We are all told picking pimples is bad for you, but it is so satisfying. If you’re not sure how badly it can hurt your skin, here are three pros and three cons of sitting in front of your mirror and picking pimples.

Pro

Super satisfying- There’s no better feeling in the world then being able to come home, take off your makeup and pop the enormous pimple on your face. From the feeling of a volcano erupting  on your chin, to the look and sound of finally popping pimple, this is definitely the most satisfying ending to a long college day.

Bye, bye pimple!- After the glorious popping session, you can plop some acne medicine on it and the pimple is gone in two days! Popping the pimple allows the pore to open up and easily absorb the skin medicine. If you didn’t pop the pimple, it would still be there a week later. No thanks.

Puss isn’t pretty- Feeling a pimple on your face is bad for your self-confidence, but the look of them is even worse! No one wakes up in the morning happy they have a big white head mimicking a third eye. Popping pimples leaves you feeling better about your post tri-clops life.

With satisfaction comes the hard part of realizing by popping pimples we damage our skin.

Con

Don’t touch your face- Resist the temptation of going for the pimple kill with your dirty, oily fingers. Broken skin is vulnerable to infection from bacteria and dirt. This causes the dynamic duo of inflammation and bleeding to take over your beautiful face. Pimple popping may start the healing process, but it may be worse for your selfies.

Runnin’ round leaving scars- The little zit may look bad now, but popping it can lead to scarring. Tissues around the pimple injure with the right amount of pressure and leave your skin inflamed. Avoid the risk of permanent scars and let the bubbly cleansers or the vitamin-enriched face masks do the work for you.

The danger zone- Red alert. If you must pop that annoying pimple, make sure to never pop one located in the “danger triangle”. This Bermuda Triangle of the skin is located from the corners of the mouth to the bridge of the nose. Popping one in this area is at high risk of infections buried under your skin and penetrating the surrounding veins that lead to the brain; left untreated this simple pimple pop could be fatal. Beware!

Ultimately, it’s up to you whether you pick the zit, but try to steer clear, because it could be detrimental to your skin in the future.