How to extract sir zit

 If you spend hours analyzing and digging at your skin, then you, my friend are a picker.  Most pickers pick in hopes of doing something to help speed up the healing process or to find some way to control a lesion. I’ve been there and I totally understand the motivation. I understand the urge to pick, but oftentimes picking makes acne worse.  Most people when picking, squeeze the pimple, which can actually cause the bacteria to spread to nearby follicles. When bacteria spreads this equals more pimples- exactly what we pickers do not want.  Furthermore, most picking causes a scar, which makes it look like the acne is there for far longer than it actually is.  With that said, people will still pick.  It’s human nature.  I know better and I still cannot control the urge to get in there.  So if you must pick at least pick in a way that warrants the best possible outcome.  Have I used the word pick enough?

Here’s how to pick (there’s that word again):

1. Cleanse your skin in the shower for 1-2 minutes- preferably with a salicylic acid based cleanser.  Salicylic acid helps to loosen the debris in the pore, so you can get at it.  Salicylic is also antibacterial, so you’re lessening the chance of any bacteria getting into the pore you’re about to open.

2. If you’re feeling extra skin savvy, while in the shower use an exfoliating mask. If you have lots of white heads and several lesions, then do not use a mask with grains or beads.  A manual exfoliant can spread bacteria on skin with several acne lesions.  However, if you have a few blackheads or 1-3 lesions, then a manual scrub would work.  I am a big fan of masks containing alpha hydroxy acids.  A few of my favorites: Cellex-C betaplex clear complexion mask.  Warning:  this mask is not for sensitive skin.
Image’s total resurfacing mask. Again, this mask is not sensitive skin.  If you have more sensitive skin, go for a mask with enzymes, they are gentle exfoliants.  A few great masks containing enzymes are:Image’s hydrating enzyme mask and June Jacob’s papaya purifying mask.  Leave this mask on while in the shower for 10-15 minutes.  The steam from the shower helps to soften the pores, so they are more pliable.  The more pliable your pores are the less likely you are to rupture a follicle while picking, which means bacteria will not travel to the next follicle over.

3. After getting out of the shower, prepare to extract (aka pick) by wiping down the area of attack with witch hazel.  Witch hazel kills the bacteria on your skin without striping it.

4.  Clean your hands very well then wrap your finger tips in tissue to prevent your nails from digging in to your skin and cause scarring as well as preventing any bacteria in your nails from entering the lesion.  Instead of squeezing the lesion, come on either side of the lesion and stretch the skin out then apply pressure.  Note:  cystic nodules are NOT extractable, so don’t even try!  Only go after white heads and black heads.

5. After you’re done extracting, cleanse the skin with witch hazel again, to ensure you’ve cleaned up any existing bacteria on the skin.

6.  Apply an antibacterial, clay-based mask to soak up any existing oil and bacteria.  A great mask is  Astara’s blue flame mask.  Leave this mask on for 10 min or over night if you’re extracting at night. Note: you may only want to apply the mask to only the extracted lesion because it could be too drying for the rest of your skin.   If you don’t want to walk around with a glob of clay on face, apply an antibacterial ointment containing sulfur, tea tree or benzoyl peroxide.  A few good recommendations for this are: Image’s medicated acne lotion.  And Good old Persa Gel.  Note: both of these products contain benzoyl peroxide, which means they can bleach your linens, so use white linens when using these products.

7. Try not to put any additional products on your newly extracted lesion and keep your paws off of it until it heals!