Nearly everyone at some time or other gets spots, pimples or whatever you want to call them. The best thing to do is keep your hands away from your face, don't be tempted to pick, squeeze or scratch, just leave it alone. It will only ruin your day if you allow it to. If you really feel the need to do something about it, then pay a visit to your local drugstore and see if they can supply you with a cream, something like Clearasil, which will temporarily disguise a pimple and at the same time help the healing process.

Before buying products for acne there are certain factors to take into consideration. You should know your own skin type as different skin needs different treatments. If your skin is oily, you should use a gel-based product. If you have dry skin, a cream will be more suitable. If like most people you have a combination skin, then buy the product that will treat your acne in whichever zone your pimples appear, such as gel for oily areas and cream for dry areas.

Your problems could be made worse if your skin is sensitive and you opt for a product which is too harsh. It could cause your skin to produce even more oil or dry out your skin which will result in even more pimples. All labels should be carefully read and the mildest cream or ointment available should be used on sensitive skin.

There are medicated products on the market which contain a chemical that dries up the pimple and acts as a defoliator. Benzoyl peroxide and Salycic acid are the two most frequently used of these products. Clearasil, Dryox, Persa-Gel, and Fostex are some of the brand names. They all have benzoyl peroxide and come in lotions, creams, gels and soap. Products containing salicylic acid are Stridex, Oxy Night Watch, Clearasil Clearstick Maximum Strength, and PROPApH. Sulfur is also used in some over the counter acne products and is present in Liquimat, Therac Lotion, Sulmasque, and Sulpho-Lac Acne Medication. Those medications which have a combination of benzoyl peroxide and sulfur include Dryox 10S, Dryox 20S and Sulfoxyl.

Extreme outbreaks of acne and some other sorts of pimples may not react to medication available over the counter and may require the attention of a professional such as a doctor or dermatologist.

To help you through the day, try putting a light dusting of face powder over the pimple. Leave off the heavy make up as this will only make things worse. Squeezing the pimple will only make it more irritated and is likely to spread the infection to other parts of your face.

So we have established that there are no quick fixes available when you wake up on the morning of a special occasion, or any other day for that matter, to find a large pimple on your face, but you can ensure things don't get any worse by keeping your hands off it! Chances are, no-one will even notice you have a pimple, so chin up, eyes ahead and don't let it ruin your day or worse still, your life.