Why Does the Skin Where My Pimple Was Stay Red for So Long?

I’ll admit that, even against my better judgment, I’m one to pick, prod and pop my pimples. As a result, the area gets inflamed and irritated and (my least favorite part), really red looking. The rosy color is to be expected while my pimple is filled with pus — but why does the bright red hue linger on my skin so long after my zit has been popped? To find out why my skin holds visible redness long after my pimple has passed, deflated and seemingly healed, I turned to board-certified dermatologist and founder of Surface Deep Dr. Alicia Zalka and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Morgan Rabach of LM Medical. Ahead, they’re sharing why redness occurs, why it lingers and how to reduce the appearance of it. 

Why Do Pimples Get Red in the First Place? 

If you’ve ever had a cystic pimple, pustule, papule or whitehead, you’re likely all too familiar with the redness that comes with them. Turns out, that redness is a byproduct of inflammation in the skin. The more inflamed your pimple is, the redder it will appear. “The degree of inflammation can be due to bacteria, skin trauma, and to some degree, androgen type hormone activity on the skin receptors,” says Dr. Zalka. “Too much handling of the skin, like squeezing the pimple, invites a skin response that can prolong the inflammatory phase.” 

Dr. Rabach adds that this picking and prodding can introduce oil, dirt and other debris onto the skin’s surface, which as a result, increases the look of redness. “The pimple will appear red if a little material leaks out of the skin and leads to inflammatory cells coming to the area to fight the debris,” she says. “The redness comes from blood vessels dilating or opening up to let white blood cells, the ones that fight infection, into the area.”

Why Does Redness Remain When the Pimple Is Gone? 

Popping the pus out of your pustule or using spot treatments to shrink your cyst may help flatten your pimple, but redness can linger long after your pimple has disappeared. “Redness can remain on your skin anywhere from one week to three months or more depending on how inflamed the skin was,” says Dr. Zalka. “It’s a discoloration known in dermatologic terms as post-inflammatory erythema if it’s red, or post-inflammatory pigmentation if it’s brown. It’s the skin trying to repair itself after the battle ground of the pimple declares a cease fire.”

The duration of your pimple’s redness is due to a variety of factors. According to Dr. Rabach, it can be impacted by your skin color, your skin type, your skin-care regimen, genetics and the size and depth of inflammation from your former pimple. For example, small, superficial pustules will resolve faster while larger, deeper cystic pimples often take longer. Redness and pigmentation are also heavily impacted by the level of irritation you inflicted. She explains that if you picked, prodded and introduced bacteria into the pimple, you’ll likely have more leftover pigmentation. “White blood cells were called into the area to clear debris and fight bacteria and let off a stress signal to the surrounding area,” says Dr. Rabach. “When this happens, melanin, or little blocks of pigment, in the cells is released as a byproduct of the stress signal.” Because pigment was dropped out of the cell, it creates a visible mark that is darker than the surrounding skin even after the bump has disappeared. While there’s no sure-fire way to remove redness altogether, do your best not to aggravate your pimples. Steer clear from touching them, popping them and picking them.

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