Pimples on Your Nose: How Are They Different From Blackheads?

Quick answer: A blackhead is a clogged pore that stays open at the surface, while a pimple on your nose is a bump that rises up red or shows yellow pus. Where a spot has come up red, stop the squeezing and scrubbing you’d use on blackheads and keep your hands off. Telling them apart by how they look is a starting point for deciding how to handle the spot, not a diagnosis. If the inside of your nostril hurts, or you can feel a large, deep, painful lump, consider seeing a dermatologist first.

This guide is for readers who have something come up on the bridge or side of their nose and want to decide whether they can handle it like a blackhead, or whether they should keep their hands off and watch it or move on to a dermatology visit. It does not cover criteria for naming what’s on your nose, medicines or in-clinic procedures, or scar care, and it leaves telling blackheads apart from sebaceous filaments to an earlier guide. This is a brand guide run by SKIN9HARI, and the information on nose pimples and the description of our own products are kept in separate sections.

The figures from the study are values within the group that was studied, not an individual’s probability.

Pimple or blackhead on your nose: where’s the line?

A blackhead is a clogged pore that stays open

A blackhead is a pore clogged with oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells that stays open instead of closing over (guidance on types of breakouts). If all you see is a black dot, that falls under the guide on blackhead care rather than this one. Even so, the black dot isn’t dirt, so don’t scrub hard at it.

“The black dots aren’t dirt, so resist scrubbing. It will only worsen your acne.” — American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), guidance on types of breakouts

A pimple on your nose rises up red or shows pus

When the clogged contents are pushed deep into the skin and inflammation develops, you get a small, red bump that feels hard to the touch. A similar bump can fill with a yellowish fluid and show a yellow or white center (guidance on types of breakouts). What this guide calls a nose pimple is one of these two.

If you see black dots and red bumps together, look at each spot separately

This distinction works one spot at a time. If there are black dots on the bridge of your nose and a red bump beside your nostril, handle the two separately. You can’t confirm what something is from how it looks alone, so use this only as a starting point for deciding how to handle it.

An illustration of checking the bridge of the nose and the side of the nostril separately.

For how to tell blackheads from sebaceous filaments, see Nose Oil and Blackheads: Know the Difference Before You Extract.

Pimples on the side of your nose: how should you handle each spot?

When what you see differs from spot to spot, like a pimple on the side of your nose, how you handle it differs too. The table below isn’t for deciding what something is; it’s a side-by-side check of whether to keep up blackhead care and what to do right now.

This guide couldn’t confirm any primary source that covers nose strips or oil rolling themselves. “Stop” in the table is written within the scope of health organization guidance not to squeeze or scrub, and on spots that have come up red, we choose to skip nose strips and rolling too and keep our hands off.

For the difference between closed comedones and red pimples, see Closed Comedones vs. Pimples: What’s the Actual Difference?

What causes pimples on the nose, and how much is known about why they gather there?

This guide couldn’t confirm any source that pins pimples on the nose to a single cause. In a cross-sectional observational study that measured the forehead, nose, chin, and both cheeks in 36 Korean people with acne and 47 without, the nose was the one area of the five where the acne group had significantly more sebum, and skin pH showed no difference between the two groups in any of the five areas (study comparing nose sebum). Because this is a small study measured at a single point in time, it does not prove that more oil is why pimples form on the nose, and we don’t stretch this result to other areas of the face or to individuals.

When should you see a dermatologist instead of buying more products?

You don’t need to fill in a log or wait a set period before you can get care. If any of the following apply, consider seeing a dermatologist rather than watching it at home.

• The inside of your nostril hurts or is swollen. This guide couldn’t find health organization guidance covering this spot, so we don’t judge whether it’s okay to leave it at home.
• You can feel a large, deep, painful lump on the tip or side of your nose. Squeezing can push the contents deeper and make the inflammation worse (guidance on the risks of popping pimples).
• After squeezing or touching it, it hurts more, swells, or the redness spreads. Guidance says squeezing spots yourself carries a risk of infection (guidance on the risks of popping pimples).
• Small pimples keep appearing, or won’t clear up, while your nose and the area around it stay red. Even if it looks like acne, it may be a different skin condition, and you may need a diagnosis from a dermatologist (guidance on rashes that may not be acne, guidance on telling facial redness apart from acne).
• Scars start to form where you squeezed (guidance on the risks of popping pimples, NHS guidance on acne).

An illustration of looking into booking a visit when a pimple on the nose is a worry.

For general guidance on when to get care for large, painful breakouts, see Painful Breakouts: When to See a Dermatologist, and When It’s Okay to Wait

A red pimple came up on your nose: what should you stop first?

1. Stop squeezing and scrubbing it like a blackhead, right away

Don’t try to get a spot that has come up red out with your fingers or a tool. Squeezing at home pushes the contents deeper into the skin and makes the inflammation worse, with a risk of scarring, a more noticeable or more painful spot, or infection (guidance on the risks of popping pimples). Guidance that squeezing or picking blackheads and spots can leave scars points the same way (NHS guidance on acne).

2. Keep your hands off and just continue washing and your next steps

Squeezing or picking and scrubbing too hard don’t cause acne, but they can make it worse (NIAMS overview of acne). Don’t keep touching the red spot, wash your face as usual, and don’t add several new products at once.

3. Write down when it came up and how it changes

Jotting down the date it appeared, the spot (bridge, tip, side of the nose, side of the nostril), and whether it’s red or shows pus makes it easier to explain at a visit. Filling in a log isn’t a condition for getting care, and if any of the signs above apply, getting care comes before the log.

An illustration of writing down the date and spot where a pimple on the nose came up.

Related guides

• Nose Oil and Blackheads: Know the Difference Before You Extract
• Closed Comedones vs. Pimples: What’s the Actual Difference?
• Painful Breakouts: When to See a Dermatologist, and When It’s Okay to Wait

FAQ

Do pimples and blackheads need different care?

They look different, so you handle them differently. A blackhead is a clogged pore that stays open, while a red, hard bump or a pimple with a yellow center is a spot where inflammation has developed (guidance on types of breakouts). If you see both on your nose, handle each spot separately.

Should you pop a pimple on your nose?

Don’t squeeze it. Squeezing at home pushes the contents deeper and makes the inflammation worse, with a risk of scarring, pain, and infection (guidance on the risks of popping pimples). There is also guidance that spots you squeeze or pick can leave scars (NHS guidance on acne).

What should you do at home about a pimple beside your nostril that won’t pop?

Don’t force it out; take your hands away. Squeezing or picking and scrubbing hard can make acne worse (NIAMS overview of acne). Write down the date and what it looks like, and if it gets bigger or more painful, consider seeing a dermatologist.

Is it okay to leave a pimple inside your nose alone?

The health organization guidance this guide checked doesn’t cover pimples inside the nostril, so we don’t judge whether it’s okay to leave one alone. Don’t touch it, and if it hurts, swells, or the redness spreads, consider seeing a dermatologist.

What should you do if a blackhead turns red and swollen while you’re squeezing it?

Stop right there and don’t squeeze or scrub any more. Pushing the contents deeper can make the inflammation worse (guidance on the risks of popping pimples). If the swelling and pain keep growing, consider seeing a dermatologist.

When should you see a dermatologist for a hard pimple on your nose that hurts when pressed?

If it’s large and deeply painful, don’t squeeze it, and consider seeing a dermatologist. Even if it looks like acne, it may be a different skin condition, which a visit can check (guidance on rashes that may not be acne).

Why do I only get pus-filled pimples on my nose?

This guide couldn’t confirm any source that pins it to a single reason. A cross-sectional study comparing 36 Korean people with acne and 47 without only found that the acne group had significantly more sebum on the nose; it did not prove a cause (study comparing nose sebum).

What should you do if a pimple on your nose hasn’t gone away for months?

Acne that won’t clear may be a different skin condition that resembles acne, and you may need a diagnosis from a dermatologist (guidance on rashes that may not be acne). Rather than trying to name it yourself, get it checked at a visit.

What happens if you pop a pimple on your nose with yellow pus in it?

It is a bump filled with a yellowish fluid that shows a yellow or white center (guidance on types of breakouts). Squeezing it makes the inflammation worse and carries a risk of scarring and infection (guidance on the risks of popping pimples), so leave it alone.

In one sentence

First sort out whether what’s on your nose is a black dot or a red bump or yellow pus, stop squeezing or scrubbing it like a blackhead and keep your hands off where it has come up red, and if the inside of your nostril hurts, you feel a large, deep, painful lump, or the redness keeps going, consider seeing a dermatologist.

SKIN9HARI products we recommend for this concern

If pimples on your nose have you taking another look at your cleansing step and the step that follows it, SKIN9HARI recommends the Revive Therapy A.C Cleanser and the Revive Therapy N.F Toner. There are three reasons.

• The Revive Therapy A.C Cleanser is a rinse-off, mildly alkaline cleanser for the cleansing step, formulated with 0.5% salicylic acid along with AHA and PHA, and it is irritation patch-tested.
• The Revive Therapy N.F Toner is a mildly acidic formula at pH 5.5–6.5 that you use right after cleansing, and it is irritation patch-tested.
• The Revive Therapy N.F Toner was tested as a finished product in a clinical study of comedogenic potential and was “assessed as suitable for use on acne-prone skin” (see the note below the table).

Clinical study evaluating comedogenic potential: result “assessed as suitable for use on acne-prone skin” | Testing institution: Elead Co., Ltd. | Report No.: EL-180125057I007 | Study period: February 19 – April 13, 2018 | 12 occlusive patch applications over 4 weeks | Participants: 25 enrolled, 21 completed (mean age 29.24) | Individual results may vary

How to use them for this concern. When you have a red pimple on your nose, put these two products in the cleansing and toner steps you already use, and don’t add other new products all at once. For cleansing, work up a rich lather of the Revive Therapy A.C Cleanser, gently wash your face including your nose, and rinse with lukewarm water. Don’t rub the foaming net directly on your face. After cleansing, dispense the Revive Therapy N.F Toner onto your palm or a cotton pad, spread it along the skin’s texture or press it in lightly, and follow with a moisturizing product that suits your skin condition. If you already do other exfoliating care such as nose strips or peels, read both products’ notes on using them together first and adjust how much and how often you use the cleanser. If the pimple on your nose has burst or the skin is broken, or if ethanol or fragrance has made your skin sting before, read the check-before-use notes first. If you are using a prescription topical medication, follow your clinician and the medication’s instructions first. Both products are cosmetics, not medicines.

If any of the signs for getting care above apply to you, seeing a dermatologist comes before products. Results may not be the same for every skin type. Product information is on the Revive Therapy A.C Cleanser product page and the Revive Therapy N.F Toner product page.

For what to ask before adding cosmetics while you use a topical medication, see Skincare on Acne Medication: What Should You Ask Before Adding Products?

Sources

1. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Guidance on types of breakouts. AAD public information.
2. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Guidance on the risks of popping pimples. AAD public information.
3. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Guidance on rashes that may not be acne. AAD public information.
4. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Guidance on telling facial redness apart from acne. AAD public information.
5. National Health Service (NHS). Acne overview and self-care. NHS public information.
6. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Acne overview. NIAMS public information.
7. Kim MK, Choi SY, Byun HJ, et al. Comparison of sebum secretion, skin type, pH in humans with and without acne. Archives of Dermatological Research, 2006.

This guide is general skincare information, not medical advice. SKIN9HARI products are cosmetics and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If a skin problem is painful, spreading, or persistent, see a dermatologist.