It can be very tempting — and satisfying — to squeeze out or pop blackheads. However, squeezing out blackheads can create several problems: You may not remove the entire blackhead. You may even push the blackhead further into your skin, which can cause painful irritation.
When to leave it alone
Most blackheads are close enough to the skin's surface to attempt safe removal. If you've tried to remove a blackhead and the blockage won't come out, leave it alone for a day or two. In most cases, your skin will clear the blockage on its own if you give it time.
If pores are infected, the skin can become inflamed and cause acne, which is the inflammation that results from clogged pores. The pores can also become inflamed if the blackhead isn't treated.
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.
Acne is most common in girls from the ages of 14 to 17, and in boys from the ages of 16 to 19. Most people have acne on and off for several years before their symptoms start to improve as they get older. Acne often disappears when a person is in their mid-20s.
Blackheads look like black dots that have formed on your skin. Blackheads are called open comedones. Comedones are the skin-colored bumps that form when you have a pimple. In the case of blackheads, these comedones consist of follicles beneath your skin with very large openings, or pores.
"So whatever treatments you do, blackheads will always naturally reform every 20 to 40 days." Annoying, we know. "This means doing a one-off treatment won't permanently get rid of them, the blackheads will come back. Tackling them needs to be an ongoing process.” The first step is the simplest, try an exfoliator.
"Because blackheads are hard and trapped inside pores they can't be 'scrubbed away' or washed off," Sarkar said. "Most often, they need extraction." But even if they're extracted, they could keep coming back because your nose — with all of its glands — will continue to excrete oil.
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).
It's tempting, but popping or squeezing a pimple won't necessarily get rid of the problem. Squeezing can push bacteria and pus deeper into the skin, which might cause more swelling and redness. Squeezing also can lead to scabs and might leave you with permanent pits or scars.
As acne occurs due to an overproduction of sebum, deep blackheads often appear in areas that have a higher concentration of sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands are small glands in the skin that are responsible for the production of sebum.
No, blackheads aren't made of worms, but the congealed dead skin cells and sebum that actually are found in the plugged follicles certainly resembles the creatures.
'Petroleum jelly dilutes the dried up oxidized oil, creating a hard-topped plug of oil in the pore which is then easier to squeeze out and clear. '
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.
“Pore vacuums are generally safe to use, but be sure to use appropriate settings depending on your skin,” says Dr. Reszko. In other words, cranking the vacuum up to the highest setting won't necessarily extract more blackheads—but it may just leave you with your first hickey since high school.
extreme stress. poor skin care habits (such as not washing your face twice a day, or wearing oil-based makeup) dry skin (ironically, having dry skin can make pores more noticeable due to an increase in sebum production and accumulation of dead skin cells on the surface of your skin)
Toothpaste is a popular beauty hack for getting rid of blackheads. While toothpaste does contain some blackhead-fighting ingredients, it may also contain unwanted ingredients that can irritate skin. Using toothpaste to remove blackheads is considered an off-label treatment and is not recommended by dermatologists.
Not only can you cause damage to your skin, but also, blackheads aren't as harmful to your skin as you might think. "It is very tempting to squeeze blackheads. Blackheads are dilated pores filled with keratin, or dead skin cells," Anna Guanche, board-certified dermatologist and beauty expert, told INSIDER.
Blackheads are most common in the pores that lie within your T-Zone, a section of your face that includes your nose, forehead, and chin. The skin in this area contains more oil glands than other parts of your face and body, which is one of the main factors why blackheads often pop up on your nose.
While it might seem that pimples form overnight, it actually takes between 1 – 2 weeks for an acne spot to fully develop.
It's mostly made up of sebum (oil that your skin produces) and dead skin cells. This substance typically collects in pores around your nose and chin. That's because the pores here tend to be bigger, and the oil remains in the pore lining until you squeeze them.
Use a comedone extractor
To begin, place a warm, damp cloth over the blackhead for several minutes to help open the pore and make the plug easier to remove. Then, place the extractor loop around the blackhead. Add pressure until the buildup is released – but never try to force the contents as this can damage the skin.