Pimples, blackheads and acne

[weirdRN]

While cleaning a patient's face, blackheads were mistaken for ground in dirt. (The individual had had a seizure and had fallen pretty heavily onto his forehead, enough so he was bleeding from a cut on his forehead) The nurse was observed picking the blackheads.

The individual actually looked much better after she was done, and the patient appeared grateful for the cleaning but...

My question is shouldn't she have just left them alone? What about pimples? And cystic acne? And boils? Should we be draining boils and other skin infections after they have opened up? I have noticed that this older nurse does this and the areas appear to heal up remarkably quickly. What is best practice?

[Cattitude]

and found the hugest, most vile blackhead on the face of the earth. I measured it and it was 4inches by 2 inches. I kid you not! His wife said it had been there for over 10 years.

You win the thread!!!

Seriously, that turned my stomach a little but I probably would have had to get it out too. Yikes.

[Quickbeam, BSN, RN]

Lifelong acne sufferer here. I see an esthetician for blackhead removal. I've had a long conversation with her about what she can and can't do. She can remove blackheads but cannot pop zits as that is a break in the skin. When I used to see a dermatologist regularly, he would code out popping a zit as "surgery". I asked him about it and he said that breaking open a zit counts as a surgical procedure.

I agree with those upthread that picking is a primal drive. You can tell me to leave it alone but it ain't happening.

When I was a CNA in the 1970's we routinely removed blackheads from people in the nursing home. I've never done it as an RN.

[Diary/Dairy, RN]

You win the thread!!!

Seriously, that turned my stomach a little but I probably would have had to get it out too. Yikes.

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She definitely won the thread!

[RNAnnjeh, MSN, CNS]

Hello....my name is Angie....and I'm a zit popper.

Whew...feels better just to say it. OK, I've been tempted, but never have picked at work. Only at home. My DH think's I'm a freak....now I can tell him I'm not alone.

Thanks for the complete gross out....LMAO. But really, who else could really have this conversation?

[Diary/Dairy, RN]

Hello....my name is Angie....and I'm a zit popper.

Hi Angie!!

[oregonchinamom]

You win the thread!!!

Seriously, that turned my stomach a little but I probably would have had to get it out too. Yikes.

:thankya:

Thank you, thank you. I would like to thank the Academy, my familiy...... :rotfl:

Oregonchinamom

[CyndieRN2007]

Hi Angie!!

Hi Angie!!!!

[RNAnnjeh, MSN, CNS]

Hi Angie!!!!

Now, isn't admitting you have the problem the first of 12 steps?

Seriously though.....I have really had to restrain myself at times from picking. As someone else said, it just seems to cross that oh-so-fine line of providing personal care.

My DH just about gagged when I told him some of the stories from this thread last night! His final words before turning green were "that is GROSS! but I'm glad you found others just like you".

LOL

[all4schwa]

for my own zits i use toothpaste...

[elthia]

For the true fanatic

http://www.beautytweezers.com/showcase.asp?ID=806

Me and DH own one similar that we picked up at bed bath and beyond...love it. I suffer from really bad back acne...and since we've been using this on my back to get the blackheads, the actual zits have decreased.

[MrsCannibal]

Hello, Angie. My name is Shannon, I am a recovered picker. I do have one story though, very similar to others I have read here...when I was in Army basic training, many moons ago, a friend and I were riding the shuttle back from the hospital. My friend was a young pretty girl with a "Cindy Crawford" mole right above her lip...but as I watched her while she was talking, the sunlight hit her face just right, and I realized that it was a blackhead! A HUGE blackhead! I gently asked her about it, and she said that her "beauty mark" had appeared a few years before, and her boyfriends always thought it was sexy! I told her I thought it was a blackhead, and she freaked out and asked me to squeeze it (hey, not a lot of mirrors in basic training, or much time to stand in front of a mirror). Soooo, I did, and YARDS of gross waxy blackhead fillin' came out. Poor girl...lost her "beauty mark" in 30 seconds.

[MrsCannibal]

And upon re-reading my post, I realize 2 things: I have just shared too much info, and I think that basic training must have deadened my brain if I could easily pop some chick's blackhead on a bus. Apparently, this is when I started prepping myself for the life of a nurse!