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If you have a pimple that won’t go away, this article is for you. Learning how to extract a blackhead and pop a pimple can help rid your skin of acne without the use of chemical treatments. It’s also a lot less painful than using harsh chemicals.
There are many methods and approaches to pop pimples. While every effort should be made to avoid chemicals, there are several steps you can take at home that will work just as well if not better than any commercial products on the market today.
Before we get into the actual steps and techniques to extract a blackhead, let’s first discuss what causes them in the first place. The pore itself that contains oil, cells and bacteria responsible for producing sebum, which is the grease found in human skin cells that keeps hair soft and healthy. The sebum is needed to lubricate hair follicles and prevent dryness or excessive shedding that might cause an infection or growth of yeast or bacteria in that area. When these cells get pushed out of balance, they swell up and produce oil, leading to pimples.
Why You Should Avoid Popping Pimples
Most people have experienced the temptation to pop a pimple. It can be hard to resist, especially when the pimple has come to a head and is begging to be popped. But popping pimples is one of the worst things you can do for your skin. By clearing away the top layer of tissue, you’re exposing a deeper layer that’s more likely to scar. Popping pimples can also spread bacteria from one part of your face to another, so it’s best to leave them alone.
Popping a pimple will almost never result in skin that looks better in the long term. First, popping a pimple will create an open wound on your face, which can take several days or even weeks to heal completely. This means that you may have redness, swelling, and tenderness in the area for days or weeks longer than if you left it alone. Eventually, this open wound will develop new skin cells over it, but this process takes time.
Second, when you pop a pimple, there’s a chance that you’ll cause permanent damage by pushing too hard or tearing skin tissue with your fingernails. This can lead to permanent scars on your face down the road.
Solutions Without Popping
If you are looking for solutions without popping your blackhead, check out these natural remedies below:
1. Turmeric
Turmeric has both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that help treat acne effectively. It can also reduce the swelling and redness caused by acne or blackheads.
Mix one teaspoon of turmeric powder with one teaspoon of lime juice to make a paste. Apply this paste directly to your blackheads and let it dry for 15 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water. Do this once daily until you get rid of your blackheads completely.
2. Baking Soda
Baking soda works as an exfoliating agent to remove the dead skin cells and unclog the pores. Additionally, its mild antiseptic property helps heal skin infections.
Professional Extraction
Professional Extraction of blackhead
The extraction of blackheads is a cosmetic treatment to remove blackheads from the nose and face. The technique typically involves a small, pointy device that removes the dirt and oil from the pore. Professional extractions are generally performed by estheticians or dermatologists, who are trained in skin care.
The process for getting professional extractions is relatively quick — about 30 minutes — depending on how many blackheads need to be removed. Because this is a skincare treatment, it’s often conducted as part of a facial, which may last up to an hour or more.
Removing blackheads with an extraction tool.
Professional extractions can be painful, despite being performed by professionals who know what they’re doing. They also run the risk of damaging the skin and causing scarring if not done properly. Some people are simply sensitive and have delicate skin that doesn’t do well with this type of treatment.
Extractions are generally considered effective, though results may not last long if you don’t change your lifestyle or skincare routine. If you’re prone to oily skin and blackheads, you may have them return within weeks or months after the procedure.
Apply a Warm Compress
A warm compress can help to open up your pores, soften your skin, and encourage the trapped sebum to come out of the pore.
Wet a washcloth with warm water. Make sure that the water is not too hot, so test it on the inside of your wrist first. Place the warm, damp washcloth over the affected area for 5 minutes.
Wash your face with lukewarm water afterward to remove any remaining oil and bacteria.
A blackhead extractor tool is a small metal tool designed to remove blackheads. Two different ends can be used depending on the size of your blackhead.
To use a blackhead extractor tool:
Cleanse your face and then wait until it is dry before using the extractor tool. Open your pores by applying a warm compress or steaming your face over a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes. Disinfect the head of the extractor tool with rubbing alcohol or soap and water
Apply gentle pressure around the top of the blackhead, but do not apply pressure directly onto the plug itself. Gently roll or press down on one side of the circle until you feel/hear a pop.
Spot Treatment
Do you have a stubborn zit that just won’t go away? You know, one that’s been there for weeks, probably getting bigger and bigger because you can’t stop picking at it? Yeah, I’ve been there. But if you follow the right steps, your days of dealing with acne are over and your skin will be clear in no time! Here’s your ultimate guide to getting rid of that big zit as soon as possible — and preventing the pimple from popping up again.
Step 1: Put ice on it
The first step is to take an ice cube and run it over the problem area for three to five minutes. This will reduce any redness and inflammation. If you don’t have an ice cube handy, a cold spoon works just as well.
Step 2: Get Rid of Excess Oil
Next, wash your face with a gentle cleanser. Be sure not to scrub too hard or use any harsh exfoliants. That will only irritate the skin more!
Step 3: Use spot treatment cream or gel
Now we’re ready for spot treatment! There are many different types of spot treatments available, but I like to use aloe vera gel because it’s inexpensive and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Safer Steps to Pop a Pimple
Pimples are a fact of life, especially if you have oily skin or get a lot of breakouts. However, pimples can also be the result of other skin conditions (like acne rosacea and acne conglobata) and medically-related problems, such as rosacea and eczema. So whether you get them because your skin is breaking out or because you’ve got a bacterial infection, they can be painful and uncomfortable.
There are several steps you can take to help pop a pimple faster and more safely:
1. Don’t pick at or squeeze your pimples. This can irritate the pimple and make it worse.
2. Avoid picking at chicken pox scars, which may leave scars in the same areas as acne scars, causing more problems than they prevent.
3. If you have a big cystic zit, consider getting it popped by an expert instead of trying to pop it yourself for fear that it will get infected or worse.
4. Always use products with benzoyl peroxide on your face — these kill acne-causing bacteria without irritating your skin.
Never Pop a Deep Inflamed Blemish
When you’re a teenager, your skin is constantly being assaulted by hormones that are stimulating cell growth and producing the oils that keep your skin lubricated. If a blemish appears on your face, it won’t go away right away, but it’s not likely to last more than a couple of days. What do you do?
If you’re a tween or teen and you have an inflamed blemish on your face, don’t pop it! Doing so could cause an infection, which could lead to scarring . You may not be able to tell if your blemish is actually infected because the redness can seem like normal inflammation from the heat of the sun or from working out. Infections can also be mistaken for acne pimples , so it’s important to figure out whether or not you have an infected blemish before taking any action.
How to Extract a Blackhead Safely
Extracting blackheads is never fun. They can be quite painful and sometimes they cause a lot of damage to the skin.
The key to extracting a blackhead is having patience, being gentle and using the right tools.
1.Get a blackhead extraction tool.
2.Cleanse your hands and face with warm water and gentle soap.
3.Steam your face so that the blackheads are easier to remove.
4.Disinfect the tool with an alcohol wipe or cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol.
5.Brace the skin next to the blackhead with one hand, then gently press down on either side of the blackhead with the other hand until it pops out, or use the tool to gently pick it out.
Comedone Extractors
Summary
For the most part, you should never, ever pop your blemishes. It’s okay to touch a pimple that has a whitehead, but don’t apply pressure and try to squeeze it out. If you do this, you’ll likely just damage the skin around it, making the entire area look red and inflamed.
However, if you want to learn how to pop a pimple properly or extract a blackhead safely, there are some steps you can take to help make the process as painless as possible and prevent scarring.