Often misunderstood as trapped dirt, blackheads are actually small deposits of melanin, the pigment that darkens skin. They are also known as comedones.

The pigment has turned brown due to being exposed to oxygen. This happenes as a result of open pores in the skin.

Making the distinction between trapped dirt and blackheads is the first step to removing them.

People with blackheads should avoid popping, squeezing, rubbing, touching, or picking at affected areas.

Not all acne is treated in the same way. To treat blackheads, a healthcare provider may recommend over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medications depending on a particular situation. These can be applied topically, or directly to the skin.

Topically applied therapy for people affected by mild acne and blackheads may include the use of:

• benzoyl peroxide
• antibiotics
• retinoids
• salicylic acid
• sulfur

Remedies may be purchased in the form of gels, lotions, cream, soaps, or pads.

In some cases, a healthcare provider may recommend extraction, in which they will manually remove blackheads with special tools called comedone extractors.

Here is a video of Dr. Lisa Benest, a dermatologist based in Los Angeles, demonstrating how a comedone extractor works.

Washing the face correctly can spare a person with blackheads the need to visit a dermatologist.

It is often the case that cleaning the skin at home is the best first-line treatment for acne and blackheads. Good skin hygiene can help to keep the pores unclogged.

However, over-scrubbing can do more harm than good. Here are the steps for washing your face in a way that will not encourage the development of more blackheads and further skin infections.

To prepare for cleanse, make sure you have:

• hand soap
• makeup removal solution for those who wear makeup
• a cream with moisturizing capabilities for people with dry skin
• mild cleanser that is marked soap-free
• foaming cleanser containing alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) for individuals with oily skin
• a cleansing solution that contains salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide for acne-prone skin
• a face towel

Once you have the products tailored to your skin type, take the following steps each night:

1. Wash your hands to keep them free of bacteria.
2. Remove any makeup you may be wearing using makeup remover or wipes.
3. Make sure water temperature is warm but moderate.
4. Apply the type of cleanser best suited to your skin. Gently massage the cleanser in a circular motion and be sure to rotate your hands outwards from the center of your face for at least one minute.
5. Focus on the nose and forehead, as these areas of the face are particularly prone to sebum, or oil, production.
6. Be sure to cleanse the jawline and hairline.
7. Rinse the cleanser from your face by splashing your face with warm water.
8. Dab the face with a clean hand towel, patting the skin dry and being sure not to rub or push down too hard.
9. Apply any prescribed or OTC lotions, creams or gels after this cleaning process.
10. Repeat this process twice daily for the best results.

This helpful video from physician’s assistant Erin Jensen demonstrates the above steps.

There are many ways to clean blackheads incorrectly. People often do not consider these steps when cleansing the face.

Be sure to avoid:

• vigorous cleaning and scrubbing of the skin
• very hot or very cold water when washing
• the use of toners, exfoliants, astringents, strong soaps, or scrubbing pads, unless told otherwise
• popping, squeezing, rubbing, touching, or picking at affected areas
• sunburn or tanning
• the use of pore-clogging skin care products

A gentle and well-considered facial cleansing process is not the only way to keep blackheads at bay or reduce them if they appear.

The following measures can also help to preserve clear and healthful skin:

• Shampoo the hair frequently.
• Remove all make-up in the evening before going to bed.
• Consider using oil-free skin care products, including sunscreen.
• For people with dry skin, fragrance-free, water-based emollients are recommended.
• Take care when shaving.

Speak with a healthcare provider to be sure you are using products suitable for your particular skin type.

Blackheads can develop into more severe acne as a result of the following factors:

• overactive oil glands
• genes
• hormonal status
• menstruation
• psychological issues such as stress
• certain medications
• pore-clogging skin care products
• pressure from sports helmets, sports equipment, tight-fitted collars, and other sources of rubbing
• exposure to pollution or humid temperature conditions
• sweating
• squeezing or picking at skin lesions
• excessive or hard skin scrubbing

Bear these factors in mind when trying to remove blackheads. If the cause is a factor such as stress, dealing with that cause can often be the best way to clear blackheads.

Blackheads do not cause serious health problems, but they can affect confidence and self-image. Cleaning them in the right way can also prevent the development of more severe skin infections.

The little black dots you see on the bridge of your nose or the sides of your cheeks might not be blackheads. While blackheads do involve your hair follicles, sometimes pores and follicles that appear to be blocked are simply more visible because of oil buildup.

If oil buildup is indeed the issue at hand, you risk damaging your skin if you try to pop a blockage that isn’t there. Popping a blackhead that’s really just oil buildup won’t solve anything, as the oil will typically come right back.

When you try to force a blockage out of a pore, you’re risking skin damage and infection. But unlike popping other kinds of pimples, blackheads are open pores, which makes them less risky to pop.

If you’re sure you’re dealing with a blocked hair follicle, and you’re convinced you can’t avoid popping it, there are safer ways to go about it. This article will cover how to pop a blackhead safely.

Before removing a blackhead, spend some time in a warm shower or bath. Steam can help your pores relax, and the clog in your pore will start to loosen on its own.

Once you’re ready to set your pore free, follow these steps:

1. Wash your hands. This is absolutely critical to preventing the spread of infection on your dermis, the layer of your skin where bacteria can be easily trapped. You might want to put on plastic or latex gloves if you have them.
2. Apply pressure around the clogged pore. You can use a tissue or clean cotton gauze as a barrier between your hands and the blackhead itself, if needed.
3. Rock your fingers back and forth around the clogged pore. Remember that you’re trying to pop out an intact blockage made of dried oil and dead skin cells. You may need to experiment with different levels of pressure and different finger positions. Don’t press so hard that you cut or bruise your skin.
4. Feel the clog pop out. If you’re not able to remove the clog via these steps, you may need to give your skin some time to recover before trying again.
5. Cleanse the area with a mild astringent or toner. This will kill harmful bacteria and help keep your pores free of debris that caused your blackhead.

You can typically feel if a blockage in your pore is close to the surface of your skin or not.

Oil blockages in your pores turn black when they’re exposed to oxygen — that’s how they get their color in the first place. Most blackheads are close enough to the skin’s surface to attempt safe removal.

If you’ve tried to remove a blackhead and the blockage won’t come out, leave it alone for a day or two. In most cases, your skin will clear the blockage on its own if you give it time.

Products that can help

You might also want to try using over-the-counter products, such as pore-clearing strips, retinoids, and cleansers that contain salicylic acid.

However, using pore strips may also remove natural oils from the skin, which can lead to irritation and dryness.

Be aware that most blackheads are caused by overproduction of natural oils in your skin. Even if you find a product that helps you remove blackheads, they’ll keep coming back unless you address the underlying cause.

For stubborn blackheads, consider see an aesthetician or a dermatologist for an extraction. Some aestheticians offer extraction-only facials that last about 30 minutes.

Find blackhead-clearing products online.

Tools called comedone extractors can be used to remove blackheads. These tools are typically made of stainless steel and have a small circle at the end. You’ll need some practice with comedone extractors to remove blackheads easily.

Removing a blackhead yourself with a comedone extractor is no safer than any other way of doing it yourself. It’s safest to have an aesthetician do it for you.

After you remove a blackhead, your pore will appear smaller. That’s because the dirt and oil have been removed. Swipe a toner, such as witch hazel, over the area to kill any bacteria you may have spread and to condition your pores.

You may want to avoid directly touching the area while your skin heals. Introducing dirt or any irritant to the area can result in another blackhead.

Buy witch hazel online.

Being proactive about blackhead prevention and skin care can help you avoid having to try to extract blackheads yourself. Consider these ways to treat and prevent blackheads.

If you have sensitive skin, or dry skin that’s prone to flaking:

• Exfoliate your skin gently each day using a cleansing scrub or a dry brush. Skin flakes can block your pores and create an environment that causes blackheads to form.
• Keep your skin hydrated with a fragrance-free moisturizing cream.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day for healthier skin.
• Make sure to cleanse your skin properly of excess makeup and products every night. A gentle cleansing agent like micellar water or cucumber-based makeup-removing wipes can add moisture while cleansing.

Find a dry brush, micellar water, and makeup remover wipes online.

If you have oil-prone skin:

• Try a clay mask to absorb excess oils in your skin and achieve a more matte look.
• Try introducing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide products into your skin care routine. These ingredients can dissolve oil plugs before they clog your pores.
• Make your own baking soda scrub to absorb oils and condition your pores.
• Use a retinoid cream or serum to condition your skin. Be aware that this ingredient can make your skin more prone to damage from the sun, so always pair it with a light SPF when you venture outside.

Find salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and retinoid products online.

Removing a blackhead once in a while is safe for most people, but it’s important not to make a habit out of removing them yourself.

If you have recurring blackheads, make an appointment with a dermatologist who can help you address them with more permanent treatment options.

Before a skin abscess drainage procedure, you may be started on a course of antibiotic therapy to help treat the infection and prevent associated infection from occurring elsewhere in the body.

The procedure is typically done on an outpatient basis. If you have a severe bacterial infection, you may need to be admitted to a hospital for additional treatment and observation.

Prior to making an incision, your doctor will clean and sterilize the affected area.

Usually, a local anesthetic is sufficient to keep you comfortable. It’s administered with a needle into the skin near the roof of the abscess where your doctor will make the incision for drainage. Examples of local anesthetics include lidocaine and bupivacaine.

The abscess drainage procedure itself is fairly simple:

1. Your doctor makes an incision through the numbed skin over the abscess.
2. Pus is drained out of the abscess pocket.
3. After the pus has drained out, your doctor cleans out the pocket with a sterile saline solution.
4. The abscess is left open but covered with a wound dressing to absorb any more pus that is produced initially after the procedure.
5. A deeper or larger abscess may require a gauze “wick” to be placed inside to help keep the abscess open. This allows the tissue to heal properly from inside out and helps absorb pus or blood during the healing process.
6. Your doctor may send a sample of the pus to a lab for a culture to determine the cause of the bacterial infection.

Will you need a ride home?

If it isn’t possible to use local anesthetic or the drainage will be difficult, you may need to be placed under sedation, or even general anesthesia, and treated in an operating room. In this case, you’ll need a ride home.

If a local anesthetic is enough, you may be able to drive yourself home after the procedure. If the abscess is in a location that may affect your driving, such as your right leg, you may need a ride.

Recovery time from abscess drainage depends on the location of the infection and its severity.

The gauze dressing on the skin over the wound incision may need to be in place for a couple of days or a week for an abscess that was especially large or deep.

If this dressing becomes soaked with drainage, it will need to be changed.

If your doctor placed gauze wick packing inside of the abscess cavity, your doctor will need to remove or repack this within a few days.

You can expect a little pus drainage for a day or two after the procedure.

Your doctor may also prescribe antibiotic therapy to help your body fight off the initial infection and prevent subsequent infections. Pain relieving medications may also be recommended for a few days.

Within a week, your doctor will remove the dressing and any inside packing to examine the wound during a follow-up appointment. If everything looks good, you may be shown how to care for the wound and change the dressing and inside packing going forward.

For the first few days after the procedure, you may want to apply a warm, dry compress (or heating pad set to “low”) over the wound three or four times per day. This can help speed up the healing process.

You may also be advised to gently clean the area with soap and warm water before putting on new dressing. However, you should check with your doctor or a nurse about home care.

Healing could take a week or two, depending on the size of the abscess. During this time, new skin will grow from the bottom of the abscess and from around the sides of the wound.

An abscess doesn’t always require medical treatment. Milder abscesses may drain on their own or with a variety of home remedies.

You may be able to help a small abscess start to drain by applying a hot, moist compress to the affected area. This may also help reduce swelling and start the healing.

Other treatments for mild abscesses include dabbing them with a diluted mixture of tea tree oil and coconut or olive oil.

Soaking a cloth compress in hot water and Epsom salt and applying it gently to an abscess a few times a day may also help dry it out.

A skin abscess, sometimes referred to as a boil, can form just about anywhere on the body. A blocked oil gland, a wound, an insect bite, or a pimple can develop into an abscess.

If the infected area of your current abscess is treated thoroughly, typically there’s no reason a new abscess will form there again.

However, if the infection wasn’t eliminated, the abscess could reform in the same spot or elsewhere. Taking all of your antibiotics exactly as prescribed can help reduce the odds of an infection lingering and continuing to cause symptoms.

An abscess can also form after treatment if you develop a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection or other bacterial infection. These infections are contagious and can be acquired in a hospital setting or through direct contact with another person who has the infection.

Your doctor will treat an MRSA abscess the same as another similar abscess — by draining it and prescribing an appropriate antibiotic.

The most obvious symptom of an abscess is a painful, compressible area of skin that may look like a large pimple or even an open sore. The skin around the abscess may look red and feel tender and warm. You may also see pus draining from the site.

Other symptoms may include:

• swelling around the infected area
• hardened outer layer of skin
• fever or chills if the infection is severe

A small abscess with little pain, swelling, or other symptoms can be watched for a few days and treated with a warm compress to see if it recedes. You should see a doctor if the following symptoms develop:

• The abscess grows.
• You see pus (which is usually a sign of infection).
• Redness and swelling forms around the sore area.
• The area is warm to the touch.
• You have a fever or chills.

A doctor can usually diagnose a skin abscess by examining it. You should also be able to answer questions about your symptoms, such as:

• when the abscess formed
• whether it’s painful
• whether you’ve had other abscesses

To identify the type of infection you have, your doctor may send pus drained from the area to a lab for analysis.

Abscess drainage is usually a safe and effective way of treating a bacterial infection of the skin. A doctor will numb the area around the abscess, make a small incision, and allow the pus inside to drain. This, and sometimes a course of antibiotics, is really all that’s involved.

If you follow your doctor’s advice about at-home treatment, the abscess should heal with little scarring and a lower chance of recurrence.

Everyone has oil glands — in fact, these are necessary for natural skin hydration. Oil glands only become problematic if they become overactive and produce too much sebum. This is most often the case in people with oily or combination skin types.

The following risk factors can also increase your number of clogged pores, leading to more blackheads:

• hormonal fluctuations
• prescription medications
• stress
• family history

Although whiteheads also stem from clogged pores, they have closed heads. This creates the white cap that you see on the skin.

You’ll follow the same steps to get rid of a blackhead in your ear as you would for blackheads on other parts of your body. The difference, though, is that the skin on your ears is more sensitive, and you also can’t see the area easily.

Consistency is also important — it can be easy to forget your ears compared to more visible areas, such as your face.

One of the best ways to remove the excess oils and dirt that can build up in your ears is to wash them every day. This is easy to do in the shower, and you may even be able to use your regular face cleanser. You can use your fingers or a soft washcloth.

Choose gentle foaming, oil-free products, such as:

• Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
• Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel
• Olay Clean Foaming Face Cleanser for Sensitive Skin

Avoid over-scrubbing your ears, as this can irritate your skin and cause more acne.

You may already know that exfoliation is important for your face and body. It helps to remove dead skin cells that dull your skin tone and clog your pores. This also includes your ears. You can gently exfoliate the delicate skin surrounding your ears once a week. This is best to do the shower.

Apply the exfoliating wash with your fingers and rub gently. The following products may help:

• Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser
• Philosophy the Microdelivery Face Wash
• Sephora Exfoliating Cleansing Cream

Certain over-the-counter (OTC) acne medications can also help unplug blackheads in and around your sensitive ears. Salicylic acid is a helpful OTC medication that works by unclogging pores and stripping away dead skin cells. Other acne medications like benzoyl peroxide are also useful.

Salicylic acid is available in numerous acne products. Astringents and toners are the most common, although some cleansers have it, too. When using a salicylic acid-based cleanser, such as Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash, use this in place of a regular cleanser in the shower.

You can also use your regular cleanser and follow up with an astringent, such as Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent. When using an astringent, use once a day to start. If your skin doesn’t develop any irritation, you can apply twice daily in your ears with a cotton ball or Q-tip.

Extraction may be a last resort for stubborn blackheads in the ear. Rather than using fingernails or bobby pins, you’ll want to buy an extraction tool that won’t leave marks or cuts on your skin.

Still, even professional-grade extraction tools can be difficult to use in your ears. You should:

1. First, press a warm washcloth on the area to soften the plugged pore.
2. Use a sterilized extractor by pressing the metal loop on the edge of the blackhead. Then, sweep it across to extract it.
3. Be sure you don’t press the tool directly onto your blackhead — this can cause your sensitive ear skin to tear.
4. Wash your ear and sterilize the extractor again after you’re done.

Although at-home blackhead removal methods can work for some people, it doesn’t work in all cases. If your blackheads come back in your ears, or if you have a widespread case throughout the area, it may be time to see your dermatologist.

A dermatologist can help with ear blackheads in a few different ways. With professional extraction tools, they can first remove the blackheads safely and thoroughly. This could be much more effective than doing the extractions yourself since you may not be able to see inside or behind your ear very well.

If you have recurring blackheads in the ears and other areas of the body, your dermatologist may prescribe acne medication. Keep in mind though that many of these products can make your skin sensitive to the sun, so be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen to avoid burns.

Another way to get rid of blackheads in your ear is to help prevent them in the first place. Such a task is dependent on keeping your ears clean and free of excess oil. Most of the treatments don’t treat the blackhead itself but prevent others from forming. Consider the following steps:

Before a skin abscess drainage procedure, you may be started on a course of antibiotic therapy to help treat the infection and prevent associated infection from occurring elsewhere in the body.

The procedure is typically done on an outpatient basis. If you have a severe bacterial infection, you may need to be admitted to a hospital for additional treatment and observation.

Prior to making an incision, your doctor will clean and sterilize the affected area.

Usually, a local anesthetic is sufficient to keep you comfortable. It’s administered with a needle into the skin near the roof of the abscess where your doctor will make the incision for drainage. Examples of local anesthetics include lidocaine and bupivacaine.

The abscess drainage procedure itself is fairly simple:

1. Your doctor makes an incision through the numbed skin over the abscess.
2. Pus is drained out of the abscess pocket.
3. After the pus has drained out, your doctor cleans out the pocket with a sterile saline solution.
4. The abscess is left open but covered with a wound dressing to absorb any more pus that is produced initially after the procedure.
5. A deeper or larger abscess may require a gauze “wick” to be placed inside to help keep the abscess open. This allows the tissue to heal properly from inside out and helps absorb pus or blood during the healing process.
6. Your doctor may send a sample of the pus to a lab for a culture to determine the cause of the bacterial infection.

Will you need a ride home?

If it isn’t possible to use local anesthetic or the drainage will be difficult, you may need to be placed under sedation, or even general anesthesia, and treated in an operating room. In this case, you’ll need a ride home.

If a local anesthetic is enough, you may be able to drive yourself home after the procedure. If the abscess is in a location that may affect your driving, such as your right leg, you may need a ride.

Recovery time from abscess drainage depends on the location of the infection and its severity.

The gauze dressing on the skin over the wound incision may need to be in place for a couple of days or a week for an abscess that was especially large or deep.

If this dressing becomes soaked with drainage, it will need to be changed.

If your doctor placed gauze wick packing inside of the abscess cavity, your doctor will need to remove or repack this within a few days.

You can expect a little pus drainage for a day or two after the procedure.

Your doctor may also prescribe antibiotic therapy to help your body fight off the initial infection and prevent subsequent infections. Pain relieving medications may also be recommended for a few days.

Within a week, your doctor will remove the dressing and any inside packing to examine the wound during a follow-up appointment. If everything looks good, you may be shown how to care for the wound and change the dressing and inside packing going forward.

For the first few days after the procedure, you may want to apply a warm, dry compress (or heating pad set to “low”) over the wound three or four times per day. This can help speed up the healing process.

You may also be advised to gently clean the area with soap and warm water before putting on new dressing. However, you should check with your doctor or a nurse about home care.

Healing could take a week or two, depending on the size of the abscess. During this time, new skin will grow from the bottom of the abscess and from around the sides of the wound.

An abscess doesn’t always require medical treatment. Milder abscesses may drain on their own or with a variety of home remedies.

You may be able to help a small abscess start to drain by applying a hot, moist compress to the affected area. This may also help reduce swelling and start the healing.

Other treatments for mild abscesses include dabbing them with a diluted mixture of tea tree oil and coconut or olive oil.

Soaking a cloth compress in hot water and Epsom salt and applying it gently to an abscess a few times a day may also help dry it out.

A skin abscess, sometimes referred to as a boil, can form just about anywhere on the body. A blocked oil gland, a wound, an insect bite, or a pimple can develop into an abscess.

If the infected area of your current abscess is treated thoroughly, typically there’s no reason a new abscess will form there again.

However, if the infection wasn’t eliminated, the abscess could reform in the same spot or elsewhere. Taking all of your antibiotics exactly as prescribed can help reduce the odds of an infection lingering and continuing to cause symptoms.

An abscess can also form after treatment if you develop a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection or other bacterial infection. These infections are contagious and can be acquired in a hospital setting or through direct contact with another person who has the infection.

Your doctor will treat an MRSA abscess the same as another similar abscess — by draining it and prescribing an appropriate antibiotic.

The most obvious symptom of an abscess is a painful, compressible area of skin that may look like a large pimple or even an open sore. The skin around the abscess may look red and feel tender and warm. You may also see pus draining from the site.

Other symptoms may include:

• swelling around the infected area
• hardened outer layer of skin
• fever or chills if the infection is severe

A small abscess with little pain, swelling, or other symptoms can be watched for a few days and treated with a warm compress to see if it recedes. You should see a doctor if the following symptoms develop:

• The abscess grows.
• You see pus (which is usually a sign of infection).
• Redness and swelling forms around the sore area.
• The area is warm to the touch.
• You have a fever or chills.

A doctor can usually diagnose a skin abscess by examining it. You should also be able to answer questions about your symptoms, such as:

• when the abscess formed
• whether it’s painful
• whether you’ve had other abscesses

To identify the type of infection you have, your doctor may send pus drained from the area to a lab for analysis.

Abscess drainage is usually a safe and effective way of treating a bacterial infection of the skin. A doctor will numb the area around the abscess, make a small incision, and allow the pus inside to drain. This, and sometimes a course of antibiotics, is really all that’s involved.

If you follow your doctor’s advice about at-home treatment, the abscess should heal with little scarring and a lower chance of recurrence.