When you buy and open modern overnight pimple patch products, you’ll see that they’re very unassuming, small and squishy plastic circles. Originally invented to treat large open wounds in hospitals, hydrocolloid patches are nothing new, as they’ve been a mainstay in the medical world since the 1960s. 

Heralded as a great way to stop you from picking your spots and allowing your zits to recover and not spread anywhere else on the face, pimple patches are great for clearing up and protecting open wounds. But do they work on all types of zits you may experience?

Will an Overnight Pimple Patch Help an Unpopped Zit?

As we just mentioned, hydrocolloid is great for protecting the open wound that’s left behind when a zit pops. The main job of the pimple patch is to draw out all the gunk inside and provide a protective barrier against the outside world. Its healing powers, however, only work when there’s some healing to be done – which isn’t yet the case with an unpopped spot. 

You see, there are two things at work here; 1) unpopped zits aren’t open wounds and 2) pimple patches can’t draw out poison if the skin isn’t broken. 

If you put a pimple patch on deep cysts, whiteheads that aren’t yet oozing and blackheads, neither of it’s important features are going to matter. That’s why the overnight pimple patch can’t be considered a long-term solution to the problem of acne. They do help, but only in a supplementary way.  

They’re Something of a Modern-Day Fashion Accessory Too! 

Believe it or not, hiding your zits as they heal with pimple patches has been taken to another level by some manufacturers. They’re now widely available in various different shapes, sizes and colors. 

So, rather than trying to take attention away from the fact they’re suffering from breakouts, it’s now possible to wear them boldly in a way that actually adds a touch of fashion into the equation. 

Effectively, spot patches like these are all about improving outward appearances, so it’s perhaps not too surprising that some have taken the concept to a different level. 

Overnight Pimple Patch Products Are Only For Open Spots

The fundamental fact that you need to grasp when considering whether to buy pimple patches or not is that they’re only effective at cleaning out and protecting open spots. If you don’t have open spots, you may as well be putting hole reinforcers on your face – as they’re going to offer the same results!

If you have severe acne, you’re probably going to be carrying out a regular skincare routine anyway, so you’ll already know that spot patches only work on spots that have already broken the surface of the skin. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t have some – far from it.

Even those with severe acne are vulnerable to less severe spots in certain areas, and they can be used for that purpose – and to great effect. However, what you shouldn’t do is go wasting them on spots that aren’t oozing and aren’t anywhere near the skin’s surface.