This article was medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS and by wikiHow staff writer, Carmine Shannon. Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.
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Tried everything to treat your acne? A hot compress may be able to help! The warmth and moisture can soothe your skin and help clear out and heal stubborn pimples, plus, they’re incredibly easy and simple to make. Follow the steps below to learn how.
Steps
Expert Q&A
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QuestionIf you have a pimple on your nose what do you do?Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MSLuba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.
Board-Certified Family Nurse PractitionerI recommend applying acne medication to the affected area. Ensure you do not squeeze your pimples. Additionally, a hot compress can be used to open your pores and facilitate getting rid of dirt and excess oil that may be causing your acne. -
QuestionHow can I get rid of acne scars?Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MSLuba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.
Board-Certified Family Nurse PractitionerYou can start of with retinol cream for about 3 to 4 weeks to help with skin cell turn over and healing. If that does not help, you can have a few series of chemical peels in the dermatologist’s office. If that does not improve your scars laser treatment would be my next recommendation. Laser treatment can vary from mild to invasive depending on the severity of your scars.
Tips
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Don’t pop your pimples! It can irritate and inflame your skin and could actually make the zit worse.[11]Thanks
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Consider using ice on your acne if it’s inflamed. Ice can treat pain, as well as help prevent pimples from forming.Thanks
Warnings
- If your skin shows signs of an infection, such as red streaks around your skin or lots of pus oozing from it, see your doctor.[12] They may prescribe an antibiotic that can help clear it up.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.drugs.com/cg/warm-compress-or-soak.html
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9824697/
- ↑ https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/hidradenitis-suppurativa-self-care
- ↑ https://www.aad.org/news/how-to-treat-painful-pimple-home
- ↑ https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/hidradenitis-suppurativa-self-care
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-bring-a-pimple-to-a-head/
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22761-infected-pimple
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12233-acne
- ↑ https://communityhealth.mayoclinic.org/featured-stories/acne
About This Article
To create a hot compress to treat acne, start by washing your hands and face with a mild cleanser. Next, run a small, clean washcloth under warm water until it's saturated. Then, apply the compress to your entire face or the affected area for 10 minutes to open your pores and bring any pimples to a head. Finally, apply a topical acne treatment that contains salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or sulfur to the affected area. You can repeat this 2-3 times daily! For tips on adding green tea or tea tree oil to your hot compresses, read on!
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