What is that stuff everyone’s sticking on their skin these days? They look like stickers — because they are stickers. More specifically, they’re acne stickers that are also known as acne or pimple patches.

Basically, these are an old-school wound dressing. “Acne patches are made from hydrocolloid material. Hydrocolloid consists of gelatin or pectin,” says Debra Jaliman, MD, a New York City–based dermatologist and the author of Skin Rules. They may be made only of hydrocolloid or they might also be medicated with a common pimple-fighting ingredient like salicylic acid, she adds.

How Can Pimple Patches Help Get Rid of Acne?

Think of these stickers as the ultimate spot treatments. They can help minimize the appearance of pimples while accelerating healing. Here’s how.

They “Suck” the Gunk Out of Your Pores

If you were a fan of pore strips way back when, you’ll love these. “These patches are effective because they absorb excess fluid and have a vacuum-like effect that gets out any dirt and oil that could be causing a breakout,” says Dr. Jaliman. “It then converts those impurities into a gel-like substance that sticks to the patch and is sealed away from the face.” Another perk: They may also prevent bacteria from entering the pimple and exacerbating redness and inflammation. This “sucking” effect is central to hydrocolloid technology, according to the bandage brand Nexcare.

They Can Help Prevent Touching and Picking

If you have a pimple, the one thing a dermatologist will tell you to do is enact a hands-off policy. And what is the one thing you’re guaranteed to do anyway? Pick it or pop it. (There’s a reason Dr. Pimple Popper videos are so popular on YouTube.) “What acne patches probably do the best job at is keeping the area covered so that you can’t pick at your blemish,” says Lauren Fine, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology. Picking “99 percent of the time will make it worse because it triggers more inflammation, which increases healing time and makes it more likely to leave a mark, discoloration, or scar,” she says. It also drives the pus deeper into the skin, making it more likely to stick around.

They May Help Treat Your Blemish With Actives

Pimple patches that contain ingredients that help treat the breakout, like salicylic acid, might deliver some extra help to clear dirt and bacteria out of pores and speed clearing, says Jaliman. Indeed, the American Academy of Dermatology notes that salicylic acid, in addition to benzoyl peroxide, is one of the best ingredients to treat acne breakouts. It’s like giving a pimple a one-two punch. Some products also include skin-soothing ingredients such as aloe vera and vitamin A, which can help further reduce inflammation, research has shown.

Which Types of Acne Are Pimple Patches Effective For?

These are meant as spot treatments only and are ideally used on whiteheads, which are caused by clogged pores, and maybe cysts that have come to a head, according to Hero Cosmetics, which manufactures hydrocolloid acne patches. However, some brands can be used on red, painful pimples for which the pus has not yet come to the surface. Pimple patches are unlikely to work for blackheads, according to Hero Cosmetics.

If your breakouts look more like a multitude of small red bumps that have spread over a wide area of your face or you have cystic acne, you’re better off seeing your dermatologist, who can put you on a topical regimen that will treat your face as a whole and stop the cycle of acne (rather than continually playing defense to heal pimples as they pop up.)

How to Use a Pimple Patch to Help Shrink Blemishes

Above all, follow the directions on the brand you’re using. Beyond that, Jaliman says that they’re best saved as an overnight treatment. “At night while we sleep, skin cells regenerate,” she says. Meaning: Skin is repairing and rejuvenating, and treating your skin at night can tap into that natural process, improving your results.

Wearing them at night also allows you to leave them on for a long time. To use pimple patches, first clean and moisturize your face as normal. Then apply the sticker to your pimple and wear it overnight. You can keep it on for your shower, as they’re waterproof. Then wash your face as you would during your normal morning routine.

Another note, these are clear — and some people swear that no one can tell when you have them on. According to Hero Cosmetics, you can also wear them during the day (bonus: no urge to touch your blemish) and apply makeup on top.

5 Pimple Patch Options to Consider Trying

Because of the patches’ rise in popularity, you have a host of great options to give a go:

Best Budget Pimple Patch

This unmedicated hydrocolloid patch (meaning it does not contain active ingredients like salicylic acid) is clear so people will hardly know you’re wearing one.

Try Clearasil Rapid Rescue Healing Spot Patches, $9.79, Target.com

Best Multisize Pimple Patch

This pack comes with 24 unmedicated patches in three sizes, ranging from 7 millimeters (mm) to 12 mm, so you can pick the one best suited for your pimple size.

Try Coxrx Acne Pimple Master Patch, $6, Ulta.com

Best Medicated Pimple Patch

Dubbed “healing dots,” these hydrocolloid patches deliver vitamin A (the active ingredient in retinoids that exfoliates and cleans out pores), salicylic acid (a beta hydroxy acid that dissolves pore-clogging debris), and skin-calming aloe vera.

Try Peace Out Acne Healing Dots, $19, Sephora.com

Best Subscription Pimple Patch

Each box of the hydrocolloid patches comes in a count of 36 or 72 — and you can use the "subscribe and save" function to get a 20 percent discount and regular shipments, which take place every 30 to 60 days. The best part: You’ll feel at ease knowing you won’t run out again.

Try Mighty Patch Original, $12.99 (pack of 36), HeroCosmetics.us

Best Pimple Patch Kit for Emerging Pimples

This two-step kit comes with a swab that’s medicated with blemish-banishers salicylic acid and tea tree oil for cleaning the area. Next, apply a Killa patch, which is outfitted with microdarts, a technology that pushes salicylic acid and anti-inflammatory niacinamide into the zit for quick healing. Most other hydrocolloid patches should be used for pimples that have a white head, but this one is different. The company says it works best on pimples that are red and painful and have not yet come to the surface.

Try Zitsticka Killa Kit, $29, Zitsticka.com