Blackhead is a non-inflammatory type of acne which does not contain active P. acnes bacteria in its contents.That is why it is not inflamed. Blackhead which indicates the onset of acne, is characterized by black spot at its center, caused by skin pigmentation reaction with oxygen in the air.Blackhead actually is a buildup of dead skin cells and sebum that penetrates the clogged pores. It makes take months for blackheads to clear by itself. For this reason alone, many acne sufferers are very tempted to remove their blackheads on their face as it gives them a sense of control and satisfaction in being able to make the skin smooths and clear albeit temporarily. Most of time, the sebum content will return in a few days.

As blackhead is not dirt, you cannot wash it away. You should not squeeze a blackhead with your finger. It will pushes some of the blackhead residue deeper into your skin and you might get infection. No matter how many times you clean your hand, you cannot remove all the bacteria in your fingers especially those under your nails. If the P. acnes bacteria in your fingernails were to transfer to the pimples on your skin, it will further causes more inflammation and might lead to permanent scarring if not treated early.

Actually, it is not advisable to pop your blackhead. You might make it worse, infecting and inflaming it further and causing more blackheads to appear on the surrounding area. Incorrect method of popping your pimples also causes scars to form such as using your fingernails to extract the blackheads. It is BEST to leave the job to dermatologist who have special sterilized tool and trained expertise to handle the job. But should you insist on popping your blackhead, here how to do it.

Use a tool called a blackhead extractor such as Tweezerman Skin Care Tool that is available in the market.It has oval loop rings at both its ends. Use it after you steam your face for a few minutes or after taking a hot shower.Steaming of your face can be done by holding a towel over your head in order to keep the hot steam coming from the hot water below your face. This will make your face opens up your pores, loosen the blackhead contents such as trapped sebum and shedded dead skin cells and soften the skin. Hence,the soften blackhead content can be removed during the extraction process with minimum pressure and causes less pain to you.

Sterilized your blackhead remover extractor with alcohol before you use it on your face in order to minimize bacteria infection to your skin.Bear in mind your aim here is to clear your skin and make it smooth, not adding infection to it which might make the spot swollen. Then place the blackhead extractor loop around the blackhead spot area and apply gentle downwards side pressure to push out the clogged dark bumps.You can see the blackhead content gradually coming out from the follicle as you perform this pressing process.

After extracting the blackhead content, don't forget to apply an antiseptic such as hydrogen peroxide or a topical low concentration of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide medication on the spot to kill bacteria and germs.Remember to sterilize your blackhead extractor tool after finishing the whole blackhead removal process as you don't want to leave the germs stay on your tool.

Note that regular cleansing and exfoliation of your skin can minimize your blackheads occurrence.Most of the time,twice a day are sufficient as over cleansing can aggravate your skin which might cause it to produce more sebum leading to blackheads formation.