Hey friend,

Whiteheads are the result of a sebaceous gland becoming inflamed due to dirt, debris, bacteria, or oil. We face these problems every day. When your sebaceous glands become inflamed, they produce more sebum to push out the dirt and debris, and a whitehead means that the sebum failed to push the debris out of the dermis. Gross, right?

Unfortunately, this means the blemish is closed, making it that much harder for medication and treatments to penetrate through that thin layer of skin. To help, we’re going to review how to remove and prevent whiteheads the right way to avoid wasting your time and potentially damaging your skin. Fun…(sarcasm)

As a fellow whitehead sufferer, I’m going to share how to remove and prevent whiteheads! Ready?  Let’s dive in.

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How To Remove And Prevent WhiteHead The Right Way 

How To Tell if It’s OK To Pop

Unfortunately, the quickest way to get rid of a whitehead is to squeeze the gunk out of it, as some whiteheads can take months to disappear naturally. However, that doesn’t mean you should squeeze any whitehead. They aren’t always ready. If the pus is close to the surface, it’ll probably come out relatively easily. If it’s deep and under the skin, avoid popping it, especially if you must manipulate the blemish for anything to come out.

How To Prep Your Skin

Whether your whitehead is ready to pop or you’re trying to coax one to come to a head faster, you need to prep your skin. First things first, before you touch your face, your hands should be clean to avoid introducing new bacteria to the skin. Once your hands are clean, you’re ready to cleanse your face to remove the dirt and debris that naturally builds up on our faces.

Next, you’ll want to open the pores and relax the skin with a gentle steaming. This is a great way to get ready to pop whiteheads prepped for removal and to coax other whiteheads to come to the surface. This facial steamer from Flawless Touch is a great choice for easy at-home facial steaming!

How To Pop Correctly

Once your skin is clean and relaxed, you’re ready to pop any superficial whiteheads. There are two ways to do this. Ideally, you’ll have a comedone extractor. If not, you can use cotton swabs, but never use your fingernails.

Place the hole of the extractor around the whitehead, gently press and push. If it doesn’t come out easily or starts to bleed and redden, stop pushing. The same thing goes for cotton swabs- take two and press them against the whitehead in opposing directions.

How To Prevent Future Whiteheads

Because whiteheads are a product of inflammation due to dirt, bacteria, and oil, you want to remove excess build-up at the end of the day, and facial toners are a great way to do that. One thing you need to know about facial toners is that most, if not all, have some form of antibacterial properties. They are designed to penetrate deep into the skin and remove dirt. Not only should you use a toner in your daily routine, but you should use it after you’ve popped a whitehead to avoid spreading pus and dirt to your other pores.

Learning how to remove and prevent whiteheads the right way means you can clear your skin without leaving marks and bruises behind from picking. Just remember to be gentle and patient with your skin.

I hope these tips were helpful and that you decide to stick around! I’d love to connect with you and become virtual friends! So make sure you subscribe before you go! Thanks so much!

Love, JessXO