Sometimes a painful, red pimple on your chin is just too enticing to leave alone. While you already know that picking at your skin can cause more harm than good, it’s still so tempting! The good news is that you’re not alone in being unable to resist that urge. Whether it’s skin picking (the act of picking at scabs or scratching the skin) or pimple popping (squeezing the area in an effort to make the pimple burst) — everyone’s been there at some point.

But because you know you shouldn’t be doing this, we wanted to share a few solid tips to get you started. And if you’ve recently picked at your face and left marks, we’re digging into how to help those heal too.

What does pimple popping and picking do to my skin?

You likely get the urge to pop a pimple when it’s started to form a whitehead full of pus and you can’t stop staring at it. And though your intentions are to help your skin clear up faster, this popping and picking might actually cause more damage. In fact, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD), pimple popping could lead to scarring, infection, and your pimples being more painful or more noticeable. (Yep, it might actually do the opposite of what you’d hoped.)

Likewise, picking or scratching the skin can cause bleeding, scarring, or even an infection.

What if I still want to pop my pimple after reading that?

Though it’s almost always not the best decision to pop your pimple, there are a few things to know from The Cleveland Clinic if you’re determined to go through with it:

• Wash your hands before you start!
• If you’re popping a blackhead, use an OTC medication first to help open up the pore. Think: benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Once that’s set, The Cleveland Clinic says you can, “gently apply pressure to the outer edges with either your fingers or cotton swabs.”
• If you’re popping a whitehead, you’ll need to use a sterilized needle and “gently prick top of the pimple.” From there, you can put a little pressure on to finish the job.
• And if you’re going after a pustule, “Use a hot compress to draw the pus to the surface before applying pressure.”

The key to any of these techniques is not to push too hard. Whatever momentary satisfaction you get from popping it is not worth any further damage you may do.

How do I stop picking my face and popping my pimples?

In some cases, pimple popping can be irresistible. In other cases, it might be something robotic that you do without really noticing you’re doing it. Harvard Health recommends tips like cutting your nails short to make it harder to pick and learning about your triggers so you can better understand what’s driving you to go after your skin.

Another tip is to try pimple stickers ( a patch that contains a healing gel called hydrocolloid that can help with skin repair). Similar to the tip above around cutting your nails, this one creates a physical barrier between your fingers and the pimples.

Last, but not least, think about the potential complications: You know you don’t want an infection or scarring on your face. If you can remember that this is a possibility, it might help you put your fingers away.

What if I can’t stop despite knowing the above?

If you find that the thought of stopping picking your skin or popping pimples brings you anxiety or that you can’t stop picking your skin, you might benefit from speaking to a mental health professional.

Skin picking disorder (SPD), also known as compulsive skin picking (CSP), is a disorder that disorder could co-exist with other mental health conditions like obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or anxiety. If you think you may have SPD, your next best step is to speak to a mental health professional.

How can I heal my skin after popping a pimple?

Rest assured because the answer is that you can heal your skin after popping a pimple. Here Dr. Peter Young, dermatologist and Facet Medical Director, top two tips:

Wash your face twice daily with a gentle non-comedogenic face cleanser and lukewarm water. In order to prevent the pimple from reforming, apply over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide 5% lotion to the popped pimple twice daily after washing until it heals.

What will happen to my pimple if I don’t pop it?

Pimples don’t last forever, even if they feel like they will. If you leave a pustule pimple (whitehead) alone, it’s likely it’ll disappear on its own in about three to seven days.

Cystic pimples, the painful, deep ones that are under the skin, will also heal on their own — though it’ll likely take 2-4 weeks.

If you want to reduce redness or the size of your pimples in the meantime, there are topical treatments that can help. Dr. Young recommends the following:

• First wash your face with a gentle non-comedogenic face cleanser and lukewarm water.
• For deep painful cystic pimples, apply ice to reduce swelling for 5-10 minutes, 2-3 times daily.
• If a whitehead forms, apply warm compresses (use a washcloth soaked in hot water) for 10-15 minutes, 3-4 times daily.
• Apply over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide 5% lotion to the pimple twice daily until it heals.

Want to clear up your acne and stop even dealing with this temptation. That’s what we’re here for at Facet. You can get started right here today.