“Oddly satisfying” — such is how an animated video on pimple-popping is described on social media — only one among several viral videos with hundreds of thousands of views that give watchers an autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR).
Watching an ASMR pimple-popping video is one thing, but doing it in real life is a different issue altogether, said a Philippine Dermatological Society member.
“ASMR is really interesting,” the doctor noted. “Sometimes, when I find it hard to sleep, I sometimes watch ASMR (videos).”
But the doctor, who requested to stay private in an exclusive interview with DAILY TRIBUNE during Watsons’ recent DermSkin grand launch in SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, cautioned against pimple popping as a habit that is not healthy or fun at all.
“So I don’t think there is something wrong about ASMR. But ‘yung pagpuputok ng pimples (pimple-popping) is something that we are very much against.”
According to her, popping pimples can “destroy the skin barrier.” If the skin barrier is destroyed, bacteria enters, which can cause further infection.
“And if your skin gets more inflamed because of the trauma, there is a high chance of scarring and hyperpigmentation when the wound heals,” the doctor explained. “So it’s always better if you have acne or other concerns that bother you to always consult the doctor for proper care in popping pimples.”
As for tools you can buy online to pop pimples, she said: “We cannot ensure the cleanliness of those. It has to be sterile or we’re really sure that it’s clean, that we’re not introducing more bacteria into the skin that cause infection and inflammation.”
The doctor shared that apart from acne, most of her patients’ skin concerns are based on their skin type.
“Some have sensitive skin. Some have oily, some have dry or combination skin types. From this, it is from the skin type where I base what products I would recommend to my patients. Sometimes, they also have specific skin concerns like acne, photo aging, hyperpigmentation. These are really where I base (my prescription from).”
For cooler days, especially since Christmas is fast approaching, those with sensitive skin are advised to use a moisturizer to prevent more itching, dryness and irritation.
“In the market today, there are many moisturizers that hydrate the skin with many active ingredients… But it depends on the patient’s skin type what I recommend because a lot get confused,” the doctor said.
It is a myth, she said, that those with oily face would get more pimples if they use a moisturizer.
“There are those with oily skin type that are afraid of moisturizers, so I tell them that even if your skin is oily, you should still moisturize… But instead of using the cream moisturizer, you could opt for the gel type.”