What is the white substance that comes out when you squeeze a pimple?
Disease description:
Recently, I’ve developed many pimples on my face, and when I squeeze them, a white substance comes out. What is this white material that’s expressed from the pimples?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Huang Lingjuan
The white substance squeezed out of pimples is typically a sebum plug. Sebum plugs primarily result from excessive secretion by facial sebaceous glands, leading to an overproduction of sebum that accumulates excessively within hair follicles. When the follicular openings become obstructed, sebum cannot be properly excreted and becomes trapped. Over time, this trapped sebum concentrates and transforms into a semi-solid, pus-like material. Under external pressure, this material may extrude through the opening of the sebaceous gland–hair follicle unit, appearing as white, curd-like debris; however, this white, curd-like substance is in fact a sebum plug. Patients are advised not to squeeze or press on pimples, as doing so may trigger secondary inflammatory reactions in the affected skin area.
