Uploaded February 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Pop your questions in the comments below! Does this seem counterintuitive? I often recommend this to my patients who consistently report success in using this trick to prevent a forming cyst from sprouting, or getting them to heal faster when they stubbornly refuse to budge.
In TCM pimples are a result of internal stagnation + heat. When things are stagnant, they tend to sit and not move. So, we often use the principle of heat to stimulate circulation and get pimples and cysts moving faster and better.
It’s similar to using a hot wet towel to bring a pimple to a head, but I prefer dry heat when dealing with large hard cysts that have deep roots. You can also do this with a Lanshin Hot Massager by Acera or your Gua Sha tool warmed up hot water.
SAFETY FIRST: The idea is to warm up the skin, not to scald or burn it. Make sure your beverage is not piping hot, water level is no more than 1/2 cup full (so the contents do not slosh around), and always always test the heat level on your wrist first before ever attempting to apply heat on your face. Caution on pimples near the eyes.
I do this a couple times per day when I have a big one like now on my chin. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!!
*Never do this if you have an open pimple that is oozing or bleeding. Better to put an acne patch on that instead. Also not recommended on skin impacted by rosacea, perioral dermatitis or any kind of rash.
Pop your questions in the comments below! Does this seem counterintuitive? I often recommend this to my patients who consistently report success in using this trick to prevent a forming cyst from sprouting, or getting them to heal faster when they stubbornly refuse to budge.
In TCM pimples are a result of internal stagnation + heat. When things are stagnant, they tend to sit and not move. So, we often use the principle of heat to stimulate circulation and get pimples and cysts moving faster and better.
It’s similar to using a hot wet towel to bring a pimple to a head, but I prefer dry heat when dealing with large hard cysts that have deep roots. You can also do this with a Lanshin Hot Massager by Acera or your Gua Sha tool warmed up hot water.
SAFETY FIRST: The idea is to warm up the skin, not to scald or burn it. Make sure your beverage is not piping hot, water level is no more than 1/2 cup full (so the contents do not slosh around), and always always test the heat level on your wrist first before ever attempting to apply heat on your face. Caution on pimples near the eyes.
I do this a couple times per day when I have a big one like now on my chin. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!!
*Never do this if you have an open pimple that is oozing or bleeding. Better to put an acne patch on that instead. Also not recommended on skin impacted by rosacea, perioral dermatitis or any kind of rash.
