Being somebody with a vested curiosity, I needed to unravel precisely what pimple patches did post-application or if I ought to depend on conventional spot therapies as a substitute. So, I spoke to some real-deal pimples and pores and skin specialists to interrupt all of it down. Do pimple patches work? Let’s discover out.
What are pimple patches?
These acne-fighting patches are small round hydrocolloid sheets that persist with the pores and skin. A hydrocolloid dressing is a sort of wound bandage that attracts out gunk inside pores with out irritating the encircling pores and skin. So when positioned on a zit, they’re much like a sponge. “They work by absorbing extra fluid, which pulls oil and grime away from the lesion,” says Hadley King, MD, FAAD, an NYC-based board licensed dermatologist. “Whereas caught to the pores and skin, pimples patches even have the additional advantage of stopping you from selecting or making an attempt to pop the pimple, which decreases irritation and hastens the therapeutic time.” When patches include lively elements like salicylic acid, tea tree oil, aloe vera and different anti-inflammatory elements, they’re known as zit stickers. Each kinds of patches create a barrier between an lively flare-up and your arms, so the pimple is much less prone to grow to be additional infected, resulting in an an infection or scar.
Associated Tales
When to make use of a pimple patch
Whether or not your sticker of selection is star-shaped or clear, to actually profit from it, it’s essential to apply it to the suitable kind of breakout. Pimples patches are handiest for treating open lesions, which give a simple pathway for the gunk to ooze out. They’re additionally good for superficial, surface-level breakouts reminiscent of small whiteheads and pustules, says Michael Garner, MD, a dermatologist on the board of advisors at Matter of Truth. “A lot of these breakouts have a visual white or yellowish head and are attributable to clogged pores.”
You’ll be able to apply a zit sticker any time of day, however putting them on earlier than mattress works greatest to make sure you get an excellent eight hours of wear and tear. In the event you don’t like sleeping with them on (as a result of half the time, they find yourself in your sheets) an excellent rule for daytime elimination is to see if the patch has turned white. That is a visible sign it’s accomplished its job and pulled out the surplus fluids. “You might discover your sticker turns white even when your pimple didn’t pop as a result of it’s actively working to take care of the moist setting and shield the wound or blemish,” Dr. Garner says.
When *not* to make use of a pimple patch
Zit stickers ought to actually be solely used for minor flare-ups that produce 5 or fewer spots. If a breakout is extra widespread and consists of deep and cussed cystic pimples, you want a conventional formulated spot therapy. “[Look for] stronger concentrations of lively elements, reminiscent of benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or retinoids which work to clear the pores and scale back the swelling,” explains David Petrillo, a Nevada beauty magnificence chemist and the founding father of Excellent Picture. A lot of these breakouts want sturdy actives to penetrate the pores and skin and work beneath the floor to deal with underlying points, which is inconceivable to do with patches. (Dr. Garner does agree {that a} zit sticker layered over a spot therapy can present further safety and absorption “by serving to the formulation to remain in place and forestall them from being inadvertently wiped or washed away.”)
Components to contemplate when searching for pimple patches
Folks with delicate pores and skin and delicate breakouts ought to go for hydrocolloid patches with out actives that may exacerbate their pimples. In case your pores and skin can tolerate using potent elements, attain for these actives, says Dr. King: “Salicylic acid and tea tree oil to kill micro organism for early stage zits and cysts; and niacinamide or kojic acid for post-cystic darkish spots as a result of it’ll fight hyperpigmentation, restore your lipid barrier, and gradual melanin manufacturing.”
The underside line
Pimples varies a lot from individual to individual that it’s inconceivable to use a one-size-fits all method to treating it. Dr. Garner says it’s nothing to emphasize about, however somewhat a trial-and-error course of to find out what works on your pores and skin. In the event you’re utilizing patches and see no change, they’re most likely ineffective on your pores and skin because of them because of their occlusive nature. “They create a bodily barrier and any substance that creates occlusion is known as being comedogenic—which means that it has the potential to clog or block pores, resulting in the formation of comedones, that are non-inflammatory pimples lesions reminiscent of blackheads and whiteheads,” he says.
As an alternative, it’s best to take a extra complete method and depend on spot therapies that remove the foundation trigger beneath the pores and skin’s floor. But when bodily manipulation is a nasty behavior of yours, from selecting to popping, zit stickers are an important clear up as they function a reminder to not contact the lively breakouts, which permits them to heal and keep away from scarring. Now you already know.
