It is hard to look at a pimple growing on your face or back and resist the urge to squeeze it. It is a fact, however, that improper picking will almost always increase the irritation by damaging skin tissue and causing secondary infection. Moreover, you are likely to give yourself a scar! In short, popping a pimple makes a bad situation worse. There are ways to alleviate pimple swelling without resorting to picking, but first it might be helpful to know what causes pimples.

When pores get clogged with sebum (dead cells and toxic chemicals caused by bacteria), pimples are born. As the debris increases, the pimple begins to swell, putting pressure on the skin and causing the redness and inflammation. The debris that gets trapped is what gives your pimple that icky yellowish look. When you squeeze the gunk out and if you do not do it carefully, you will spread the infection.

That is why it is critical to leave your face and your pimples alone! The small joy a pop will bring is not worth the secondary infections, the spreading and the scarring that it might cause. If you do not have the time or materials for a sterile cleaning, then do your best to resist touching and popping those pimples!

There are effective herbal remedies available and it might be worth your while to investigate some of them. Some work better than others, depending on the person, and they are safe and do not cause harmful side-effects. Some of them may give your relief from flare-ups and improve the look of your skin over the long haul.

One quick and easy technique to reduce swelling is the always-helpful ice pack. An ice pack gently applied to the affected area for two to three minutes, two or three times an hour ought to give you some improvement. Other useful remedies include toothpaste, which can reduce the redness, and apple cider vinegar, which is a natural astringent to reduce the swelling. Cucumber and tomato juices also tighten pores, reducing the appearance of swelling dramatically.

Less well-known, but effective treatments include sandalwood paste made with rose water and Australian Tea Tree Oil. Sandalwood paste reduces irritation so swelling is alleviated. Used long term, sandalwood paste also improves overall skin texture. This paste should be used all over as a face mask and left on for at least six to eight hours. If you can keep it on overnight, you will see great improvement. The Tea Tree Oil, on the other hand, acts as a very potent bactericide. Obviously, this helps with secondary infections by killing bacteria present on the surface of the skin.

Sometimes medicine is the answer. There are effective over the counter treatments that have benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid in them. For some acne sufferers, these are very effective in healing pimples quickly and preventing new ones by drying pus and soothing inflammation. Some people, however, may need stronger help in the form of prescription medicine. These are usually very safe and effective, so if you are a chronic sufferer, don’t hesitate to see a doctor.