How to use a blackhead extractor

Check what you are trying to remove

A blackhead is an open pore plugged with excess oil and dead skin cells. Its exposed contents darken when they react with oxygen. A whitehead has a closed opening, and a painful bump or a spot filled with pus is not a blackhead. Do not use a loop to dig into those spots or open them with a needle.23

Some dark dots, particularly on the nose, are bundles of tiny hairs trapped in a follicle rather than acne. This harmless condition is called trichostasis spinulosa. If the dots persist despite acne treatment, a dermatologist can check what they are; repeatedly manipulating them can cause redness and swelling.4

How to approach a loop extractor

1. 1Cleanse your face gently. Use warm water and a mild cleanser rather than scrubbing the area.
2. 2Consider gentle steam only if your skin tolerates heat. Steam can soften skin and loosen the plug. A clean towel soaked in hot, not boiling, water is one option; let it cool if it is too hot to hold.
3. 3Choose a stainless steel loop extractor, not your fingernails. Keep any attempt gentle. The professional technique uses a sterile metal loop to apply even pressure around the blackhead, rather than digging into the skin.
4. 4Stop if gentle removal does not work. Leave a resistant plug for a dermatologist or licensed skincare professional instead of increasing pressure or switching to squeezing.
5. 5Continue gentle cleansing and regular moisturizing afterward. Extraction removes an existing plug, but ongoing skincare is needed to help prevent new ones.

A dermatologist uses sterilized equipment and proper technique, and sometimes exfoliates the skin before extraction. Professional extraction involves more than owning the metal loop, which is merely the part that fits in a shopping basket.3

Should you steam first?

Steaming is preparation, not permission to force a blackhead out. Follow a facial steamer's directions for distance and duration. With a towel or bowl, keep steaming to no more than 10 minutes and stop sooner if your skin feels too hot or irritated. Avoid steaming if you have rosacea, frequent redness or broken capillaries. Very sensitive skin and eczema also need caution because heat can aggravate them.5

When should you stop and get help?

Do not keep pressing a painful or irritated area. Pressure can push material deeper into the skin, increase inflammation and leave scars. Deep blackheads belong with a professional. See a doctor if your skin becomes hot, swollen and red, which can signal infection; redness can be harder to see on brown and black skin. Also get help for deep painful spots, scarring or acne that is not improving with treatment.37

How do you keep blackheads from returning?

Blackheads can return after extraction, so the extractor has a smaller job description than its name suggests. Salicylic acid helps remove dead skin cells that clog pores, while retinoids such as adapalene help break up blackheads and prevent new clogs. A salicylic acid wash once daily is one option; reduce the strength if it dries your skin. One possible routine uses salicylic acid cleanser in the morning and a retinoid at night.136

Wash gently twice daily, remove makeup before bed and choose products labelled noncomedogenic, meaning designed not to clog pores. Avoid scrubbing or picking. Treatment takes time: if you see no improvement after 4 to 6 weeks, a dermatologist can help you choose the next step.37