So about 1.5 weeks ago I popped a white head that was on my cheek and since then after that it has been red, painful and hard. I had not been doing anything besides washing it with my Clarisonic but yesterday I decided to put hot cotton ball to the area in hopes of decresing the swelling and getting out what was inside of this huge red swollen bump while I believe is infected. After 1 day of putting the hot cotton ball on the site my swollen bump has increased in size and it is now more red everywhere around the area! I put alcohol on the area and then put the hot cotton ball on it and it has still not gone away! It is still huge and red and swollen and still has a hard bump, but the hardness has gone down a LITTLE, and now it is BLACK too! I have attached a picture of the site I put aloe vera or neosporin on the area twice and it has not seemed to help! I have also been washing the area but it has not helped. Please let me know what to do....it is a HUGE red,black, swollen bump and I am scared it is going to look like that for a long time....

Put ice on it! 20 mins on! When you popped it initally you must not have gotten everything out, that's why this happened. I would ice it and crush up an aspirin, mix with a little water and apply it to the spot like a mask to try to reduce the inflammation.

But I don't think I got everything out, the area is still swollen and a little hard?

Also how long do I leave the aspirin on?

Thanks

But I don't think I got everything out, the area is still swollen and a little hard?

Also how long do I leave the aspirin on?

Thanks

Yea there is definitely still a lot in there. Did you try popping it inititally? 20 mins for the aspirin on it. If you're careful you can use a needle to puncture it and drain it.

Do not use Clarisonic on active acne. It says this in the manual. The oscillating bristles at that high speed can literally drive stuff further into your skin.

This is a very good example of why you shouldn't pick at your skin aggressively. I would stop using the Clarisonic as well.

Neosporin won't help, it doesn't even look like it's infected. It rather looks like you've seriously hurt/bruised your skin trying to pop this whitehead, it will take months for all the redness to go away.

Rubbing Alcohol won't help either, as it damages the healthy skin cells thus slows healing. Alcohol is only of any use initially, when the wound is still open, as it will kill any bacteria - good and bad, and decrease the likelihood of infection.

Using ice to decrease the swelling as well as taking anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen, could help to speed up the healing.

Try some Witch hazel on a cotton ball. Stop using hot treatments. I know it sucks waiting for something to heal, but that's all you can do now. The witch hazel will keep the spot disinfected and take away the redness.