To me, it depends on the situation. While many dermatologists recommend not bursting your pimple because it will lead to an increased risk of infections, I’m all for bursting. Why? Simply because it gets all that gross stuff out once and for all! To all you girls out there who cannot resist this urge like me, here’s how you can do it properly and minimise the risk of infections.
The best time to burst your pimple is when it’s ripe. When it’s red and swollen and angry with pus inside (you can see the yellow stuff), you know it’s ready! You should do it when you’re in the shower because then you have all your facial cleansers and water. Take a warm shower so that your pores will open up. Then, using either your nails or a pair of tweezers, whichever is easier for you, squeeze the zit gently from opposite sides (left & right or above & below it) until it pops. Make sure everything inside comes out, otherwise your efforts will be wasted. Wipe off the stuff that comes out so that it doesn’t spread and infect other areas.
Once everything is gone, wash your face with your facial foam as per normal. After you come out from the shower, take an ice cube and put it directly on the burst zit (it’s hardcore, man). This will reduce the swelling by a whole lot, even though your skin will turn red from the cold. When it gets too cold, lift it off your skin and put it back in contact whenever you can.
I swear this works. My zits always reduce in size and heal much much much faster when I deal with them this way. After bursting though, don’t apply moisturiser to it because this will just add oil and you don’t want that. Instead, apply your pimple cream to allow it to heal faster.
