How to Do Manual Blackhead Extraction at Home?

Regular facial cleansing allows you to maintain a well-groomed and healthy look, but it does not guarantee that you don’t have clogged pores. Even if you use the right skin care products, your skin still needs a more serious cleaning, such as blackhead extraction.

What do we know about this procedure? Blackhead extraction is the process of manual or mechanical clearing of clogged pores performed by a dermatologist or an esthetician. Experts recommend undergoing this procedure every four to six weeks, which seems pretty expensive.

Why don’t you learn how to do manual blackhead extractions at home? It’s worth it! You will get smooth and silky skin whenever you need it. Keep reading to learn about the proper techniques and tools for pore-clearing.

What Should I Know About Blackhead Extraction?

First of all, even the most gentle extractions damage the skin. So ideally, you should perform this procedure no more than every four weeks. Secondly, it’s absolutely fine to remove blackheads on your own, but it’s better not to touch whiteheads and leave them to the pros. “These guys” can cause infection and delay the natural healing process if you pop them up improperly. Third, follow the instructions and don’t skip the steps. It’s crucial to open up the pores before starting the main actions. Finally, you shouldn’t do blackhead extractions a day before any important event because you may still have redness on the face.

Contraindications for Blackhead Extraction

Blackhead extractions are not for everyone. There are contraindicated conditions, such as herpes, eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, allergies, acute inflammation, hypertonic disease, paralysis of the facial nerve, skin cancer, and menstruation. 

Tools for Blackhead Extraction

The procedure is divided into three stages: skin preparation, blackhead removal, and post-care.

For the first stage, you will need micellar water, a cleanser with AHA, and a toner to remove makeup and traces of dirt. You will also use aloe vera gel and plastic wrap to perform cold hydrogenation. Sounds exciting, right?

The second stage is all about extractions. You will need 3% hydrogen peroxide, cotton pads, and a blackhead removal kit. Make sure your instruments are high quality and properly disinfected.

For the final stage, you will use bentonite clay to reduce the size of the cleaned pores. After the mask, you will need to apply toner, serum, and moisturizer to give your skin maximum hydration.

SkinMedica Exfoliating Cleanser

SkinMedica exfoliating cleanser with AHA and BHA works perfectly. It gently removes dead cells and dirt, leaving your skin ready for manual blackhead extractions.

Professional 8.5″ Large Lighted Makeup Mirror

This mirror is a pretty useful tool for skincare savvies. It is 8 1/2 inches and rotates 360 degrees so that you can see your whole face. With 10X magnification, there is no chance of missing even the smallest black dot. The light is soft but not dazzling.

Boxoyx Blackhead Extractor Kit

This ten-piece blackhead removal kit is made of high-quality 420 stainless steel. Affordable, multifunctional, and durable. It is good for travel because the case is compact and doesn’t occupy a lot of space.

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay

A famous Indian Healing Clay still does its magic with people who broke out with acne. Aztec Secret bentonite clay suits all skin types and can be used as a mask for your face, body, and hair. Natural, powerful, and effective. It acts as a vacuum for your pores, drawing all impurities.

How to Do Manual Blackhead Extractions at Home?

1. Remove makeup with micellar water

   Pour the micellar water into a cotton pad and sweep it over your face. If you use mascara, shadow, or eyeliner, put the cotton pad on your eye and press it down for 10 seconds

   

2. Clean your face with an AHA cleanser

   Use a cleanser with one of the AHAs (citric acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid) and move to the next step.

   

3. Use a toner to remove traces of dirt

   Pour a small amount of toner into a cotton pad and gently sweep it across your face

   

4. Perform a cold peel to open up the pores

   Pick any gel with the main component of aloe vera. Use your fingers to apply the product in a thick layer. Then, cover your face with plastic wrap, avoiding the areas with rosacea. Leave it for 20 minutes, then rinse it off.

   

5. Use a blackhead remover

   Align the disinfected blackhead remover with the clogged pore, gently press it, and collect the released content with the cotton pad. If it doesn’t come out after three tries, that means it’s not the time to remove it. When you are finished, wipe your face with 3% hydrogen peroxide.

   

6. Tighten the pores with a clay mask

   Apply bentonite clay to your face and make sure it doesn’t dry out. After 15 minutes, rinse the mask off and move to the next step.

   

7. Tone, hydrate, and moisturize

   Apply toner over your face to restore pH balance for better penetration of the skincare ingredients. Then, use a small amount of face serum overloaded with humectants such as hyaluronic acid, snail mucin, polyglutamic acid, and so on. Finally, pick any moisturizer that suits your skin and gently apply it to your face.

   

How to Care for Your Skin After Blackhead Extractions?

Blackhead extraction is a traumatic procedure to some extent. Thus redness and swelling are normal skin reactions that usually go away after one to two days. To speed up the recovery process, you have to follow the instructions below:

1. Don’t clean your face until the next day after the procedure. During the recovery period, your skin is vulnerable to any impact, even to hard running water.

2. Don’t use makeup on the first day after the blackhead extractions. For the same reason as above, there is a high risk of bacterial contamination.

3. Avoid direct sunlight during the week because it can provoke excessive pigmentation on the injured skin. And yes, don’t forget about sunscreen. Sun protection is crucial!

4. Don’t visit the sauna and solarium for the next couple of days.