It’s the night before the party and your face decides to erupt in spots.
The temptation is to squeeze, pick and pop so the swelling subsides and your complexion clears.
But while it might seem like a good idea at the time, Sydney dermatologist Dr Natasha Cook warns it can actually make your skin worse.
Speaking to Body & Soul, she revealed the five common spots to avoid touching to minimise your risk of scarring.
It’s the night before the party and your face decides to erupt in spots. The temptation is to squeeze, pick and pop so the swelling subsides and your complexion clears (stock image)
Sydney dermatologist Dr Natasha Cook warns it can actually make your skin worse
Milia
Milia, also known as ‘milk spots’, appear on your face as hard, pearly white, stubborn bumps under the surface of the skin.
Dr Cook said they cannot be popped with your hands because they can damage the skin.
‘They don’t have an opening on the skin, as they are encased like a cyst,’ she said.
The best way is to get a dermatologist to break the surface of the skin above the milia with a fine sterile needle – and then gently squeeze out the cyst.
Cold sores
Core sores are small blisters that usually form on the lips or skin around the mouth, nose and on the chin.
Dr Cook warns against picking or breaking the blisters because they are highly contagious and can easily be spread around your face.
Avoid picking as this can cause secondary infection with bacteria, or scarring.
There are antiviral medications or lotions to treat the symptoms.
Ingrown hair
Dr Cook said picking ingrown hair is definitely not the best solution.
‘It simply creates trauma without addressing or releasing the ingrown, leading to inflammation and scarring,’ she explained.
She said the best way to remove them, depending how deep they are, is seeing a dermatologist who use a sterile needle to release the ingrown hair.
Laser hair removal works a wonder as well because it could prevent them from appearing on your body.
She revealed the five common spots to avoid touching to minimise your risk of scarring
Red Bumps
Red bumps, otherwise known as sandpaper skin or tiny pimples, usually clears up on its own with age – but not everyone grows out of it.
There are some treatments you can try to alleviate the look of it such as cream with cell exfoliating properties, or keratin dissolving ingredients like salicylic acid and lactic acid.
Cystic acne pimples
Cystic acne pimples are most common in teenagers and young adults.
Dr Cook said you are better leaving them alone if you want to avoid scarring. She said they are far too deep to reach and picking them creates trauma.
But if the pimples are bothering you, she suggest seeing a dermatologist.
Blackheads
Good news! Dr Cook said you can squeeze blackheads and whiteheads as long as they are right on the surface of the skin, and you use a tissue.