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You wouldn't know it by looking at me, but my early 20s were blemish-riddled. I thought getting through high school relatively unscathed by acne meant I had superior skin genes and that breakouts were something I was just lucky enough to have skirted in life. Boy, was I was wrong: Once breakouts became a regular occurrence, I was dead set on learning to banish them right away.

So even before I became a beauty editor, I fancied myself a pimple-treating expert. I had sourced tips from anyone who would listen, scoured every corner of the internet for testimonials, and tested what felt like endless amounts of products in search of a tried-and-true program to rid my face of the unsightly boulders that would appear. And I actually did it.

Of course, diet, genetics, hormones, and a bevy of other factors can be the root cause, so speaking with a physician is always a smart idea. But regardless of the source, there are solutions that can help to at least ease the pain (and look) of a breakout. Ahead, see tips for shrinking a pimple faster than you can say boo, and 10 products to help you do it.

Next up, hoe to remove stubborn blackheads like a celebrity esthetician.

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated.