TL;DR: Pimple patches work best on pimples with a head. For blind pimples, they protect the area and reduce inflammation but won’t draw out what’s trapped deep under the skin.
Blind pimples can be brutal. They hurt, they’re obvious even without a visible head, and they refuse to go away. You can feel them sitting under your skin as a hard, painful lump, but there’s nothing you can see to actually treat. Some people turn to hydrocolloid pimple patch products for help, but do they work? That’s the burning question.
When you’ve got one of these on your face, pimple patches seem like the obvious answer. They’re easy to use, they stay on overnight, and they stop you from picking at it. The question is whether they actually work on something that’s sealed under your skin.
What the Mighty Pimple Patch Was Designed For
Most pimple patch products use hydrocolloid, which is the same thing you’ll find in blister bandages. It’s designed to absorb fluid from wounds or openings, which is why it works brilliantly on pimples that have already come to a head i.e. whiteheads and blackheads – basically, surface level zits. However, what they’re not made to do is help with things trapped underneath.
Blind pimples (a.k.a. cystic acne) don’t have an opening to allow anything under the skin to be pulled through. It essentially means hydrocolloid patches can’t do their thing, creating a few issues:
- The hydrocolloid can’t absorb anything because there’s no way for the infection to escape
- You won’t see a patch covered in gunk the next morning because nothing’s coming out
- You end up thinking that you’ve wasted your money
The patch will, of course, protect the pimple and stop you touching it, but it won’t magically draw out what’s sealed under your skin, so it won’t feel like anything has happened once you’ve taken it off.
I Have a Borderline Zit – Should I Use a Patch?
Sometimes, you get a pimple that sits in that awkward middle ground where it’s not completely blind anymore, but it hasn’t fully come to a head either. You might see a slight discoloration or feel like something’s starting to happen under the surface, but there’s no obvious white or yellow spot yet.
If your patch contains salicylic acid or other actives, it’s worth using one, even at this borderline stage. The active ingredients can work on breaking down what’s under the surface while the patch protects the area. You won’t see dramatic results overnight, but it might help the pimple surface faster.
If it’s a basic hydrocolloid patch with no active ingredients, you might be better off waiting until it ‘comes to a head’ properly. Once you see even a tiny bit of fluid or pus visible, that’s when hydrocolloid can finally do its job properly.
See also: Best Nourishing Shampoo Options for Healthy, Radiant Hair
A Pimple Patch Can Help You Lots – Just Not With Cystic Acne
Pimple patches aren’t miracle workers for blind pimples, but they’re not useless either. It’s just a specific problem that some people forget. They protect the area and deliver treatment if they contain active ingredients. Once the pimple starts surfacing, that’s when they become genuinely effective. They can help you a lot, just not with cystic acne.
That’s why you should properly check what kind of zits you actually have. What you see should tell you everything you need to know. If it’s borderline? Use one anyway, as they can still help the process.
