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Blackhead and Whitehead Removers
If you are an acne sufferer who is too impatient to wait for blackheads and whiteheads to go away on their own, you may consider purchasing one of the many blackhead and whitehead removers currently available on the market.
Over the past 20 years, these instruments have come a long way. They have evolved from gimmick-like products advertised on the back of comic books (perhaps next to Sea Monkeys, hand buzzers or gag gum) into high-quality devices made from durable metals and plastics. In fact, you would not be surprised to see some of these stainless steel creations next to a scalpel or other medical instrument in a doctor’s office.
A common design for these acne treating devices is to have a loop-style blackhead remover on one end (you pull it over the blackhead and it applies pressure and extracts it) and a lance (or another loop) for popping whiteheads on the other. Another design, manufactured by companies such as Gun Industries, removes blackheads and pops whiteheads with a battery-operated vacuuming action that is performed after a small suction cup is placed over the blemish.
In either design, some of the pitfalls are the same. One of the biggest problems that users of blackhead removers and whitehead lances encounter is not really related to the product itself, but to their inability to control themselves and limit their use of the product. If you take a vacuum or a lance to deeply-embedded cystic or nodular acne, or even some reddened pustules or papules, you are inviting some bleeding and will probably make the blemish look worse.
The other risk is infection, particularly with the lances and loop-style removers. These devices will not always be completely sterile and you are poking them directly into your skin, possibly spreading germs and clogging even more pores.
In fairness, there are people who swear by blackhead and whitehead removers. They are affordable - often less than $15 – and have been around for decades. But before purchasing one, make sure you understand the risks and know that popping acne is often discouraged by doctors.
Over the past 20 years, these instruments have come a long way. They have evolved from gimmick-like products advertised on the back of comic books (perhaps next to Sea Monkeys, hand buzzers or gag gum) into high-quality devices made from durable metals and plastics. In fact, you would not be surprised to see some of these stainless steel creations next to a scalpel or other medical instrument in a doctor’s office.
A common design for these acne treating devices is to have a loop-style blackhead remover on one end (you pull it over the blackhead and it applies pressure and extracts it) and a lance (or another loop) for popping whiteheads on the other. Another design, manufactured by companies such as Gun Industries, removes blackheads and pops whiteheads with a battery-operated vacuuming action that is performed after a small suction cup is placed over the blemish.
In either design, some of the pitfalls are the same. One of the biggest problems that users of blackhead removers and whitehead lances encounter is not really related to the product itself, but to their inability to control themselves and limit their use of the product. If you take a vacuum or a lance to deeply-embedded cystic or nodular acne, or even some reddened pustules or papules, you are inviting some bleeding and will probably make the blemish look worse.
The other risk is infection, particularly with the lances and loop-style removers. These devices will not always be completely sterile and you are poking them directly into your skin, possibly spreading germs and clogging even more pores.
In fairness, there are people who swear by blackhead and whitehead removers. They are affordable - often less than $15 – and have been around for decades. But before purchasing one, make sure you understand the risks and know that popping acne is often discouraged by doctors.
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