by Yesl Han April 23, 2021

Why Your Perfect Pimple Patch Isn’t Working (And How To Fix It)

Pimple Patch Not Doing What It Says On The Packet?

Ever wonder why those pesky pimples just keep getting in the way? Well, here’s the ultimate guide to get it sorted. Here’s Subi Beauty’s troubleshooting guide on why your pimple patch isn’t working.

Here’s why your Perfect Pimple Patch isn’t working (and how to fix it).

The Problem: The Patch Is Hard To Apply Or Curls Up At The Ends.

The Fix: Tear down the perforated line when removing patches from the backing sheet.

Luckily, this is an easy problem to fix. If you’re having difficulty getting the patch in one piece from the plastic to your face, simply tear down the perforated line to easily remove your patches without them sticking to anything.

The Problem: The patch doesn’t stay on my skin.

The Fix: Clean and dry the area thoroughly before applying the patch.

Subi’s Perfect Pimple Patches are sticky. Super sticky. Sticky enough to stay on through showers kinda sticky. But there’s a catch – in order to stick on properly, they need to be applied properly in the first place. If you find your patch is not sticking in place, that’s likely because there was too much oil, dirt or moisture on your skin from other skincare products (or your natural face oils) when you attempted to stick the patch on.

To prevent this from happening, make sure the area you’re treating is 100% clean and dry before you apply the patch. Don’t try to apply skincare to your skin before you apply a patch – the best order is to apply the patch first, make sure it is securely fastened to your skin and then apply your skincare – around the patch. Try to avoid layering serums and products over the top of your patch.

The Problem: The Patch Doesn’t Do Anything To My Pimple.

The Fix: Make sure you’re applying the patch to the right kind of pimples – whiteheads.

Hydrocolloid patches aren’t designed to work on pimples that are rooted deep below the surface of the skin (like cysts and nodules). They also don’t work on pimples without a head (known as papules).

Instead, hydrocolloid pimple patches like Subi’s Perfect Pimple Patch work on surface pimples known as whiteheads. Whiteheads are pimples that are very close to the surface of the skin – they are actually an oil gland that has been trapped under a very thin layer of skin. Whiteheads aren’t painful to touch (unlike deeper, infected cysts).

If you want to use a patch to treat papules (pimples without a head), it is necessary to first poke a tiny hole in the centre of the pimple using a sterile needle. By creating an incision in the pimple, you’ll allow the fluid in it to be absorbed by the patch. We advise that you do this only under the supervision of a dermatologist.

NB. We don’t recommend creating a hole with your fingers or else you may accidentally cause a broken vessel or even push the dead skin cells in the clogged pore even deeper into the skin. Both of these can cause the pimple to become even more inflamed.

The Problem: Removing The Patch Causes My Pimple To Bleed.

The Fix: Make sure you don’t remove the patch too early and don’t apply the patch to infected or cystic acne.

Bleeding after you remove a pimple patch is not an ordinary reaction. There are a few reasons why bleeding may occur:

A) The patch hasn’t been left on long enough.

If our pimple patches are removed before the pus has been drained onto the patch (which usually occurs within 24 hours, but sometimes takes longer) the skin’s healing can be interrupted, which may cause additional inflammation and even bleeding.

You’ll know your patch is ready to be removed when it turns white (this means all the fluid has been drained onto the patch) or when the patch itself loses its stickiness. Our pimple patches have been known to stay in place for up to 36 hours, including through showers and cleansing!

B) The patch has been applied to an infected cyst.

If you suffer from deeply inflamed, cystic acne we do not recommend applying our pimple patches to these pimples. Instead, seek the advice of a medical professional for how best to treat these spots.

C) You have sensitive skin.

Subi’s Perfect Pimple Patches are highly adhesive. While this is something we’re super proud of (as it means our patches stick on and stay in place for ages), it also means that our patches may not be the best fit for those of us with very sensitive skin. If you have experienced bleeding after using one of our patches (first, accept our apologies!) but next time, try waiting to remove the patch until the adhesive on the patch is no longer super sticky. Once the patch feels floppy around the edges, you should be able to remove it without irritating sensitive skin. If bleeding still persists, discontinue use.