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Pimplesare often the first skin-care issue we come up against.

A woman inspecting a popped pimple in the mirror.

Getty/PeopleImages

And figuring out what to do with apoppedpimple is often the second.

And that scarring will end up lasting much, much longer than any pimple would.

I tell my patients, Take your mirrors down.

Keep your paws to yourself.

Sometimes not popping it just isnt an option.

And sometimes a popped pimple just happens by accident!

First and foremost, keep the area clean.

Think of the crime sceneas an open wound, Dr. Elbuluk says, especially if you see any bleeding.

So the first step is to wash the area witha gentle cleanser.

2. see to it to keep it moisturized.

Seriously, stick withthe gentle stuffhere!

Only use gentle products while its healing.

Avoid anything that would cause further irritation, like using scrubs or getting a facial, Dr. Elbuluk says.

Its already basically injured skin.

Really, the only things you oughta use right now are your gentle cleanser and moisturizer.

Avoid picking at or touching the area while it heals.

Its crucial to avoid the temptation to keep prodding at the wound or to keep touching it.

And if the area scabs over, dont pick at the scab.

People end up in this rabbit hole and keep making it worse and worse, Dr. Elbuluk says.

Interfering with it at this point just makes infection and scarring more likely.

You may want to keep it covered too.

So if youre generally acne-prone, it may be best to skip them.

You should already be doing this, but if youre not, now is certainly the time to start.

As these inflamed areas heal, they may leave discoloration behind.

Wearing sunscreen can help prevent some of that discoloration process, particularlyin darker skin types, Dr. Elbuluk says.

Your sunscreen of choice should be at least SPF 30 and provide broad-spectrum protection,SELF explained previously.

Take this opportunity to check in with your acne-prevention strategies.

And stock up on spot treatments while youre at it.

The best alternative to popping a pimple is, well, treating it.

In particular, Dr. Elbuluk recommends tryingover-the-counter salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide products.

And Dr. Stevenson says a prescription-strength product containing benzoyl peroxide and a retinoid is her go-to.

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