The best local spot treatment for pimples

I hate to say this – but there isn’t one. 😬

By the time you have a full-on pimple or spot (it’s red, inflamed, maybe painful or tender, raised) the ship has sailed on trying to get rid of it.

At this point it is all about reducing any potential scarring so do not pick at it and just let it be.

But I know it’s hard to do nothing so that’s why people often use differin gel or benzoyl peroxide to try and speed up the healing but all these do is irritate the spot and cause it to dry out, making it difficult to cover up and also lead to worsening scarring and post-inflammatory change.

I suggest not trying to spot treat and not picking. I promise the spot will clear more quickly and be easier to conceal if you just leave it alone.

If you have a very painful, hot, red under-the-skin type cyst or nodule, then the best thing to do is get your trusty dermatologist to inject it with a little bit of steroid.

This is magic and if done correctly will settle the spot within a few hours (literally).

That’s another reason to have a dermatologist on stand-by (I am on stand-by for steroid injections for all my patients, just in case – though most of my patients don’t have acne after a few months of seeing me!).

But if you keep getting spots remember that your acne can be treated and cleared effectively – we have really excellent acne treatments available to you so I strongly recommend if you are suffering from acne see a knowledgeable, experienced consultant or board-certified dermatologist and get the right treatment.

Then you won’t need to worry about spot treatments!