Even when acne patients carefully practice good health habits, certain
activities can worsen acne symptoms and should therefore be
avoided. One such activity is squeezing acne lesions. Because acne
lesions are filled with oil or pus, many acne patients think that they
can reduce the size of a lesion and clear their skin by squeezing the
oil and pus out of the lesion. However, this is not the case.
When acne lesions are squeezed, some oil and pus can be
squeezed out. But at the same time, squeezing an acne lesion puts
pressure on both the surface of the skin and the underlying layers.
This pressure forces oil and bacteria deeper into the skin, leading
to the formation of painful cysts. Moreover, squeezing the skin
causes the skin to swell. Swelling puts pressure on the upper part
of the hair follicles, which leads to the follicle becoming inflamed
and the formation of new acne lesions.
Worse still, squeezing acne lesions damages skin tissue, and in
the case of cysts, causes them to break and bleed. The result is a
scar that forms where the skin tissue was damaged or the cyst was
broken. Los Angeles skin care expert Arcona Devan warns her
clients: “Don’t pick at your skin. It’s one of the worst things you
can do. Squeezing blemishes injures your skin and can create
scars.”
