Can popping a pimple kill you?
Theoretically yes. You can also cross the street.
Of course, in over 30 years as a family doctor, I have never seen this happen. I hate to admit it, but I have popped pimples on a few occasions and have lived to tell about it. I’ve even jaywalked a time or two.
How can popping a pimple kill you? Most people pop pimples by squeezing them, which has the potential to push germs into the bloodstream. The blood circulation of the face is mixed with the circulation of the brain. In theory, this could cause a brain infection, which is not good and potentially fatal.
Although I have never seen a brain infection like this, I do not recommend popping pimples. However, if I could get a young person to follow good health advice, I would suggest avoiding things that do kill a lot of people (teenagers included), things like alcohol, drugs, sex, smoking, gambling, and overeating.
Are there other dangers of popping pimples? Here are 5 concerns. The first 4 are quite common, the last less.
1. Prolonged healing. I know it feels like if you just popped the offending pimple, it would go away. You probably know from personal experience that this is not the case, at least not for pimples without a big white head. Squeezing a pimple will certainly prolong healing. Your body doesn’t just have to heal the pimple, it has to heal the damage you caused to your skin by squeezing so hard. Sometimes picking out a ripe white pimple with a sterilized needle will allow the “pus” to drain out; doctors do this sometimes. If you have a lot of large pimples, ask your doctor if it’s ever wise for you to do your own surgery.
2. Healing. The body has several built-in healing processes. The primary process leaves very little scarring and is the body’s way of normally healing itself. When the body has to work harder to heal an injury, it involves secondary processes that produce more scar tissue. Scar tissue is different than normal skin, with different pigmentation, elasticity, and circulation. Acne scars can persist for life, so resist the urge to pop your pimples.
3.Local infection. Although acne itself isn’t considered a skin infection, if you pop a pimple, other germs can get in and cause an actual infection. These are usually germs that live happily on the surface of the skin without causing any problems. However, once the skin is broken, they can invade and cause a true infection. Staph and strep germs are the most common culprits. If you squeeze a pimple and you develop a swollen, red, tender area, you should see your doctor; you may need an antibiotic.
4. Turn a small pimple into a big one. As mentioned, pimples (blackheads, pustules) are not caused by an infection per se. Rather, certain germs that live in hair follicles cause a problem by producing an acid that irritates the skin. Your body tries to fight this acid by making a pimple. When you squeeze a pimple, you can actually force the acid deeper into your skin, causing an even bigger pimple.
5. Autoinoculation with herpes. If you have a cold sore on your lip and a pimple breaks out, you could transfer the herpes germ from the cold sore to the acne area. Then you could end up with cold sores at the site of the pimple, something you definitely want to avoid. Popping a pimple at any time is not a good idea, but especially when you have a cold sore.
Copyright 2010 Cynthia J. Koelker, MD