BrainStuff Classics: Why Is Popping Zits So Satisfying?

Humans love popping zits so much precisely because it's gross. Learn about all the reasons why we find pimples so fascinating in this classic episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/problems/treating/why-do-love-to-pop-zits.htm

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey
brain Stuff, I'm Lauren Bogel bomb In. Today's episode is
another classic from our archives. In this one, we discussed
the strange and strangely widespread fascination we humans have with
something so gross as popping zits. Hi brain Stuff Lauren

(00:23):
Vogel bam here. Most people don't like having pimples. In fact,
acne treatment is a nearly five billion dollar a year
global industry, but for many there's a silver lining to
the errant, unwanted sit Eventually, if you're patient, strategic and delicate,
you'll get to pop it just right. Don't worry, no

(00:43):
one's judging. I'm certainly not. Despite or perhaps because of
the gross out factor, there's even a major online presence
of pimple popping videos, like those put up by dermatologist
Dr Sandra Lee, perhaps better known as Dr pimple Popper,
whose YouTube channel has more than three point five million
of followers. Whether or not watching other people's bodily fluids

(01:03):
get expressed is your personal jam, Popping your own zits
is usually a cathartic experience. So um why, As with
just about everything we do, the brain and a whole
smorg sport of chemicals are involved, so the human response
to zip popping is more complicated than we thought. Zip
management often captures our attention, not like kittens do because

(01:26):
looking at them is pleasant, but rather the opposite. We're
disgusted by it. The emotion of disgust is a powerful, multifaceted,
often contradictory instinct. We spoke via email with Purdue University
professor Daniel Kelly, the author of Yuck, The Nature and
Moral Significance of Disgust. He said, you make that yuck face,

(01:46):
you tend to think of the disgusting thing is contaminated
and contaminating, polluted. You get that flash of nausea and
emotional frision, But you also tend to keep an eye on,
keep track of whatever it is that triggered your disgust.
So disgusting thing is also attract and capture attention. It's
just part of the way the psychological system works, how
it's able to do its job well. As a result,

(02:08):
this inherent disgust causes us to pop the ZiT or
watch these zip popping video. We also e conversed with
Matt Troube, a psychotherapist in California, who specializes in the
psychological aspects of skin conditions. He said, for many people,
pimple popping comes from a compulsion to ensure that their
skin looks and feels smooth. They view any irregular patch

(02:30):
or bump, such as a pimple, as an imperfection that
must be removed, but there's also a pleasurable side to
getting the pus out of a big ZiT. Florida based
neuropsychologist Rhonda Freeman says that positive sensations associated with pimple
popping actually begin well before the act is committed. She
said via email. Prior to popping the pimple, there might

(02:51):
be the sensation of wanting to engage in the act.
The neurotransmitter dopamine as at play at this stage and
may fuel some of the anticipatory excitement of going for
the ZiT. This can cause a person to feel stimulated
as the system is ignited into action. Stimulating because it
could be gross, and there's the possibility of pain and
it might get messy. The fun is hardly over before

(03:13):
it begins, However, she continued, Once the pimple is popped,
there is often the immediate sensation of pleasure and relief.
This is probably thanks to the liking or hadonic response
from the reward system, and that reward system is some
serious stuff. The neuro transmitters and action at that point
are endogenous opioids, which double as natural pain killers and

(03:33):
generally just make us feel good. Then there are those
people who enjoy popping other people's pimples. This urge is
as old as time and is commonly seen in primates.
Dr Freeman explained primates are very social creatures and experienced
the release of oxytocin when engaged in the act of grooming.
We have the same neurochemical release when we groom each other. However,

(03:55):
it's not all golden. Psychotherapist Troub said, if you are
stressed or anxious, pimple popping can give temporary relief but
doesn't address the underlying issues. Instead of dealing with the
actual problems, pimple popping can be a quick fix that
makes you feel like you're resolving in urgent matter or
source of stress. He also noted that excessive pimple popping
is a way that some people abuse themselves, especially those

(04:17):
who are being picked on by others, whether at home, work, school,
or so on. He said, Popping your pimples can be
a strategic behavior to give you a sense of control
over yourself. By literally picking on yourself, you can feel
some control over the unwelcome behavior of others. Your skin
can become a metaphor, with pimples acting as a message
of inferiority. Clearing those pimples can provide relief for a substitute.

(04:42):
You might try popping bubble wrap. The act of popping
those plastic pieces releases muscle tension, effectively reducing stress. It
has also been shown to facilitate calmness and attentiveness. Today's
episode is based on the article why do we love
to pop sits? On how stuff works dot com written

(05:04):
by Leo Hoyt. Brain Stuff is production of I Heart
Radio and partnership with how stuff works dot Com and
is produced by Tyler Kleine. Or more podcasts of my
heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
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