There is only one thing as bad as waking up to severe thunderstorms on the day of your wedding. What is it? The throb of a truly enormous incoming pimple the day before your wedding. Now wait. Don’t you throw a tantrum and declare you will wear a paper bag with your veil pinned to it just yet. Give these zit-zapping tricks a try first.
1. NEVER squeeze. It’s hard to resist but squeezing your spot is bad. It will only spread the infection, increase the risk of scarring and prolong the pimple’s healing time. Instead, apply an ice cube to help reduce the swelling.
2. Make sure your hands are clean when applying pimple creams and lotions. There’s no point in trying to zap bacteria from a pimple if your hands are just as dirty.
3. Apply some sort of pimple cream ASAP. The good news is you don’t have to spend a fortune on creams. As long as it contains salicylic acid, it will help bring down the infection, soothe the irritation and speed up the healing. Remember, some of the most effective pimple creams on the market are the over the counter ones.
4. If you have at least 24 hours until the wedding, you could visit a dermatologist and get a cortisone injection. They inject a steroid into the zit to make it stop throbbing, growing and becoming redder. The puffiness should deflate within a day’s time and you can relax knowing it won’t get any bigger. If this is too drastic for you, the dermatologist can also help extract the pimple in a way that won’t leave a scab or scar.
5. Blemishes aren’t like other skin spots. You need to be careful how you cover them with makeup or you can actually draw more attention to them. Use a concealer that’s a close match to your skin (not lighter), and put just a speck on the tip of a thin, firm concealer brush. Dot the concealer onto the blemish starting in the centre and working outward, stopping where the red ends. Immediately set with translucent powder. Your make-up artist will know all the tips and tricks to cover up a blemish. Just make sure they use an oil-free concealer to avoid any extra shine.
6. If all else fails, try a tip all models swear by. Dissolve an aspirin in water and then apply directly to the affected area. After, use anti-redness eye drops on the spot to reduce inflammation and redness.
But the truth is ladies, you’re going to be the one that notices that spot a whole lot more than anyone else. Who’s going to be focusing on your spot when you’re going to be looking so damn fine anyway?
