Q: I’ve heard it’s bad to squeeze blackheads at home. Is that true?
If you’ve been tempted to extract a blackhead — whether using your fingers, cotton swabs or one of those metal tools with the tiny loop at the end — you’d be forgiven. Scientists have found that removing blemishes on your skin can release the feel-good chemical dopamine, and watching pimple-popping videos on social media even seems to activate the brain’s reward and pleasure centers.
That said, dermatologists don’t recommend doing these excavations at home, in part because they can damage your skin.
“It’s super tempting, and I understand why someone would want to squeeze them,” said Dr. Alisen Huang, a dermatologist at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health. But, she said, “it’s a big ‘No.’”
Here’s what dermatologists recommend instead.
What causes blackheads?
Blackheads commonly appear on the face, neck, back and chest. They are a type of acne that occurs when oil, dead skin cells and other debris clog a pore and then turn dark when exposed to air.
Excess oil production in the skin is a major cause, said Dr. Chang B. Son, a dermatologist in New York City. Using products that clog pores, like those made with shea butter, coconut oil or avocado oil, can also cause blackheads, said Dr. Murad Alam, vice chair of dermatology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Layering too many skin care products at once can cause them too.
While blackheads can crop up on anyone at any age, they’re typical during periods of hormonal fluctuation, like puberty or pregnancy, or in conditions marked by hormonal imbalances, like polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (formerly known as PCOS).
How should you remove them?
Extraction (or squeezing) is the quickest way to remove a blackhead, Dr. Alam said.
Doing that yourself isn’t ideal, however, because it can cause microscopic tears in the skin, inflammation, infections or scarring, Dr. Huang said. It’s preferable to have a dermatologist perform extractions with sterile instruments, Dr. Alam said.
If you do decide to do them yourself, Dr. Son recommended using a comedone extractor (a metal tool with a hole or loop on the end), instead of your fingers. Wash your hands, cleanse the blackhead with soap or alcohol and disinfect the tool with alcohol. Then, place the extractor’s opening around the blackhead and gently press until the plug pops out, Dr. Alam said.
Dermatologists don’t recommend pore strips, the adhesives that stick to your skin and remove oil and dead skin cells when peeled off. They’re not that effective because they may only remove the top part of a blackhead, Dr. Alam said, leaving the rest of the debris stuck in your pore. The strips can also irritate your skin, Dr. Son said.
Can you prevent blackheads?
Extracting a blackhead is generally a “short-lived” solution, said Dr. Song Park, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. “It will come back,” she said.
The most effective way to prevent blackheads from forming is to control excess oil production, Dr. Park said. Regularly using a cleanser with salicylic acid can reduce oil on the skin, she said, and a topical retinoid can speed skin cell turnover, preventing dead skin cells from accumulating inside pores.
Most retinoids, like tretinoin, are available only via prescription, Dr. Huang said. But there is an over-the-counter retinoid called adapalene (sold under the brand name Differin), which has been shown to be effective.
There are also many over-the-counter products containing retinol, which belongs to the retinoid family. Retinol could help shrink existing blackheads and prevent new ones from forming, Dr. Huang said. But because retinol-containing products are generally weaker and aren’t regulated and tested in the same way as prescription retinoids, it’s challenging to know how effective they may be.
If you regularly get blackheads that bother you, see a dermatologist, Dr. Huang said, especially if you’ve tried over-the-counter products without success. A dermatologist has other treatment options available, like laser therapy to reduce oil production and potentially shrink pores, and chemical peels that exfoliate the skin and dissolve oil and dead skin cells.
A dermatologist can also help devise a skin care routine that’s appropriate for your skin and can help prevent future blackheads, Dr. Huang said.
The post What’s the Best Way to Remove Blackheads? appeared first on New York Times.
