Sterilize a small needle with rubbing alcohol. Poke the center of the whitehead gently with the needle. In some cases, this is enough to allow the whitehead to drain. If the contents do not come out, wrap tissues or cotton pads around the tips of fingers.
Sterilize a needle with 70% isopropyl alcohol and gently prick the skin where your pore is clogged. Then extract the whitehead the same way you would a blackhead. After using an OTC astringent or acne medication and washing your hands thoroughly, apply pressure to both sides of the clogged pore to extract the plug.
“I never recommend attempting to pop, pick, or poke a blind pimple—this inevitably leads to more harm than good because the pimple does not have a connection to the surface of the skin, attempting to pick it will just increase your risk of an infection or scarring,” advises Dr. Zeichner.
Applying a warm compress can help to treat a blind pimple. The heat can open up pores, which may draw the pimple closer to the skin's surface and create a head. The formation of a head enables the sebum, cells, and bacteria to exit the skin. The heat from the compress can also help to relieve pain.
Blind pimples are caused when excess sebum mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria, essentially creating a clog, explains Dr. Hartman. “It's the same causes as cystic acne—the main difference being that blind pimples will never make it to the surface of the face like most cystic acne will.”
How long do blind pimples last? Strap in for bad news, ladies, this one is going to hurt! Since the infection is rooted deep inside your pore, it can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to months.
Unlike other types of pimples that form a visible whitehead, blackhead or red bump, blind pimples develop under the surface. Some blind pimples eventually come to a head and “erupt” from underneath your skin's surface, forming a visible blemish.
To remove a large pimple or painful acne cyst or nodule, your dermatologist may also use a procedure called incision and drainage. It involves using a sterile needle or surgical blade to open the blemish and then removing what's inside.
Do not squeeze the cyst or poke it with a needle to open it. This can cause swelling, redness, and infection. Always have a doctor look at any new lumps you get to make sure that they are not serious.
Sterilize a small needle with rubbing alcohol. Poke the center of the whitehead gently with the needle. In some cases, this is enough to allow the whitehead to drain. If the contents do not come out, wrap tissues or cotton pads around the tips of fingers.
Take a needle (as in Sansa's simple sewing needle, not Arya's Needle), clean it with alcohol to eliminate any bacteria and poke a tiny hole in the center of the pimple. This gives your pimple a spot to spill out the gunk and is much gentler than bursting your skin open by squeezing with your nails.
Blind pimples are the most common types of pimples — and the most painful. The two types of blind pimples are: Cysts: These blind pimples contain pus and may feel more spongy to the touch. Nodules: These blind pimples do not contain pus and feel more firm to the touch.
Blind pimples can develop when sebum (oil), bacteria, and dirt become trapped deep within a hair follicle. The end result is a painful lump under your skin that doesn't have a “head” as other pimples might have. If you have oily skin, you may be more prone to blind pimples than people with dry skin.
Hard pimples develop when dead skin cells, sebum, and bacteria enter the skin's surface. Once under the skin, bacteria can multiply quickly. This can cause the skin to become irritated and even infected. Hard pimples appear as raised bumps on or under the skin's surface.
A whitehead is the visible sebum or pus that has built up within a pimple. Sebaceous cysts are much deeper beneath the skin, and they can sometimes discolor the skin. While sebaceous cysts can eventually develop something that looks like a whitehead, it takes much longer, and they're often a lot larger than acne.
What exactly is a lancet? It's a tool with a super thin needle on one end—which is small enough to ensure no damage is done to the skin if used correctly. You would use it to pierce your pimple to relieve blockage.
When you puncture the pimple's outer skin, the gunk oozes out. If the bacteria in that gunk splatters and lands inside other pores, it can lead to more pimples. There's another risk. Poke, pick, prick, and prod a pimple, and you can force the debris and bacteria even deeper into your skin.
A comedone extractor is a pimple popping tool that safely extracts pimples. The ArteStile Comedone Extractor is made of stainless steel which is great for all skin types and easy to sanitize.
Apply a warm compress
If it's superficial enough, warm compresses could help the pimple come to a head, allowing it to rupture and expel the pus that's causing pain, says Hadley King, MD, board-certified dermatologist in New York City.
Warm compresses. Once the area surrounding the cyst is clean, apply a warm compress to the area. The warmth and moisture helps encourage the trapped substance to work its way out of the hair follicle without the need for popping the cyst. You can also use a soft warm, moist washcloth for the same results.
Do not try to pop, pick, or squeeze a cystic pimple. It may be tempting, but popping a pimple can introduce more bacteria to the pore, slow healing, drive the infection deeper into the skin, and increase the chance of scarring.
Basically, what happens if you don't pop a whitehead is that it goes away on its own, usually in 3 to 7 days. It may happen that you wake up one morning and notice the pimple is gone. Or you may notice the pimple draining.
In a fine needle aspiration procedure, a thin needle is inserted into the cyst, after the area has been numbed. Your medical provider will drain the cyst's fluids through the needle. Patients typically experience no discomfort to minimal discomfort during the procedure.