We've all done it, but dermatologists always recommend you don't take matters into your own hands and pop a spot.
"This is especially harmful if you are attempting to pop cysts (comedones) that are below the skin and cannot 'come to a head' through manual squeezing," Lucy Chen, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Riverchase Dermatology in Miami, told POPSUGAR. Not only is squeezing at an unpoppable pimple painful but you can cause even more unnecessary damage to your skin.
"Squeezing can push bacteria and pus deeper into the skin, which can result in trauma to the skin such as piercing the skin (if someone is using an at-home lancer), redness, or swelling," she said. "Squeezing also can lead to scabs, which can leave you with acne pockmarks or scars."
Instead, cystic pimples that are deep under the skin need to be treated by a dermatologist. They can properly lance the zit or inject it with a cortisone shot to help bring down the inflammation.