What The Heck Is This Thingy? And What Do I Do With It?

This thing-a-ma-bob you see here is called a comedone extractor and it is used to extract blackheads and whiteheads from the skin. Comedo is the medical term for a follicle clogged up with skin debris and oil. The plural of comedo is comedones. They can be open and appear as a blackhead or closed over by skin and are whiteheads. Comedone extractors should be used to attempt to extract blemishes and NEVER the fingers.

• Prior to using this handy gadget you'll want to wash your face with warm water (note: not hot or cold). This will help to open the pores. If you have rosacea, avoid the heat and steam therapies.
• Make sure your extractor is cleaned between uses but to ensure cleanliness, sterilize your extractor by cleaning each end with an alcohol saturated cotton ball for 30 seconds.
• Choose the end that is closest in size to the target (blemish you are looking to demolish) and place the rounded loop over the offender.
• Press the extractor into the skin while applying pressure in a downward movement.

After the nastiness of the blemish have been extracted, cleanse the area to remove the bacteria from the surface of the skin. This will prevent future blemishes. Light bleeding can be expected and is normal.

Allow the pore to heal by not touching or picking at it. Do not use heavy cremes after having pores extracted because they will just clog the pores again.