What Are Hydrocolloid Patches?

By Healthy Living 10/13/2023 11:18:00 AM

Close up someone applying a hydrocolloid patch on a whitehead pimple

Hydrocolloid patches, also called pimple patches, are clear bandages that stick directly onto pimples and claim to speed up healing. These patches are usually made of an outer polyurethane layer that helps keep bacteria out and an inner hydrocolloid gel layer that absorbs fluid.1 However, hydrocolloid patches help heal breakouts differently than traditional acne treatments.

What Does a Hydrocolloid Patch Actually Do?

Hydrocolloid patches were initially designed to heal skin wounds like ulcers or blisters. The patches help promote healing by absorbing moisture and protecting the skin from infections.2

Pimple patches made with hydrocolloid work similarly on acne by absorbing excess fluid and keeping bacteria away from your zit. However, hydrocolloid patches only help treat pimples already oozing fluid, making them ideal for zits that have already “popped” or been picked.

Some hydrocolloid patches also include additional acne-fighting ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, which kill bacteria and reduce oil production.3

How Do Hydrocolloid Patches Work?

Hydrocolloid patches don’t typically contain active acne-fighting ingredients. Instead, they create an ideal healing environment. Hydrocolloid patches are placed directly onto zits like a sticker, thanks to a small amount of adhesive. When you use a hydrocolloid patch on a blemish, the hydrocolloid on the bandage absorbs pimple fluid like oil, bacteria, and pus.3

As hydrocolloid absorbs fluids, it forms a gel and turns white. People often believe this white spot is all the gunk in your pimple, but it’s actually the hydrocolloid turning into a gel when it comes into contact with pimple fluid. Pulling pimple fluid from your zit creates a moist, clean environment that helps the skin heal.

Hydrocolloid patches’ protective and water-proof outer layer keeps infection-causing bacteria away from your zit by sealing it from the outside world. This also helps the pimple heal because you can’t touch or pick at it.3

Do Hydrocolloid Patches Work?

Hydrocolloid patches can help heal wounds, including acne lesions, but they aren’t the most effective acne treatment.4 Limited research shows hydrocolloid patches can help reduce acne breakouts by keeping bacteria out and speeding up healing. But hydrocolloid won’t actually kill acne-causing bacteria or unclog pores.

A small 2006 study found hydrocolloid pimple patches and skin tape helped reduce mild-to-moderate acne. Both methods also prevented people from touching their breakouts. However, the hydrocolloid patches were more effective at reducing breakouts, redness, and oil.4

A newer study found hydrocolloid patches helped heal inflammatory acne in six days. But when compared to water-soluble herbal acne patches, hydrocolloid patches were less effective at reducing inflammation, redness, and hyperpigmentation. Water-soluble herbal acne patches also healed breakouts two days faster.5 Some researchers also argue that hydrocolloid patches keep out too much oxygen, which promotes acne-causing bacteria growth.3

Research on treating acne with hydrocolloid patches is ongoing, and we need more large-scale studies to prove the patches are effective. Current studies also use patches for multiple days, so don’t expect your zit to miraculously disappear overnight. At best, a hydrocolloid patch helps your zit look less swollen and slightly smaller as it starts to heal.

How to Use Hydrocolloid Patches

To use a hydrocolloid patch on a breakout, wash your hands and clean the pimple and surrounding area. You can wash your whole face if you’re doing your regular skincare routine or just cleanse the affected area. If you usually layer skincare products, apply the patch right after cleansing—like a spot treatment.

Let the area completely dry before placing the sticky side of the patch over your pimple, and gently press down the patch like a sticker. Make sure the patch completely covers the breakout.

Most hydrocolloid patch manufacturers recommend leaving the patch on for 6-8 hours, making hydrocolloid patches ideal for overnight use. Once your time is up, gently peel off the patch and throw it away. You should notice some white gunk on the patch. This is hydrocolloid gel that forms when hydrocolloid mixes with pus, bacteria, and oil.

When Shouldn’t You Use a Hydrocolloid Patch?

Hydrocolloid patches typically don’t cause any issues. However, people with sensitive skin may want to avoid hydrocolloid patches since the adhesive on the patch can irritate the skin.

Hydrocolloid patches also won’t work on every type of acne and won’t help heal blackheads, whiteheads, or cystic acne. You can still cover these types of acne with a hydrocolloid patch to avoid picking and touching your blemish, but they absorb fluids to help air heal these breakouts. Pimple patches won’t help prevent acne breakouts if you start getting a new zit.

Other Acne Treatments

See a dermatologist if you need an acne treatment that actually treats the pimple at the source. A dermatologist can help determine which acne treatment is the best for your breakouts.

Since hydrocolloid patches don’t treat acne, you may want to try other topical acne medications that help reduce oil, kill bacteria, and unclog pores. Proven treatments for acne include:6

Salicylic acid: Cleansers, serums, gels, and creams with salicylic acid can reduce inflammation and unclogs pores to help treat acne.7
Benzoyl peroxide: Skincare products with benzoyl peroxide help reduce acne-causing bacteria on the skin and unclog your pores.8
Topical retinoids: Retinol and other vitamin A derivative creams and gels, called retinoids, help stimulate cell turnover to remove dead skin cells, dirt, and oils—preventing clogged pores.9
Azelaic acid: Creams and serums containing azelaic acid can reduce inflammation, unclog pores, and kill bacteria to help treat acne. Azelaic acid also helps fade dark, discolored spots, known as acne hyperpigmentation.10
Antibiotics: Prescription oral antibiotics like doxycycline and erythromycin help treat acne from within by reducing bacteria that cause acne.11
Isotretinoin: Prescription oral retinoids like isotretinoin treat severe acne—like painful cysts and nodules—by reducing oil production and increasing cell turnover to unclog pores.12

Corticosteroid injection: A dermatologist can inject painful cystic acne with a corticosteroid injection to help shrink the swollen blemish and minimize pain.13
Hormonal therapy: People who deal with hormonal acne may benefit from taking birth control pills to treat hormonal acne by blocking hormones that cause breakouts.14

A Quick Review

Hydrocolloid patches keep bacteria out (especially from touching your zits) and absorb gunk to help your pimple heal. However, hydrocolloid patches don’t treat acne by killing acne-causing bacteria or unclogging pores like traditional acne treatments. They also only help treat open pimples and won’t help you zap cysts, blackheads, or whiteheads.

Research shows hydrocolloid patches can help heal acne. Still, studies are small, and hydrocolloid patches typically underperform compared to other acne patches or treatments.

If you have stubborn acne that won’t quit, stick with acne-fighting treatments with salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. You can still use hydrocolloid patches to help you avoid touching or picking.

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