I popped a year-old pimple — now I’m infected and look like Buzz Lightyear

October 19, 2022

Chin up — it’s only a blemish.

A TikTok user has shared why sometimes it’s best to leave some things to the professionals.

Tyla Brimblecombe took to the app to share a cautionary tale about popping pimples, after squeezing one on her chin left her looking like Buzz Lightyear and suffering “excruciating pain.”

According to Brimblecombe, who works as a social media strategist, the zit had been on her face for about 18 months. She decided to take action by going in “super hard” with her knuckles and a needle, leaving her face bruised.

“The next morning [when] I woke up, the little dot, instead of being a whitehead, it was quite yellow, so I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s infected,’” the Australian-based creator recalled in the clip, which has been viewed more than 2.3 million times.

Tyla Brimblecombe tried to pop a pimple that had been on her chin for over a year, but is warning people not to do the same.

She said the doctor prescribed antibiotics.

She said the area was so swollen the next day she looked like Buzz Lightyear. “But this got worse and worse, puffier, puffier,” she continued.

Worried followers commented on the clip, urging her to see a doctor.

“You need to go to the doctors! Possibly infected/cyst, please don’t touch it anymore,” one user wrote.

“No, but girl THIS HAPPENED TO ME and I ended up with a face abscess and went septic,” another shared.

The TikToker later said she went to a doctor, who prescribed antibiotics and told her the area was infected.

In a follow-up video, Brimblecombe said the prescribed antibiotics had improved the situation and the swelling had gone down a bit. She claims she’s learned her lesson.

“I am a literal IDIOT,” she captioned the clip. “Learn from my mistakes and don’t do a DIY pimple extraction.”