{"id":5629,"date":"2023-07-14T10:27:53","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T03:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5629"},"modified":"2023-07-14T10:27:53","modified_gmt":"2023-07-14T03:27:53","slug":"do-pimple-patches-work-dermatologists-weigh-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5629","title":{"rendered":"Do Pimple Patches Work? Dermatologists Weigh In"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">Z<\/span>it stickers, pimple patches, blemish dots: Whatever you call them, just know that these humble tools are a serious game-changers when it comes to tackling acne. If you\u2019re like me and routinely have a standing appointment with a chin zit, you know how true this is. My <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/30-year-old-skin-care-routine\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/30-year-old-skin-care-routine\/\">skin-care routine<\/a> isn\u2019t complete until I\u2019ve covered every pimple and would-be blemish with a clear, barely detectable patch. But no matter how seemingly easy it is to pile on sticker after sticker to magically zap my zits, I couldn\u2019t shake the feeling of wondering whether they were really healing my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-acne-tips\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-acne-tips\/\">acne<\/a>\u2026 or keeping me in a continuous breakout cycle.<\/div>\n<p>Being someone with a vested interest, I had to get to the bottom of exactly what pimple patches did post-application or if I should rely on traditional spot treatments instead. So, I spoke to some real-deal acne and skin experts to break it all down. Do pimple patches work? Let&#8217;s find out.<\/p>\n<h2>What are pimple patches?<\/h2>\n<p>These acne-fighting patches are small circular hydrocolloid sheets that stick to the skin. A hydrocolloid dressing is a type of wound bandage that draws out gunk within pores without irritating the surrounding skin. So when placed on a zit, they&#8217;re similar to a sponge. \u201cThey work by absorbing excess fluid, which pulls oil and dirt away from the lesion,&#8221; says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/drhadleyking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/drhadleyking\/\">Hadley King, MD, FAAD<\/a>, an NYC-based board certified dermatologist. &#8220;While stuck to the skin, acne patches also have the added benefit of preventing you from picking or trying to pop the pimple, which decreases inflammation and speeds up the healing time.\u201d When patches contain active ingredients like salicylic acid, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/5-uses-for-tea-tree-oil\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/5-uses-for-tea-tree-oil\/\">tea tree oil<\/a>, aloe vera and other anti-inflammatory ingredients, they\u2019re called zit stickers. Both types of patches create a barrier between an active flare-up and your hands, so the pimple is less likely to become further inflamed, leading to an infection or scar.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/do-pimple-patches-work\/\" current-title=\"Are Pimple Patches *Really* As Effective As They Claim To Be? Dermatologists Have Some Thoughts\" current-image=\"Stocksy_txpb7550278kOk300_Medium_5391947-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-01-13\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/do-pimple-patches-work\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/do-pimple-patches-work\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/do-pimple-patches-work\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>When to use a pimple patch<\/h2>\n<p>Whether your sticker of choice is star-shaped or clear, to truly benefit from it, you need to use it on the right type of breakout. Acne patches are most effective for treating open lesions, which provide an easy pathway for the gunk to ooze out. They&#8217;re also good for superficial, surface-level breakouts such as small whiteheads and pustules, says Michael Garner, MD, a dermatologist on the board of advisors at <a href=\"https:\/\/matteroffact.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/matteroffact.com\/\">Matter of Fact<\/a>. &#8220;These types of breakouts have a visible white or yellowish head and are caused by clogged pores.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can apply a zit sticker any time of day, but placing them on before bed works best to ensure you get a good eight hours of wear. If you don\u2019t like sleeping with them on (because half the time, they end up on your sheets) a good rule for daytime removal is to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/pimple-patch-hydrocolloid\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/pimple-patch-hydrocolloid\/\">see if the patch has turned white<\/a>. That&#8217;s a visual signal it\u2019s done its job and pulled out the excess fluids. \u201cYou may notice your sticker turns white even if your pimple didn\u2019t pop because it\u2019s actively working to maintain the moist environment and protect the wound or blemish,\u201d Dr. Garner says.<\/p>\n<h2>When *not* to use a pimple patch<\/h2>\n<p>Zit stickers should really be only used for minor flare-ups that produce five or fewer spots. If a breakout is more widespread and consists of deep and stubborn cystic pimples, you need a traditional formulated spot treatment.\u00a0 \u201c[Look for] more potent concentrations of active ingredients, such as benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or retinoids which work to clear the pores and reduce the swelling,\u201d explains David Petrillo, a Nevada cosmetic beauty chemist and the founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/perfectimage.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/perfectimage.com\/\">Perfect Image<\/a>. These types of breakouts need strong actives to penetrate the skin and work beneath the surface to address underlying issues, which is impossible to do with patches. (Dr. Garner does agree that a zit sticker layered over a spot treatment can provide additional protection and absorption \u201cby helping the formula to stay in place and prevent them from being inadvertently wiped or washed away.\u201d)<\/p>\n<h2>Ingredients to consider when shopping for pimple patches<\/h2>\n<p>People with sensitive skin and mild breakouts should opt for hydrocolloid patches <em>without<\/em> actives that can exacerbate their acne. If your skin can tolerate the use of potent ingredients, reach for these actives, says Dr. King: \u201cSalicylic acid and tea tree oil to kill bacteria for early stage zits and cysts; and niacinamide or kojic acid for post-cystic dark spots because it\u2019ll combat hyperpigmentation, restore your lipid barrier, and slow melanin production.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>The bottom line<\/h2>\n<p>Acne varies so much from person to person that it\u2019s impossible to apply a one-size-fits all approach to treating it. Dr. Garner says it\u2019s nothing to stress about, but rather a trial-and-error process to determine what works for your skin. If you\u2019re using patches and notice no change, they\u2019re probably ineffective for your skin due to them due to their occlusive nature<em>.<\/em> \u201cThey create a physical barrier and any substance that creates occlusion is referred to as being comedogenic\u2014meaning that it has the potential to clog or block pores, leading to the formation of comedones, which are non-inflammatory acne lesions such as blackheads and whiteheads,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, you should take a more comprehensive approach and rely on spot treatments that eliminate the root cause under the skin\u2019s surface. But if physical manipulation is a bad habit of yours, from picking to popping, zit stickers are a great solve as they serve as a reminder to not touch the active breakouts, which allows them to heal and avoid scarring. Now you know.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zit stickers, pimple patches, blemish dots: Whatever you call them, just know that these humble tools are a serious game-changers when it comes to tackling acne. If you\u2019re like me and routinely have a standing appointment with a chin zit, you know how true this is. My skin-care routine isn\u2019t complete until I\u2019ve covered every &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5630,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5629"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5629\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}