Having a pimple a few hours before attending an event is the last thing that you’d want to happen — but it does happen. That’s why you have to be familiar with various life hacks, including removing pimples instantly. So, how to get rid of a pimple in an hour?
While you can’t make the pimple totally disappear in an hour, there’s a way to make it smaller and less visible.
According to dermatologist Neal Schultz, wrap an ice cube in a towel and gently press it on the pimple for several minutes. Do this repeatedly with a 15-second interval every time. This will help lessen inflammation.
Read on to learn more about how to get rid of a pimple in an hour. If your pimple is too big to make it disappear in an hour, we will also discuss making it less noticeable.
How to Get Rid of a Pimple in an Hour?
Believe it or not, there’s a simple method to get rid of a pimple in an hour. While you can’t literally make it disappear in 60 minutes, you can somehow make it smaller and less visible.
Dermatologist Neal Schultz advised to wrap an ice cube in a towel and gently press it on the pimple for several minutes. Repeatedly do this with a 15-second interval every time to help lessen inflammation.
Doing so on a small red pimple, also known as a papule, is truly effective. It will make your pimple 100% unnoticeable. However, if your pimple is big, this method will only help reduce inflammation and size. It might not make it totally disappear and might somehow still be noticeable.
Making a Pimple Less Noticeable
Some conceal their pimples with a caked-on concealer and a heavy foundation. If you have tried doing this, you are most likely aware that this is not a good idea. Doing so will probably help you conceal the redness of your pimple. But it will still be noticeable and not a pretty sight to look at.
Instead, you can do the following:
- Apply a mild acne-clearing foundation or a soothing BB cream on your entire face.
- Use a clean lip brush or a tiny makeup brush to apply it evenly on the pimple.
- Let it sit for at least 15 minutes before applying a concealer.
- Make sure not to touch it while letting it sit, and make sure to apply the concealer gently.
Making a Pimple Less Swollen
If you have a big pimple, you can do the following tips to make them less swollen:
- Gently press a warm washcloth on the affected area for five minutes.
- Do this every hour until the bump comes to a head. This basically means that you are bringing the bacteria to your skin’s surface.
- Apply salicylic acid after a warm compress. This will also help break down dead skin cells and oil that clog your pores. They are the reasons why pimples appear on your skin.
- You can also apply a small amount of hydrocortisone cream after the salicylic acid. This cream helps alleviate inflammation. Please take note to apply a cream and not an ointment as the latter also tends to clog pores.
If you want your pimple to disappear within 24 hours, it is best to see a dermatologist administering a cortisone shot. With this method, a dose of an anti-inflammatory steroid will be injected into your pimple.
A cortisone shot is normally given if the patient has a blind pimple or has cystic acne. This typically costs roughly US$100, but this is usually covered by insurance.
How to get rid of a pimple on your nose in an hour? While you can’t get rid of a pimple on your nose in an hour, you can make it less swollen by pressing it gently with a warm washcloth, applying salicylic acid and hydrocortisone cream.
Minimizing the Redness of a Pimple
If you can’t get rid of a pimple in an hour, at least you can somehow reduce its redness. One of the amazing ways of alleviating your pimple’s redness is by applying an eye drop. Yup, you read that right. Eye drops help lessen your pimple’s redness as it constricts the blood vessels on the skin’s surface.
To apply, squeeze a drop or two on a cotton bud, then gently press it on the affected area. Apply a thin layer of green concealer and let it sit for a few minutes to dry. Then, apply the foundation.
How to get rid of red pimples in an hour? You can’t get rid of pimples in an hour. The least you can do is to reduce its redness by applying an eye drop on your pimple using a cotton bud, then apply a concealer. Afterward, you can apply your foundation.
Reducing the Size of the Pimple Overnight
Dermatologic surgeon Dendy Engelman states that the skin best repairs itself at night. Therefore, it is during this time when the skin is receptive to active ingredients.
Unfortunately, not all pimples can be treated and can disappear overnight. You can at least take advantage of this time to apply pimple remedies while you are asleep.
Dermatologist Gervaise Gerstner advises that washing your face with an acne-treating facial wash is an effective method.
Always apply a gentle cleanser to your face. Avoid using products with strong, active ingredients unless your doctor recommends it.
Remove face oils and dead skin cells by applying an exfoliating pad or serum. This works best after applying the acne-treating facial wash. Then, apply a bacteria-killing benzoyl peroxide strictly to the affected area only.
Additional Advice from Dermatologists
There’s a simple approach on how to get rid of a pimple in an hour, naturally. While you can’t make it literally disappear in 60 minutes, at least you can nonetheless make it smaller and less visible.
Dermatologist Neal Schultz advised to wrap an ice cube in a towel and gently press it on the affected area for several minutes. Repeatedly do this with a 15-second interval every time to help minimize inflammation.
However, not all pimples disappear after an hour because it all depends on the severity. But you can make them disappear quickly or at least prevent them from worsening.
Here are some pieces of advice from dermatologists:
- Avoid placing your hands on your face;
- Be careful with DIY remedies;
- Place a warm compress on the affected area;
- Apply an acne spot treatment;
- Wash your face regularly;
- Use products with salicylic acid;
- Use mild beauty products;
- Maintain a healthy diet;
- Take medications regularly, if needed; and
- Undergo light therapy to treat acne.
1. Avoid Placing Your Hands on Your Face
It is always tempting to touch, pick at, or pop a pimple. But this is not at all advisable because it will only make your pimple worse. Doing so might make it bigger and take a longer time to heal. Worse, it might lead to a permanent scar on your face.
If you always touch your pimple, it then becomes a habit. For all you know, you’re always touching it even when you’re sleeping. This then explains why it takes a while for your pimple to disappear. So, instead of treating it overnight, you’re making it worse.
2. Be Careful with DIY Remedies
There are well-known home remedies for blemishes, such as lemon juice and toothpaste. Unfortunately, most dermatologists, if not all, don’t advise the use of these products to treat pimples.
People are saying that applying lemon juice on their face successfully helps get rid of pimples. But this is not the case all the time. There were those whose skin got irritated after gently rubbing lemon juice all over their face. Therefore, doing so is not advisable.
Applying toothpaste worked wonders, according to some. This is probably because toothpaste is used to contain triclosan, which includes antimicrobial properties. Testimonials were indicating that it could minimize inflammation and treat pimples.
However, triclosan has been removed from tubes of toothpaste as it could cause allergies. This means that applying toothpaste is not effective anymore as an acne treatment.
3. Place Warm Compress on the Affected Area
Heat is known as the simplest method for soothing the skin. Thus, placing a warm compress on your pimple is recommended.
A cold compress can also be used alternately to reduce the swelling of a large pimple.
4. Apply an Acne Spot Treatment
You may get rid of pimples by using an acne spot treatment. When buying one, check the ingredients first, which should include the following:
- Retinoids for boosting cell turnover and preventing cells from clogging;
- Salicylic acid for exfoliating and unclogging pores; and
- Benzoyl peroxide for killing acne-causing bacteria.
Unless you hide your pimple under your makeup, there’s no way you can make it disappear in a matter of minutes.
However, immediately treating it with either Benzoyl peroxide or Hydrocortisone cream can lessen inflammation. Doing so may somehow show signs of improvement in a matter of 60 minutes.
5. Wash Your Face on a Regular Basis
Dermatologists don’t even have to remind you of this. Everyone knows that we should wash our face regularly to keep it free from dirt and bacteria.
Without washing our face, our pores will be clogged with oil, dirt, pollution, and makeup, to name a few. Sweat can also mix with all these and clog our pores.
6. Use Products with Salicylic Acid
If you have tried various pimple remedies without success, try changing your skincare routine. This time, apply a facial cleanser that contains salicylic acid.
Salicylic acid does not only help alleviate the occurrence of pimples. It also helps prevent scarring. Products are containing salicylic acid that also helps exfoliate and minimize oil production.
7. Use Mild Beauty Products
Beauty products usually cause adult acne. Some people conceal their pimples with makeup but, unfortunately, doing so won’t make pimples disappear. In fact, it might even worsen your pimples.
The best recommendation is not to wear any makeup to help your pimples heal fast. However, if you need to wear makeup, choose products that are not harmful to your skin. Avoid oil-based products and, instead, use mineral makeup.
Again, how to get rid of a pimple in an hour? Apparently, you can’t actually make the pimple disappear in an hour, but you can at least make it less visible.
Neal Schultz, a dermatologist, advises that you wrap an ice cube in a towel, then dab it to the area of your skin with a pimple. Do this for several minutes with a 15-second interval. This will surely lessen your skin’s inflammation.
8. Maintain a Healthy Diet
There are times when the food you eat badly affects your skin. Try to keep a healthy diet that won’t trigger breakouts.
A low sugar diet surely helps in preventing pimples from appearing. Avoiding whey protein and cow’s milk is also recommended.
Aside from maintaining a healthy diet, why not maintain a healthy lifestyle instead? As much as possible, avoid stress by working out, meditating, or doing yoga.
9. Take Medications Regularly
In case of severe acne, consult your dermatologist for proper medication. Once you are prescribed treatment, make sure that you meditate regularly.
Hormonal medication, oral antibiotics, or laser treatments, to name a few, are some of the treatments that might be prescribed to you by your doctor. Following your doctor’s instructions will surely make your pimples disappear.
10. Undergo Light Therapy to Treat Acne
Undergoing red and blue light therapy is advisable, particularly if your dermatologist recommends this. There is an available at-home device that you can use, which means you can do this in your home’s comfort.
The red light helps minimize acne inflammation. At the same time, the blue light kills acne-causing bacteria. Also, the light stimulates the skin’s dermal layers for collagen production. This therapy lasts for about two minutes only.
Conclusion – How to Get Rid of a Pimple in an Hour?
There is a method on how to get rid of a pimple in an hour. While you might not be able to make it disappear in its entirety, there’s nonetheless a way to make it smaller and less visible.
According to dermatologist Neal Schultz, wrap an ice cube in a towel and gently press it over the pimple for several minutes. Do this repeatedly with a 15-second interval every time. This will help alleviate inflammation.
Some pimples may disappear in an hour, but some do not. It all depends on the severity. However, there are approaches for making them disappear quickly or at least prevent them from worsening.
To end, again, here are some pieces of advice from dermatologists:
- Avoid placing your hands on your face;
- Be careful with DIY remedies;
- Place a warm compress on the affected area;
- Apply an acne spot treatment;
- Wash your face regularly;
- Use products with salicylic acid;
- Use mild beauty products;
- Maintain a healthy diet;
- Take medications regularly, if needed; and
- Undergo light therapy to treat acne.
Related reading:
Pimple Won’t Pop – How to Get Rid of It
How Long Does It Take for Skin to Clear Up?
