In Reply to: Acne Picking posted by JoeJoe on March 03, 2000 at 15:23:52:
There is a science to picking. I don't know it, but I know that I've gotten a lot letter at it. That is, when I DO get any acne. I generally don't know since I have been using a combination of Differin and Cleocin-T.
What I do is this. I have a pair of very sharp, very expensive tweezers. I sterilize it (very important). I then *pinch* the tiniest hole at the very very tip of the pimple. This allows the pus to exit. Then I gently (very gently) use the tweezer at the base of the pimple to force the pus out of the pore. Finally, take a Q-tip and dunk it in alcohol and deliver it right to the now empty pore to sterilize it. Strange, but this really helped me prevent scars. The trick it to do this in the middle stage of the pimple if it is not reacting to topical solutions. Don't do it too early or the skin won't break easily. The concept here is a minimal escape route for the pus to prevent scarring. The tinier the hole the better. Towards the end, the skin tend to toughen up too. I would say that its the right time when the pimple is EASILY visible one arms length from the mirror. Remember to sterilize right after and use a topical to seal it. (I've actually tried neosporin with some success). I am proficient enough now that I can just use my topicals the same night. Hope this helps. Don't do this if you don't have a steady hand. You don't want to cut your face, just clear the pore.