The Truth About The Band-Aid Acne Hack That's All Over TikTok

Would you ever think that a Band-Aid could do more than cover up that nick you got from shaving? Well, in a shocking turn of events, people all over TikTok have discovered that the bandages also happen to work fabulously in treating zits. So if you've seen the beauty hack in your feed and wondered, "Do Band-Aids help pimples?" you'll be surprised to hear that they actually do.

The TikTok trend involves people using actual Band-Aids — which some are calling "magic acne Band-Aids" — to treat their breakouts and then raving about the results. They're not your regular bandages, though. To reap the zit-quashing benefits, look for the hydrocolloid adhesives. If that word looks familiar to you, that's because the pimple patches you'd buy at beauty shops are also hydrocolloid strips. And that's why these Band-Aids truly work.

"Hydrocolloid bandages work by absorbing moisture in a pimple to help flatten them out," Dr. Shirley Chi, a Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist, tells Bustle. Basically, they work as an occlusion to your zit so it can better heal. "Overnight, they can reduce inflammation," holistic plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn says on TikTok of the Band-Aid hack. "They also often absorb moisture so they can decrease some of the excess fluid in the tissue." And if you're a pimple popper, Band-Aids serve another great purpose: "Since the pimple is covered, you can't keep touching it and picking at it, so it reduces the risk of scarring," says Chi.

One thing to note, however, is that they'll only treat smaller breakouts or whiteheads, where pus has emerged on top of your skin's surface — not deeper cystic pimples, says Chi. But if that's the type of acne you're dealing with, hit up the pharmacy to score these easily accessible pimple patch alternatives. Got a cluster of zits? You can also score larger bandage strips to treat multiple breakouts at once.

Sending many thanks to the creative TikTokers who discovered this genius beauty hack.