How do you deal with zits?

I think leaving them is gross as well. They get all nasty looking and its disgusting. Get them popped and get them over with.

everyone says popping them is bad. i pop them though when i get in front of a mirror and start seeking them out i cant help but squeeze every one of them that might yield a cheeserocket.

This should help.

I am like you, I just prefer leaving it there and letting it be. It will eventually go away as long as you are practicing good hygiene (wash your face regularly). Popping can leave scars and is gross IMO. One of my friends has this OCD about popping zits and if she sees someone with a zit, she feels the need to dig in. I told her I don’t ever want to see her pop happy fingers near my face! She could tell I was dead serious and that was it. Tell your partner he is wrong and refer him to jcs’s link which clearly states it is best to leave them alone (on the first line).

Or this.

popping them as soon as they appear is extreme. I usually wait a while, and when it looks ripe and ready to be popped I pop it; it’s like waiting for the right time to pick fruit.

Or particularly another this from fluther.

pop it when its noticeable. Too soon and it will hurt, too late and by then the whole world has seen it ;(

I pop it even before it surfaces if you feel a little hard knot under you skin squeeze it thats what in do!

What jacklikesllamas said is what I was trying to say with my horrible fruit analogy.

I use what is called melaleuca. Its a company that basically specializes in tea tree oil and that stuff is great for your skin. Just google the company and they’re more than just zit medication. If you don’t find any good free methods of zit management, take a peek at what melaleuca has to offer! Good luck!

@ PnL ~ I work with someone who is a habitual-to-almost-OCDish-proportions zit popper.
I cannot emphasize how absolutely disgusting it is! I have to look away…

Here is a little tip. Apply toothpaste (yes toothpaste) on the zit. The best time to do this is at night before going to bed. By morning it will be dried out. Its works best in the early stages. Make sure you only apply directly on the zit(s) not on uneffected areas of your skin.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion is very effective, well worth the cost, and doesn’t overdry the area if you have sensitive skin.

@ mcbealer – i agree! i tried to convince her against it but now my philosophy is “you do your thing, i’ll do mine”

Which is worse, @PnL… your friend feeling the need to pop other people’s zits? or the bizarros who actually let her do it?

I thought someone else peeling off sunburned skin was bad, but zit popping?!?
(( shudders ))

@ rob – true. unsurprisingly, the people who usually let her do it are guys (she is quite the catch), i am pretty sure they would let her do anything to them.

Try putting a warm wash cloth on it. It’ll bring the nastiness to the surface and make it easier to pop. That is, provided you want to pop it.

Depending on how serious it is, you could try a round of Acutane. Six rather miserable dry months followed by a lifetime free of acne.