Why Do Pimples Hurt? How to Decrease the Pain AND the Pimple!

As if they don’t look bad enough….. Why do pimples hurt? And what about the ones that really hurt when you pop them?

There is a reason for “pimple pain” and a way to reduce it while reducing the length of time that spot stays on your face!

Everything you need to know is in this article…

Pain is Inflammation

A pimple is inflammation inside a pore:

• Dead skin cells, oil and bacteria get into a pore.
• This creates an infection which the body fights by sending its army of white blood cells – which creates inflammation and acne.

When this occurs deep enough in the pore to be near a nerve, it is painful. It pushes against the nerve and can also stretch the surrounding skin if it’s large enough.

How to Decrease the Pain of a Pimple

The best way to decrease the pain of a pimple is the same as if you have an inflamed ‘egg’ on your head after hitting it – – – ice it!

• Hold ice to the area for 5mins on, 5mins off, as often as you can (ideally for 30mins at least 3 times a day)

Certain pimple treatment creams can help by drying up or dissolving the oil and dead skin cells which cause the inflammation in the first place.

This helps the natural defenses of the body and will speed up healing time.

Look for salicylic acid, bentonite clay, zinc oxide.

Draw it to the Surface & Get Rid of it Faster

If you have a painful pimple, it’s a deep one. By drawing it to the surface of the skin, you can get rid of it faster.

Often the most painful ones don’t have a head – they are simply deep red lumps beneath the skin.

These are best dealt with by the ice method above and a good clay mask (that helps reduce inflammation, detoxify skin, dry up the spot and decrease the pain!)

If it’s particularly deep hard and sore, see a doctor or dermatologist as it may be a cyst.

However, if you can see your pimple is ‘trying’ to form a head, follow these steps to help speed it up:

• Hold a hot cloth to the area (as hot as you can stand) for 5mins on 5mins off. Continue to do so until you can see the white head

Once it’s closer to the surface the pain should be reduced. If the inflammation is completely gone you now have the option to squeeze it.

Why Do Pimples Hurt When You Pop Them?

Again – don’t squeeze an inflamed pimple! It will be very painful – and will absolutely make it worse.

But those spots that are closer to the surface – the white heads – can be popped. However they can still hurt when doing so!

A couple of seconds of temporary pain while popping them is normal – the pus puts pressure on the surrounding area as it’s being squeezed.

However – pain when squeezing a pimple can also mean you are applying too much pressure and causing more damage – so take it easy!

See this page for the best way to prevent pimples from forming in the first place.