“Post-picking, you want to keep your skin in a moist environment for optimal healing,” Nava Greenfield, M.D., a dermatologist who practices in Brooklyn, said. “Aquaphor is great until the skin has healed and then Bio-Oil or a silicone gel as a scar prevention.”
You usually don't have to do much after extracting, says Zeichner. Applying a mild, fragrance-free moisturizer is enough to hydrate and calm the skin.
How long do acne extractions take to heal? Most blemishes can take about five to seven days to heal after extraction, although this can depend on factors like the depth and severity of your breakouts. Your skincare specialist can give you instructions to follow to make sure your skin heals without scarring.
Your skin may be slightly red for a very short time after removing blackheads. This is just because of the pressure put on the skin during the extraction. You're more likely to see this if your skin is sensitive.
Clean up. After you've popped the pimple, wash your face and hands a second time with antibacterial soap, and then apply a small amount of alcohol to the remains of the blemish—this will help keep bacteria from repopulating it.
Skincare products can make your pores look smaller by exfoliating the skin—or cleaning out dead skin cells and oil from the pore. Pores that are cleared of blackheads and blockages will look less obvious. The surface of the skin will also look brighter, smoother, and more even. Your skin will feel softer, too.
Cleanse daily
They follow this with a gentle, water-based cleanser. This removes dirt and oils and prepares the skin for other treatment, such as applying a topical treatment.
When the body produces lots of facial oil or sebum, dead skin cells can stick together and block up the pores. This increases the chances of developing a hard pimple.
Deep blackheads should be removed by a medical professional — usually a dermatologist or medical aesthetician. They use a small tool with rigid metal loops on the ends (blackhead or comedo extractor) to apply even pressure to your blackheads.
It's irreversible damage,” says Dr. Henry. Damaging your skin by squeezing or picking can also cause inflammation, hyperpigmentation and scarring. Squeezing additionally introduces bacteria, oil and dirt from your hands into your pores, which can lead to more blackheads.
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.
Though you may be tempted to squeeze or otherwise get rid of a sebaceous filament, it's best to leave them alone. Squeezing or picking at sebaceous filaments risks scarring and spreading any bacteria that may be in or around the pore to other parts of your face, causing a breakout.
Because the pore gets stretched out of shape, it will fill back up again even after it is emptied. These stubborn pores are most likely to occur on the face, chest and back.
How to Remove Blackheads at Home. "During a professional facial, an esthetician will raise the temperature of the skin by applying warm steam to the skin and performing a facial massage to 'melt' the hardened oil within the pores to make for easier extractions," Rouleau tells me.
When done right, extractions should not leave any acne scars. However, marks are a normal side effect of extractions due to the pressure on the skin and are temporary.
The general rule of thumb is three times per week for oily or combination skin, and just once weekly for sensitive skin, Dr. Marchbein says.
Via Refinery29, Elizabeth Tanzi, M.D., agrees that after the clay mask brings all the junk to the surface, physical massage can "indeed dislodge clogged pores and whatever's inside them."
A dermatologist can help rid your skin of blackheads. “There are in-office treatments that can help diminish the appearance of pores,” Suozzi points out. These include nonablative resurfacing (aka laser treatments) such as Fraxel laser or Clear + Brilliant laser or microneedling.