If you have an infected blackhead, try to leave the area alone so it can heal. If it remains painful and swollen after several days, it may be time to see a dermatologist for an antibiotic or a quick procedure to drain the affected area.
“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.”
Unfortunately, however, there are no permanent and comprehensive fixes to said issue of blackhead pores/holes. But you can minimize the appearance of these pesky pits by tightening your pores and using techniques to prevent the holes from clogging again.
Apply retinol to tighten your skin and pores.
Retinol is a common medication for acne and scarring. It can tighten your pores and make blackhead holes look less pronounced. Try getting retinol from a pharmacy and applying it to your face to see if it works for you. It's best to apply it before you go to bed.
Most infected pimples get better with at-home treatments. To reduce pain and swelling, use a warm compress and apply over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide. Keep the area clean and avoid touching the pimple while it heals. Some infections require prescription antibiotics.
Neosporin does not kill the most common acne-causing bacteria, so it won't typically be effective at fighting pimples or cystic acne. Because it has many moisturizing, skin-healing oils in its ingredients, Neosporin may temporarily tame irritation and also heal areas of damaged, broken skin.
The bottom line
If you have an infected blackhead, try to leave the area alone so it can heal. If it remains painful and swollen after several days, it may be time to see a dermatologist for an antibiotic or a quick procedure to drain the affected area.
If you're bleeding, she says to “gently blot the area with a clean tissue or cotton pad and clean the area with alcohol.” Once the blood has stopped, she advises applying a spot treatment containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid as mentioned above.
How long does it take blackhead holes to close? Since blackhead holes are enlarged pores, only time and proper skin management can tell. Enlarged pores may take up to 2 months to close, but remember that they will shrink naturally in time.
The enlarged pore, once emptied of its unsightly contents, will only fill back up again. Repeated squeezing and/or extraction can lead to an infection or cause hyperpigmentation in the surrounding skin cells.
What causes a dilated pore of Winer? A dilated pore of Winer forms similar to a blackhead pimple, where dead skin cells clog the pore (hair follicle). As a result, the dead skin cells in the pore create a protein (sebum and keratin) that collects and plugs up the pore, causing the pore to enlarge (dilate).
If you have a pimple, blackhead, or acne and dark spots occur after it is gone, it is known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Keloidal scars can form from acne. These are raised scars that occur if the scar tissue overgrows in the area.
Blackheads can develop anywhere but are most commonly found in areas with the most oil glands, such as your back, chest and face. They can cause scarring, which usually appears as tiny “ice pick” scars in the skin and may be associated with a type of acne called comedonal acne.
Squeezing a pimple forces out a yellow liquid called pus. The trauma caused by the squeezing can also cause blood vessels underneath to burst, causing the pimple to fill with blood.
“If you pop the pimple, it becomes a micro-wound,” explains Kazin. At this point, it's best to apply a little antibiotic ointment like Neosporin ($6, drugstore.com) at night to help speed up healing. Allowing it to “breathe” during the day without anything on it, if possible, will also help it mend faster.
The 'white stuff' that comes out of a blackhead or more commonly in pimples is pus. Pus is formed from inflamed debris, dead white blood cells and is also produced as the body's response to bacteria invading the system. This can it will heal on its own without treatment.
If a blackhead is close to the surface of your skin, it's more likely to go away on its own. However, some blackheads can be deeply embedded in your skin. Deep, embedded blackheads are less likely to go away on their own. If you have embedded blackheads, a dermatologist or medical aesthetician can remove them.
Don't: Treat with Hydrogen Peroxide
Regardless of whether you have sensitive skin or not, it's a safe bet to treat blackheads with gentle products that are free of fragrances and irritants. Hydrogen peroxide is a commonly misused solution and is neither a gentle nor a valid long-term treatment.
Dermatologists Weigh in on the Vaseline Method
"I would never recommend this method to any patient," San Francisco-based dermatologist William Kwan, MD, told Health. "Vaseline can clog pores and applying plastic wrap is physically occluding the pores.
Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly or antibiotic ointment. This will help keep the affected area moist and prevent infection. If you notice the formation of a rash or redness due to antibiotic ointment use, suspend use of the ointment. Protect and cover the abrasion.