Can popping a pimple kill you?

Theoretically, yes. You can also cross the street.

Of course, in more than 30 years as a family doctor, I had never seen this happen. I hate to admit it, but I’ve popped my pimples on a few occasions and have lived to tell the tale. I’ve even carelessly crossed the street once or twice.

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 mixes with the circulation of the brain. In theory, this could cause a brain infection, which is not a good thing and is potentially fatal.

Although I have never seen a brain infection this way, 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 killing lots of people (including teenagers), 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 so.

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 pulling out a ripe white pimple with a sterilized needle will allow the “pus” to drain; doctors do this sometimes. If you have a large number of large pimples, ask your doctor if it’s ever wise for you to do your own surgery.

2. Scarring. 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 engages secondary processes that produce more scar tissue. Scar tissue is different from normal skin, with different pigmentation, elasticity, and circulation. Acne scars can linger 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. They 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 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 (whiteheads, pustules) are not caused by an infection per se. Rather, certain germs that live in the 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, leading to an even bigger pimple.

5. Autoinoculation with herpes. If you have a cold sore on your lip and a pimple pops, you could transfer the herpes germ from the cold sore to the acne area. Then you could end up with a cold sore at the pimple site, something you definitely want to avoid. Popping a pimple at any time is not a good idea, but especially so when you have a cold sore.

Copyright 2010 Cynthia J. Koelker, MD