Debate: Should you pop that breakout before a facial, or leave it alone?

My mentor at the Aesthetics Institute in Austin told me never to touch active acne before a treatment, but last week I had a client with a huge whitehead and I popped it against her advice, now it's a red mark and she's upset, so who was actually right here, the 'leave it alone' camp or the 'get it out before extractions' crowd?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jennifer1mo ago

Stop touching things before you understand the timing. @sams25 nailed it with that 96 hour window. It's like baking a cake. You don't pull it out of the oven and frost it right away. Things need time to settle. This reminds me of that impulse to microwave leftovers for thirty seconds instead of waiting the full two minutes. You rush it and end up with cold spots and a mess. Your client's face is the same thing. Let it breathe, let it heal, then work on it.

sams251mo ago

Four days is the magic window I've seen in studies - popping more than 96 hours before a facial lets the swelling fully go down and healing start, so it's less risky. You popped it way too close to her appointment and that's why it got angry.