of the gland, which are irritating, will be evacuated outside but a large part will remain inside. The resulting phenomenon of skin retraction will cause scarring”he adds.
The risk is also to see the same button come back. “If the shell containing the sebum is not completely evacuated, it reconstitutes itself! »
Alternative methods to get rid of acne
Rather than engaging in a bare-handed button war, it is better to choose alternative methods. And they exist: “When you have acne, you need to clean your skin morning and evening with gentle products and carry out regular local care with suitable products. Copper and zinc have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial action. They can be combined with drug treatment to regulate the excessive flow of sebum. »
Patience and a good dose of complexion corrector can also help.
