One of my most popular posts is about six types of acne and how to recognise them. I already wrote about comedonal acne and papules, and today, I will write about pustules.
So let’s start from the beginning.
What are pustules?
Like papules, pustules are also inflammatory acne.
They are commonly known as pimples.
Pustules, as the name suggests, contain pus that can be white or yellowish.
They are often red with white or yellow heads on top, and they are smaller than 5 – 10 mm.
Pustules can be sore to the touch, so avoid touching them.
Why do pustules appear
In my post about papules, I explained how they appear. But in short, papules form when our pores get clogged with dirt, dead skin cells, or sebum and rather than dispersing onto the skin’s surface, the bacteria in them spreads into the skin, forming a bump called a papule.
After a few days, papules accumulate pus and become a pustule.
How to recognise a pustule
Pustules are probably the most straightforward form of acne to recognise. You can easily spot pustules (pun not intended) if they have a white or yellow centre and red, inflamed skin around them. And they are usually sore to the touch.
According to Healthline, these are areas where they can appear:
- shoulders
- chest
- back
- face
- neck
- underarms
- pubic area
- hairline
How to treat pustules
Again, the number one thing you can do is NOTHING!
Do not touch it, don’t squeeze it, don’t scratch it, leave it alone. It will go away on its own.
If you wash your face regularly and use an exfoliator, it will probably be gone sooner. Exfoliator will break the surface of it, and it will just disappear. And if it doesn’t, that’s ok as well. It will, eventually.
But, if you really can’t help yourself and you need to pop it, there is a way how to do it:
- Thoroughly wash your hands.
- Clean your face as well.
- Grab two pieces of toilet paper, and wrap them around each index finger.
- Place your fingers slightly further than you think, not right next to the spot.
- Start gently pushing downwards, then, at a 90-degree angle towards the bottom of the spot, push upwards until it pops.
- If the spot is not popping and nothing is coming out, it’s not ready. Leave it alone and wait for another few days.
- If the pus does come out, once the pink stuff is coming out, you need to stop. The pus is gone and will start bleeding if you don’t stop.
- If the bleeding appears, take a pad soaked in some acid (glycolic, lactic or some other), firmly press it onto the spot and hold it until it stops.
- When the bleeding has stopped, put some good facial oil on it to moisturise the area and speed up healing time.
Few things to note:
If the spot doesn’t have a white or yellow centre, don’t even bother to pop it. It means it is not ready yet (it’s still a papule). You will only make it more angry and red, nothing else.
Make sure you have CLEAN EVERYTHING! You don’t want to spread the infection any further.
Caroline Hirons made an in-depth post on how to correctly pop a spot.
It’s an excellent guide for anyone who can’t keep their hands off their faces.
Products to try
To help combat pustules but also keep your skin healthy and glowing, I recommend a minimum of 3 products:
- cleanser
- spot treatment
- face cream (SPF)
Cleanser
If you only get one or two pustules here and there, I would recommend a mild cleansing gel. You don’t need anything with acids as it would be too drying.
Something like Apivita Cleansing Creamy Foam would be perfect.
But, if you suffer from more severe acne, a cleanser with acid will exfoliate the skin’s surface and get rid of pustules.
In this case, try:
Spot treatment
Rather than popping your pimples and risking bleeding and scars, try a suitable treatment for spots. I use the Uriage SOS paste and honestly can say it changed my life. But more on that in some other post.
Or you could try something with salicylic acid like:
And the last step is to use an appropriate moisturiser.
Again, this depends on the skin type you have. Make sure to read the ingredients and do your research or ask for testers before buying the full-size product.
I will put here a few examples of moisturisers that can be used but don’t just buy them – make sure it is suitable for your skin.
Dry, dehydrated skin:
Oily skin:
Sensitive skin:
Conclusion
It’s never easy to fight acne. But with the correct skincare routine, it becomes more likely to have a clear complexion.
That’s why it’s essential to recognize what type of acne you have and to learn how to treat them.
Trust me. I have been there. I’ve tried every type of product, supplement and diet, but the thing that did the most was changing my skincare routine.
So, even if you only implement the three-step routine (which is the bare minimum) I described earlier, I can almost guarantee a healthier-looking complexion.
Have you ever had pustules? Did you know they were pustules and how did you treat them?
