How to Get Rid of a Zit?

How to Get Rid of a Zit?

It can be tricky in more ways than one when suffering from a breakout, this is mainly due to the fact there are such a large variety of different types of blemishes you can have. Before we dive into to figuring out how to get rid of a zit let’s first figure out the types of pimples there are which in time will help you figure out the best way of treating them.

Types of blemishes:

  • Whiteheads- also known technically, closed comedones. They form a whitehead at the top of the breakout and don’t break the skin.
  • Blackheads- known as closed comedones and break the surface of the skin making the bacteria react the oxygen and become black.
  • Papules- a result of infection occurs in skin pore or hair follicle at the surface of the skin. These breakouts can often feel sensitive to touch.
  • Pustules- very similar to papules but often appear redder and contain pus.
  • Nodules- caused by infection of the pores or hair follicles deep in the lower layers. You’ll find these won’t break the skin surface and can feel hard and can become large and painful.
  • Cysts- these are likely to scar if forced or squeezed. They are deep in the lower layers of the skin with large amounts of pus forming in the membrane, you must ensure you clean these regularly as they can become infected.

Now if you’re looking at that list and wondering where a zit falls into place, the word zit or pimple generally means either a whiteheads or pustules depending on their size and sensitivity to touch. Now that we have all that out the way, we can start exploring how to get rid of a zit in the easiest, most effective ways.

How do you get rid of a zit overnight?

Much like any blemish, getting rid of a zit overnight is rather impossible, but you can speed up the healing process and control the breakout. Here are some of the best methods to try when reducing the size of the zit making it appear a lot less visible by the morning. 

  1. Warm Compress

By applying a warm compress to the zit will help the spot to soften and bring the pus to the surface. You should hold the compress on the spot for 15 minutes at a time, once it comes to a head it is important to remember not to squeeze it, but instead allow it to rid the spot of pus on its own accord. To make a warm compress take a clean flannel and run it under warm water, avoid using water that is too hot as it can damage the skin. 

  1. Ice Packs

If you are finding your zit is too far in the lower layers of the skin and painful to touch, apply an ice pack to help reduce inflammation and calm redness. This is a particularly effective method for blemishes such as cysts and nodules. 

  1. Topical Treatments

There are many products available that have been specifically formulated to treat breakouts many of which containing potent ingredients. The best ones considered by dermatologists and skin experts are salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, retinol, tea tree oil and popular AHAs such as lactic and glycolic acid. You can either use products that need to be applied topically onto active spots, or in serum forms depending on how severe your breakout is.

  1. Keep the Skin Clean

It’s important to ensure your skin is kept clean so removing all traces of makeup before heading to bed will keep excess product and bacteria out of the pores. Use a cleanser that is gentle on the skin and consider using a toner that contains active levels of glycolic acid or lactic acid to slough away dead skin cells.

By doing the methods above you will see a noticeable improvement of your zit, it will be reduced in size and redness making it a lot easier to conceal with makeup should you wish to use any.

How to make zits come to a head?

By using the method I have already mentioned, such as ice packs and warm compress you will be able to bring a zit to a head quickly. You can also book yourself in for a professional appointment, such as a facial which are regularly tailored to your skin concerns and needs. You’ll also find that if you are in need of getting any blemishes extracted, its best to seek the help of a fully trained professional to perform the extraction as they would not cause skin damage compared to how you would do it yourself.

How long does it take for zits to go away?

This is really dependent on how deep the infection or bacteria sits in the lower layers of the skin. For example, if a zit has not yet come to a head, feels hard and hasn’t come to a head, is hard and also feels painful to touch you can expect to have it for almost 6 weeks. This is due to the fact it is too deep in the skin layers and needs time to work its way up to the surface before it can be professionally extracted or healed by using a skincare routine containing potent skin ingredients.

What to do if you feel a zit coming?

You can usually tell by the feel of your skin if there is a zit is coming:

The Dos

  • Do maintain a good skincare routine and keep the skin clean
  • Do use products containing blemish combating ingredients such as salicylic acid, retinol, glycolic acid
  • Do ensure you remove all traces of makeup before bed
  • Do apply a hyaluronic acid serum to make sure you don’t dry out your skin with the other potent ingredients

The Don’ts

  • Don’t touch the area too much as bacteria from your hands can cause more blemishes
  • Don’t squeeze or force the zit to pop as this can not only spread bacteria but cause infection and inflammation
  • Don’t overuse products that are too harsh for the skin such as physical scrubs as this can cause irritation and damage the skin

It is better to pop a zit or leave it?

No matter how tempting it can be to pop a zit, it is better in the long run to leave it alone. By forcing a spot to pop you will spread the bacteria around the face which will lead to more breakouts. By breaking the surface of the skin it is also giving you higher chances of suffering from scarring and uneven skin tone and texture. In the long run, you may have rid the spot of the pus but it will take a considerable amount of time for it to heal. Do you and your skin a favour and leave zits alone, keep your skin clean with your routine and don’t forget you can always conceal it with makeup.

So, I hope that clears up a few things about spots and how to get rid of a zit, don’t forget you can check out our other blog about how to get rid of pimples for more information, tips and methods to give you skin clarity. 

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