help please

My boyfriend picks his face all day everyday. If its a regular pimple he busts it until all the stuff comes out of it.. Then when its healed he would pick the dry skin around it... It makes marks on his face.. and it really makes me feel bad... What shoud i do????

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Picking of pimples should be avoided because it may introduce infection aggravating the condition and also cause scarring. Acne formation is due to a blockage of oil underneath the skin and builds up with bacteria causing inflammation and develops into a pimple.

You can prevent and treat acne by changing your boyfriend’s lifestyle like eating proper diet, getting a good amount of sleep and drinking at least eight glasses of water daily. He can also treat acne by cleaning his face regularly, using skincare products, apply antibacterial topical medications. With the help of the doctor, the treatment of oral antibiotics, retinoids, cortisone injections, chemical peels and laser treatment can be his choices.
It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.