​​How do Hydrocolloid Patches Work? | FabFitFun

How do Hydrocolloid Patches Work?

If you’ve woken up to a white-headed Mount Vesuvius on your face that’s ready to pop and unleash cataclysmic damage on your plans, you’ve likely prayed to the heavens for a miracle. 

Well, the heavens delivered. And in its gold-rimmed celestial parcel is the hydrocolloid patch—also known as the pimple patch. 

Named after its primary ingredient— hydrocolloid, a type of healing gel—these patches come to the rescue to protect your skin and absorb any ruinous  fluid, like puss and oil. Stay tuned as we dig deeper  into how to use hydrocolloid patches.

Understanding Hydrocolloid Patches

Now, acne comes in an endless variety—from inflamed, red blemishes to deep, and sometimes painful, abscesses. Surely, these patches aren’t a cure-all, but they can alleviate a lot. Similar to a spot treatment, these are applied to a pimple to heal it. Generally, hydrocolloid patches work best on pimples that lie on the surface of your skin or blemishes that are already erupting with pus. 

What They Can Do

What do hydrocolloid patches do? At a fundamental level, these types of healing, acne patches are most effective for spot treatments. In other words, they can function well when you are in a pinch and have a one-off zit to deal with. 

While hydrocolloid patches won’t make your pimple disappear completely, they can help the bump decrease in size and redness. In particular, these pimple patches provide the following benefits:

  • Preventing infection – With a patch over your pimple or zit, you don’t have to worry about picking at the scab and causing yet another infection. These patches keep the area clean and free from bacteria so that your zit or pimple can heal without complications. If you know you’ll be fixating on that angry looking red dot, it’s best to throw on a patch and keep your hands to yourself. 
  • Removing moisture – Beyond just absorbing the liquid from the zit itself, your hydrocolloid patch also blocks other fluids from getting in the mix. If the weather is particularly warm during your planned day outing or you’re about to go for an intense run, keep your pimple free from sweat with a trusty patch. 
  • Hiding your pimple – While some hydrocolloid patches feature unique and fun stickers, others are skin-colored and can help keep your zit as inconspicuous as possible. Even if that new bump hasn’t healed by the time your event rolls around, you can slap on a patch to conceal the inflammation. Note that patches may be more effective on flat surfaces, such as your cheek or forehead, than on round surfaces like your nose. 

Finding the best pimple patches isn’t too challenging since these are the new buzz products in skincare town. But once you find the right ones, you’ll be happy you did. 

What They Can’t Do

While hydrocolloid patches are effective against surface-level acne, they can’t solve every pimple problem that ruptures on your face. In particular, these patches do not cover the following conditions:

  • Blackheads and whiteheads – Don’t get rid of those nose strips yet! Hydrocolloid patches work on larger wounds, namely zits and pimples, but they are not effective against other elements that clog your pores, such as blackheads and whiteheads. 
  • Acne prevention – While your trusty pimple patch is helpful in dealing with a zit that’s at the surface, it cannot remove excess oil from your skin or keep your pores clear. In other words, hydrocolloid patches shouldn’t take the place of your normal, daily skincare routine. 
  • Largescale breakouts – If you feel a large breakout boiling beneath the surface of your skin, a hydrocolloid patch may not work. Largescale breakouts often come from deeper in the skin, which makes hydrocolloid patches much less effective. However, breakouts and cystic acne can also come with one-off zits and pimples, so it doesn’t hurt to have a pack of patches ready. 

Using Your Patch

You’ve got your hands on a hydrocolloid patch and you’re ready to put an end to your pesky pimple. Now what? 

While your patch functions like any old bandaid, you can increase its effectiveness by taking a few extra steps before applying the patch.

Step 1: Clean the Area

This should be done before applying any acne treatment in general, but before you slap on your hydrocolloid patch and say goodbye to that Vesuvian zit, it’s important to clean the surrounding area. After all, one of the benefits of the patch is to prevent infection, acting as a barrier against external elements that might irritate your pimple. But if the wound itself is not clean, you won’t be helping the patch do its job. 

When cleaning the area, make sure to use gentle motions, disrupting the zit or pimple as little as possible. Try the following fluids: 

  • Use a mild cleanser, such as an unscented or gentle face wash 
  • Soak a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide and gently dab around the pimple
  • Wash with simple soap and water, but be gentle and do not scrub vigorously

Step 2: Save the Patch for Open Wounds

While it might be tempting to put on a patch when the pimple is just starting to form, hydrocolloid, the active ingredient in the patch, won’t be able to work without an open wound through which to enter the skin. 

This means that you should only use the patch if you see some sort of drainage or oil at the top of the pimple or zit. Consider these example scenarios to get an idea for when a hydrocolloid patch is most effective: 

  • You couldn’t keep your hands off and ended up squeezing the oil out of the zit with a Q-tip, causing the zit to bleed. 
  • You began picking at the scab without thinking as your pimple was healing, leading to a fresh wound. 
  • Your pimple, which was just a red bump a few days ago, has now bubbled to the surface of your skin, complete with a small white dot of oil at its tip. 

When you wait for an open wound, this allows the acne patch to aid in wound healing and speed up the process. 

Step 3: Give it Time 

While a hydrocolloid patch may be your best bet in a sticky situation—like say, your pimple exploded a day before your family’s annual photo op—the patch needs time to soak fully into your skin for a few hours to work its magic.

This means that if you discover a pimple in the morning and want it gone by evening, you might be asking for too much. However, applying a hydrocolloid patch can help reduce the size of the pimple and make it less noticeable and inflamed. 

To understand how much time you should be giving the hydrocolloid patch, consider the following tips: 

  • Read the instructions – Just like pimples, hydrocolloid patches vary from one to another, so your best bet will be to read the fine print on your pack. This will provide you with a reasonable timeframe to stick to, although you can wear your patch for longer or shorter depending on your exact situation. 
  • Apply overnight – If you have the time, applying your patch before bed is a fabulous opportunity to let the patch work undisturbed. This will also ensure that you leave the hydrocolloid patch on for a long enough period of time to see a difference. Plus, you’ll wake up in the morning to a much smaller pimple—is there a better feeling?
  • Leave on for a long time – The recommended amount of time varies, but some experts recommend leaving your pimple patch on for as long as 24 to 48 hours, if possible. However, after a few days, it’s best to remove the patch, as the active ingredient will stop functioning, and your pimple will need room to breathe and heal.

Step 4: Keep Your Skin Dry

If you’ve ever applied a pimple patch on wet skin, then you know the frustration of trying to paste it back on as it comes loose throughout the day. Getting your hydrocolloid patch wet is the easiest way to have it fall off, so make sure your skin is completely dry before applying.

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