What To Try Instead Of Pimple Patches
Theres no real harm in using zit stickers but they may not work, either, leaving you pimply and frustrated. Theyre really just wound healing dressings for a very specific type of lesion, Dr. Kassouf says. They can be helpful, but for overall acne treatment, there is little use for them.
Dont fret, though. Youve got options.
There are a lot of great over-the-counter medications these days that do more for the money, Dr. Kassouf says.
- Adapalene: This vitamin A derivative, available in topical form, can help make skin cells less sticky so they dont hang around and clog your pores, which can not only help prevent acne but can help heal it, too.
- Salicylic acid: This beta hydroxy acid is available in cleansers and topical applications to help exfoliate and clean your skin, as well as decrease acne inflammation.
- Foaming cleansers: These face washes are great for removing dirt and pollutants that can increase inflammation and breakouts.
- Emergency treatments: If you have a big event coming up and need to get rid of a major pimple in a hurry, talk to your dermatologist about quick-turnaround options, including cortisone and antibiotic injections.
If your breakouts are related to an underlying issue like a hormonal imbalance, these treatments may not be enough for you. If hormones are the issue, your dermatologist may have much better options for you, Dr. Kassouf says.
Acne Treatment With Hydrocolloid Patches
Another form of acne treatment is with hydrocolloid bandages or patches. Hydrocolloid bandages are used to help reduce the size of zits and minimize the appearacne of acne by absorbing the oils and pus from your pimple. While there are pimple patches, sheets of hydrocolloid bandages have proven to work just as well. You are able to apply the whole sheet to the desired area or cut out a piece to fit comfortably on your pimple, this also helps keep you from picking at your zit causing it to become inflammed. Wear it overnight or just for a couple of hours, and youll be able to see the bandage go from clear to white spots from all its absorbed. Once removed, youll notice the pimple has now been flattened out and even reduced in size.
Related Searches:
They Use The Same Basic Hydrocolloid Tech You Find In Mighty Patch Pimple Patches And Are Safe To Use
These bandages are safe to use on your zits and use the same basic hydrocolloid tech youll find in other hydrocolloid acne products.
Originally used for dressing wounds, hydrocolloid bandages are designed to seal out contamination like bacteria, create a moist environment to promote healing, and suck up excess fluid. For blemishes, this means you may notice a reduced recovery period and significantly less inflammation.
You May Like: How To Get Rid Of Post Acne Marks
Don’t Miss: How To Stop Puberty Acne
Cosrx Ac Collection Acne Patch
This patch contains Centella Asiatica Extract, which Campbell says has some evidence for helping to heal the skin. Again, Campbell does not like most patches with medication since ingredients like salicylic acid can irritate the skin. “Salicylic acid works better to prevent rather than treat active acne lesion,” she says.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
What Are Pimple Patches And How Do They Work
When a large pimple suddenly appears on your chin, it can take every ounce of willpower you have to resist popping it. Even if your teenage years are a thing of the past, you can still fall victim to a pesky breakoutand its unpleasant aftermath, if you pick at it. In fact, acne is the most common skin care concern for people of all ages and affects more than 50 million Americans.
Now that many of us are wearing surgical face masks regularly, there’s also the increasing issue of “maskne”breakouts around the cheeks, mouth and nose.So how do you keep your hands off those unsightly blemishes and let nature take its course as they heal? That’s where the humble yet mighty pimple patch comes in.
Also Check: Why Do I Have Body Acne
How Can I Prevent Acne
Because of acnes association with fluctuating hormone levels and possible genetic influences, many doctors believe there is no way to prevent it. The accepted wisdom is that neither good hygiene nor diet can prevent outbreaks. Treatments can control acne and minimize future breakouts. Sensible skin care is recommended, especially during adolescence. The basics include a daily bath or shower and washing the face and hands with unscented or mildly antibacterial soap.
Other tips for preventing future outbreaks include:
- Use non-comedogenic or sensitive skin products to reduce the chance of new lesions and minimize skin irritation.
- Use a mild cleanser twice a day.
- Avoid cleansers or products that contain scrubbing particles or have a gritty texture. These products can irritate the skin and lead to breakouts.
- Use a daily non-comedogenic moisturizer and broad spectrum sunscreen .
- Wear makeup that is non-comedogenic.
- Avoid picking, squeezing, or popping pimples. This can lead to scarring and skin infections.
Show Sources
How Long Do Pimple Patches Take To Work
Another concern that people who are new to acne zappers have regarded the question of how long do pimple patches take to work. And this is the tricky part, considering that a majority of pimple patches have to be applied for at least a couple of hours before they start infusing their skin-healing capabilities. In other words, you may want to plan to stick on yours just before bed to give it as much time as possible to impart its skin-healing properties on your skin.
Fortunately, there’s no shortage of revolutionary acne patches such as this one by AENO which is inconspicuous enough to be worn even during the day without ruining your makeup or natural complexion.
All other factors held constant, it should take between two to four weeks for the acne zappers to work, as soon as you start applying the hydrocolloid patches on a nightly basis. Even better, these pimple patches are a reliable overnight acne-diminishing solution when a zit pops up on the night just before your big day. We can guarantee that it works way better than dousing the unsightly pimple with toothpaste, which does nothing but irritate the lesion.
Don’t Miss: Can Eating Disorders Cause Acne
The Best Pimple Patch For Each Type Of Blemish
When it comes to spot treatments, the fact is a lot of people are making their blemishes last longer by using them incorrectly. The reason spot treatments often dont work is that people are applying them at the wrong time.
Heres what happens: you get a blemish and apply a spot treatment to dry it up. The problem? Most blemishes are meant to come to the surface where the infection can be excreted through the skinthis is part of your bodys natural healing process. By applying a drying spot treatment too soon, all youre doing is drying out the skin on top of your blemish. This traps the infection and blocks it from coming to the surface. It can also irritate the surrounding skin, resulting in a long-lasting dark mark even after the blemish heals.
Here are my recommendations for the best ingredients and the best type of pimple patch to use for every kind of acne.
What Are Pimple Patches
‘Acne-healing patches consist of small translucent stickers similar to plasters, which can be applied to a spot that’s either forming under the skin or has formed a yellow or white head on the skins surface. The patches are a form of ‘targeted’ spot therapy, as treatment is confined to the affected area only,’ explains Dr Mahto.
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Acne Fast Overnight
Best Pimple Patch Kit For Emerging Pimples
This two-step kit comes with a swab thats medicated with blemish-banishers salicylic acid and tea tree oil for cleaning the area. Next, apply a Killa patch, which is outfitted with microdarts, a technology that pushes salicylic acid and anti-inflammatory niacinamide into the zit for quick healing. Most other hydrocolloid patches should be used for pimples that have a white head, but this one is different. The company says it works best on pimples that are red and painful and have not yet come to the surface.
Try Zitsticka Killa Kit, $29, Zitsticka.com
Cystic And Nodular Breakouts
Cystic and nodular blemishes are those hard, painful bumps that live deep below the surface of your skin and dont come to a head. Since your skins goal is to re-absorb back into your body rather than push the infection to the surface, youre better off using a non-hydrocolloid patch with anti-inflammatory ingredients such as salicylic acid or niacinamide that can be delivered into the blemish. Some patches even come with micro-dart technology that helps deliver active ingredients a little deeper into the skin.
A word of caution: the last thing you want to do to a cyst is cause any kind of irritation, including drying out the surrounding skin. This will put you at risk for increased hyperpigmentation and dark marks . I would definitely avoid denatured alcohol as an ingredient in this case since its so drying.
Speaking of irritation, its possible for the adhesive on the sticker to be irritating . Also, while micro-darts are very small and unlikely to cause any damage, they wouldnt be my first choice since I think cysts should be treated as gently as possible. Instead, I prefer a soothing topical treatment like Anti Bump Solution.
That said, I know a lot of people have anecdotally reported that patches work on their cystic acne! If its something youre interested in, I encourage you to try it out and simply keep an eye out for dryness, flaking, or irritation. If you consistently struggle with hormonal blemishes , heres what you can do.
Read Also: How To Remove Acne From Face
Start With Benzoyl Peroxide And Salicylic Acid
At the first sign of any breakout, Turner says to start with benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. Benzoyl peroxide helps to reduce inflammation, treat acne bacteria, and unclog pores, he says. Cleansing with salicylic acid or using it as spot treatment is a tried-and-true treatment to help stop breakouts.
Benzoyl peroxide treatments can be prescribed by your doctor, but often for combatting ongoing and prominent acne problems. However, its wise to have a benzoyl peroxide cleanser or treatment cream on hand for the times when you sense a budding cystic pimple.
Do Acne Patches Work On Cystic Acne
‘Clearly, if acne is occurring frequently or there are a large number of active spots, then pimple patches are unlikely to be practical, and youre better off seeking out cleansers or treatment serums that can be used on the entire face,’ says Dr Mahto.
Her final thoughts? ‘If spots or acne are an ongoing issue causing scarring or affecting your self-esteem, do not delay seeking professional help from your GP or a consultant dermatologist.’
Don’t Miss: How To Fade Acne Dark Spots
The Best Acne Patches To Treat Pimples Overnight
An Asian woman inspecting an acne blemish in front of the mirror.
getty
Acne is one of the most common skin conditions out there. According to the American Academy of Dermatology , it affects up to 50 million Americans, both teens and adults, annually.
“While typically thought of as a skin condition of adolescence, acne is well known to persist into adulthood through the 30s, 40s and beyond,” says Dr. Katie Caretti, Michigan-based board-certified dermatologist and a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Adult-onset acne or adult acne tends to be a bit more common in women and often more hormonally driven. “Fluctuating hormone levels, especially common around menstruation, can lead to increased sebum or oil production which can then lead to acne,” explains Dr. Caretti. Stress can also be a contributing factor as it leads to an increase in the production of androgen hormone that subsequently triggers acne breakouts, notes the dermatologist. Other than that, certain skincare products can also contribute to the formation of acne. This is why it’s important to look for products that are non-comedogenic and oil-free, as many comedogenic products will clog pores and exacerbate acne, adds the dermatologist.
While there’s no dearth of topical spot treatments, acne patches aka zit stickers are hands down one of the simplest acne quick-fixes available in the market today.
First off, what are acne patches?
Who should use an acne patch?
The best acne patches for 2021
Why Do Hydrocolloid Patches Turn White
Ah yes, the white stuff in the pimple patch. IMO, one of the most satisfying, gratifying parts about using pimple patches is seeing how much gunk they seem to pull out of your zit by the time you peel it off. Buuut here’s a little womp womp news: That white stuff you see on the patch isn’t really pus from your zitit’s actually just moisture from your skin turning the hydrocolloid patch white and gummy on the inside to help protect your wound.
Even though hydrocolloid patches will gently absorb seeping liquid from your skinand eventually turn whitethey won’t actually suck the gunk out from deep within your pore. So if the zit you squeezed was a deep, inflamed zit , don’t expect your pimple patch to work miracles in flattening your zit.
Don’t Miss: How To Get Rid Of Acne And Pimples
The Problem: The Patch Doesnt Do Anything To My Pimple
The Fix: Make sure youre applying the patch to the right kind of pimples whiteheads.
Hydrocolloid patches arent designed to work on pimples that are rooted deep below the surface of the skin . They also dont work on pimples without a head .
Instead, hydrocolloid pimple patches like Subis Perfect Pimple Patch work on surface pimples known as whiteheads. Whiteheads are pimples that are very close to the surface of the skin they are actually an oil gland that has been trapped under a very thin layer of skin. Whiteheads arent painful to touch .
If you want to use a patch to treat papules , it is necessary to first poke a tiny hole in the centre of the pimple using a sterile needle. By creating an incision in the pimple, youll allow the fluid in it to be absorbed by the patch. We advise that you do this only under the supervision of a dermatologist.
NB. We dont recommend creating a hole with your fingers or else you may accidentally cause a broken vessel or even push the dead skin cells in the clogged pore even deeper into the skin. Both of these can cause the pimple to become even more inflamed.
What Kind Of Pimples Can You Put Pimple Patches On
You need to understand that not all acne is the equal and each type requires a different treatment. Acne is caused by various factors, such as genetics, diet, hormones and hygiene.
Unfortunately, there are many zit stickers on the market designed for different types of acne, such as whiteheads, papules, pustules, cysts or nodules. The effectiveness of pimple patches may depend on your blemishes.
Hydrocolloid spot patches are most effective at whiteheads and formed pimples – which are caused by clogged poresas they draw out and absorb the pus, oil, and more.
If you’re struggling with pimples that form deeper in the skin, such as nodules and cystic acne, try a microneedle patch with anti-inflammatory and soothing ingredients like beta hydroxy acids , vitamin E, centella aisiatica, tea tree and green tea.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Rid Of Puberty Acne
How Do Hydrocolloid Dressings Work
The term hydrocolloid refers to a group of substances that are soluble in water and can thicken liquids. In hydrocolloid dressings, companies may use gelatin or sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as the hydrocolloid agent.
When a wound secretes fluid, the hydrocolloid mixes with it to form a gel. According to older research from , this helps with wound healing by creating a moist environment that protects any new tissue the body is growing.
A notes that hydrocolloid dressings also:
- facilitate the bodys breakdown of damaged tissue
- encourage the formation of connective tissue and collagen
- maintain a consistent temperature around the wound
- maintain an acidic pH level in the wound, which reduces bacterial growth
- provide a barrier against bacteria from the environment, reducing the risk of infection
Hydrocolloid dressings provide wound care for the following:
- surface wounds
- abrasions, or wounds from scraping
- donor sites
Moreover, doctors may use them to protect undamaged skin that is at risk of developing a wound, or skin that is just starting to show damage from friction.
People also use hydrocolloid patches for acne.
There is not much research on how hydrocolloid dressings compare with other types of dressings. However, the research that does exist suggests they may have unique benefits in certain situations.
The Cute One: Starface
The one to wear when you dont want your coworkers staring at your face thinking, Is that a pimple patch? Theyre star-shaped and yellow and quite conspicuous, but thats the point! Theyre very cute. Recently, Ive been relying on these the most for daytimeand now when a zit pops up on my cheek, I actually get excited about it. Is that weird? A bonus perk is that its nearly impossible to lose the little yellow pod they come in, a problem Ive noticed with the slim sheets of other packages. Peel it off gently to avoid wrinkling any of the star points.
Ali Oshinsky
Read Also: How To Treat Neck Acne
