{"id":19595,"date":"2022-04-14T09:14:37","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T14:14:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thepapergown.zocdoc.com\/?p=19595"},"modified":"2026-08-13T04:08:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T09:08:41","slug":"unpacking-the-cultural-phenomenon-of-pimple-popping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/advice\/unpacking-the-cultural-phenomenon-of-pimple-popping\/","title":{"rendered":"Unpacking the Cultural Phenomenon of Pimple Popping"},"content":{"rendered":"

The internet has fostered many trends, good and bad. But our predecessors likely never envisioned us swiping through pimple-popping videos on our smartphones. Magazines like <\/span>Parade<\/span><\/i><\/a> and<\/span> Teen Vogue<\/span><\/i><\/a> regularly feature round-ups of the best pimple-popping videos, and dermatologist Dr. Sandra Lee\u2019s <\/span>Dr. Pimple Popper YouTube channel<\/span><\/a> has amassed more than 7.4 million subscribers since it was started in 2010.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why the fascination? For one, it\u2019s simply satisfying. \u201cPeople feel frustrated by pimples, and popping one can lead to a sense of mental or physical relief afterward,\u201d says <\/span>Dr. Michele Green<\/span><\/a>, a Manhattan-based dermatologist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Weirdly enough, <\/span>research also shows<\/span><\/a> that people who enjoy pimple-popping videos have a high curiosity for negative content and are less easily disgusted than most. But how does pimple popping affect your skin and your health?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s grab our gloves and get into it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Zitgeist<\/h3>\n

The average American woman <\/span>pops 65 pimples annually<\/span><\/a>. While pimple popping is OK in some instances, done incorrectly, it can damage your skin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pimples<\/a> are caused by overactive sebaceous glands, which create excess oil in the skin. This oil, combined with dead skin cells and bacteria, gets trapped in a pore and in some cases forms pus. When you pop a pimple, you release the pus or dead skin cells inside.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Choosing to squeeze a zit on your own can lead to any number of mishaps. \u201cYou\u2019re essentially breaking your skin barrier and increasing your risk for acne scarring,\u201d says Green.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By applying pressure, you can even <\/span>release the pimple\u2019s contents<\/span><\/a> into the lower layer of skin. \u201cMany people pop pimples thinking they\u2019re helping to get the pus and bacteria out,\u201d says Green. \u201cBut doing so can push it deeper into the skin, leading to increased swelling, redness, risk of permanent scars and prolonged healing times.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Professional Poppers<\/h3>\n

If pimple popping is so damaging, how come it\u2019s so popular online?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While Green recommends using pimple patches or topical creams to treat acne, for some cases, if a pimple is particularly large or painful and other treatments have failed, dermatologists know safe techniques to pop pimples for patients.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many pimple-popping videos on social media come from amateurs, but some dermatologists do pop pimples, whether they share it on these platforms or not. \u201cBoard-certified dermatologists have had years of experience and know the proper technique to drain pimples, cysts and nodules while minimizing your risk of scarring,\u201d says Green.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dermatologists may use one of these <\/span>two techniques<\/span><\/a> to pop a pimple for you:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n