It seems the crisis has passed, but since I was going to give different advice than the others, I’m going to go ahead and give it anyway! When I get those deep-down monster zits that have no intention of ever coming to a head, I use cold compresses. Lots of times I can get the horrid thing to shrink down and dissipate without having to dig another pit in my face. And if it insists on surfacing despite the compress, why, that just tells me it wants squeezin’.
Come down to Texas, give it some room!
Ok… ok…
It’s probably too late by now, but if you see the zit before a head develops, it sometimes helps to rub the skin a lot. I think that the rubbing increases blood flow and helps the white blood cells go back into your bloodstream.
Read and heed:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=106449&highlight=pimple
Go for the big squeeze. Paint the wall. Let your BF join in on the fun; if he truly loves you, he should already be begging for squeezing privileges.
Um, absolutely never.
It’s red today, but better. I’m still mad at it, and it’s mad at me right back.
Damn, zits must be contagious. Now I’ve got one of those on my cheekbone, looks like a mosquito bite! Where’s that Oxy5…
So, Veuve_ClicquotNJ, will any toothpaste work, or just a minty kind?
Trublemaker, I owe you a cite, if I can dig one out of my old textbooks. If I can’t find you one, feel free to disregard my statement as an old wife’s tale. I am pretty sure there is a significant difference between a drainage procedure at a Doctor’s office, with clean tools, then using human fingernails, which can introduce many bacteria. They just don’t sterilize well.
I don’ t know how to make a link, but emedicine.com/emerg/topic87.htm clarifies what I was refering to. It seems pretty rare. I meant cavernous sinus, not carotid. Sorry about that.
Here it is, Check under: cavernous sinus thrombosis by Harold Jeghers MD. (1948) He explains that sources of infection in the face or paranasal sinuses can lead to infections in the cavernous sinus, leading to all kinds of horrid things, and/or death. The article is a little old, but no one has upgraded the facial drainage system yet. It is not common.
I’ve only tried the “minty” kind. But I suspect it has more to do with the drawing effect of the drying toothpaste than anything else.
VCNJ~
It’s OK to pop zits on the chin, nose, jaws, or forehead. The “danger zone” for infecting the venous cavernous sinus is under your eyes… it extends roughly from the corners of the mouth to the outside corners of the eyes.
Okay, that sounds good to me. Its good to know death zits have a more limited range than I inially thought.