According to board-certified dermatologists Joshua Zeichner, MD and Lily Talakoub, MD, the answer is generally yes. "Pore vacuums offer mild suction to help remove blackheads from the skin," Dr. Zeichner explains.
Are pore vacuums bad for your skin? Not if you're gentle. Keeping the vacuum on one spot for too long or turning the suction up too high can cause bruising, broken blood vessels, or dilated blood vessels that can make matters worse and lead to even more inflammation, according to Zenovia.
Poor results are only one of the risks of trying to vacuum your pores yourself – or have it done by someone without experience. If too much suction is applied to the skin you can suffer bruising or a condition called telangiectasias. “Telangiectasias are small broken blood vessels in the skin,” said Rice.
Do blackhead vacuums damage your skin? King says blackhead vacuums can lead to skin damage if you use high suction, especially if you have sensitive or rosacea-prone skin. Common unwanted side effects include: bruising.
It's recommended that you use pore cleansers around two to three times a week. Using a pore cleansing tool every day is not only tedious but might also cause other infections and inflammations.
Don't squeeze the pores on your nose
It's tempting to squeeze your pores. While it may get rid of the darker dots short term, it can also: damage skin tissue. enlarge the pores.
No pore is safe
Let's put it this way, most skin care pros don't even use metal extractors. Why? Because they are dangerous. They dent in the skin and have no "give," meaning they can push dirt and debris further into the pore, causing infections and even more breakouts.
For starters, you should wash your face and disinfect the tip of the pore vacuum to ensure that you're working with a clean, germ-free surface and tool. Secondly, Dr. Zalka recommends gently steaming your face to 'open up' the pores and loosen the debris deep within.
If used with too much pressure for too long, it can cause bruising, tenderness and even haematoma (swelling) and haemorrhage. Experts caution that frequent use can cause skin laxity by damaging the underlying elastic fibres and collagen.
Close the holes temporarily with cold water.
Cold water makes your pores contract, which makes them look smaller. Try splashing some cold water on your face or holding a cold washcloth against the blackhead holes. This won't shrink them permanently, but it works as a good temporary fix.
The skin's normal process of producing sebum can cause sebaceous filaments to become noticeable. This is more likely to occur in people with more oily skin or larger pores, compared with people who have drier skin and smaller pores. Several factors can determine pore size, including: age.
'You should absolutely not squeeze blackheads. Squeezing a spot can push the inflammation deeper and this can cause scarring of the skin,' she says. Squeezing a spot can push the inflammation deeper and this can cause scarring of the skin.
Dr. Lee recommends holding the tweezer tool comfortably by the textured mid-shaft and placing the wire loop over the blackhead, encircling the black dot with the loop before pressing down on the skin. "Apply slow and even pressure lightly across the area to release the contents," Dr. Lee says.
Using them incorrectly will do more harm than good. For instance, improper use of an extraction tool can damage the skin (think: scarring, bruising, and capillary damage), she explains. And not only that, but it may also drive bacteria deeper into the skin, causing a breakout to become even worse.
Extractions, when done correctly, can clear closed comedones (AKA those tiny, flesh-colored bumps that never come to a head, yet never really go away), remove whiteheads and blackheads, and give your skin a newer, fresher foundation for your skincare products to penetrate.
The stuff you squeeze out of them is pus, which contains dead white blood cells.
Sebum consists mainly of oil which is excreted by a network of tiny glands all over the body. Sometimes the sebum becomes trapped which can result in skin problems such as acne and cysts. Sebum can develop a `cheesy ` smell which is why some people have `smelly` feet.
Blackheads form when a clog or plug develops in the opening of hair follicles in your skin. Each follicle contains one hair and a sebaceous gland that produces oil. This oil, called sebum, helps keep your skin soft. Dead skin cells and oils collect in the opening to the skin follicle, producing a bump called a comedo.
Dermatologists use a variety of light and laser therapies to treat acne. No one laser or light treatment can treat pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, acne cysts, and acne nodules. That's why different types of lasers and light therapies are used to treat acne.
Differin Gel
Adapalene is one of Murphy-Rose's favorite blackhead-fighting ingredients and it is found in ProActive's gel. Murphy-Rose recommended this gel because she finds it helps to “treat stubborn blackheads” and can help prevent pimples from forming.