Acne is one of the most common and unpredictable skin woes. One day your face looks flawless and blemish-free and the next day, a nasty red pimple pops up out of nowhere. Annoying, isn’t it? While the first thing most of us do when we spot a pimple, is frantically start looking for ways to get rid of it, how many of us have actually stopped to think about what a pimple really is? It’s always best to get to the root of the problem before treating it. And since there are so many questions surrounding pimples, we decided to put all your doubts to rest by taking you through the life cycle and stages of a pimple. Read on to find out how long it takes for a pimple to appear on the surface of the skin and what to do at each stage.
Stages :
Stage 01: Birth
Your skin cells constantly renew themselves by shedding off old cells. However, when you have acne-prone skin, these dead cells sit on the surface of the skin and mix with sebum and clog the pores. Bacteria, along with the excess oil from your face, get trapped in the pore and serve as the perfect environment for a pimple to grow. Excess sebum production could be a result of hormonal changes, emotional stress and poor skincare habits. Therefore, the key to avoiding pimples is to keep your skin squeaky clean by using a face wash and exfoliator such as the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant on a daily basis. It deep cleanses the skin by mildly exfoliating the surface of the skin to get rid of trapped dirt and oil.
Stage 02: Growth
If the pore remains clogged with bacteria and sebum, a whitehead is formed. If the pore enlarges and gets exposed to air, it oxidises and turns black, resulting in a blackhead. At this stage, if the dirt inside the pore isn’t removed by either exfoliation or skincare treatments like facials, it proceeds to grow further. While the pimple continues to grow, your body recognises it as a threat and sends white blood cells to the area to fight the pimple. This causes the skin to inflame and swell. The end result is a painful, red bump on the surface of your skin. Use a topical product such as the Dermalogica Breakout Clearing Emergency Spot Fix to reduce inflammation and swelling and soothe the skin.
Stage 03: Death
At this stage, the warriors aka white blood cells, die and get accumulated creating a whitehead. The pimple eventually goes away, but leaves behind an ugly scar, especially if you’ve picked or popped the pimple. These blemishes or scars take the longest to heal depending on the speed of your skin cell turnover. It is recommended to follow your skincare routines religiously and apply a spot lightening treatment like the Dermalogica C-12 Pure Bright Serum on the affected area to help fade the scar faster.
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Written by Sanya Hamdani on 20th May 2020
Sanya Hamdani is a skincare enthusiast and lipstick hoarder, she truly believes no two red lipsticks look exactly alike. With a Master's degree in Communication & Journalism and 5+ years of digital writing experience up her sleeve, Sanya has some of the biggest beauty experts in the country on her speed dial. When she's not swatching products or writing about the latest trends in beauty, you will find her watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.