Article: When you work with the comedo extractor, there will be a small opening in your skin where the blackhead or whitehead comes out. If you're not working with sterile tools, you may introduce bacteria into your skin, making the outbreak you're trying to treat even worse! To sterilize the comedo extractor, simply soak it in rubbing alcohol for one minute. Keep the rubbing alcohol on hand while using the extractor to continue cleaning it as you go. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly or wear vinyl gloves while working on your skin. Your hands carry many germs that you don't want to transfer to your skin. The extractor will have a loop on one end of it. Position the loop around the whitehead or blackhead you are trying to extract. If you're having trouble seeing what you're doing, try using a magnifying mirror. These can be purchased inexpensively at pharmacies, department stores, or online. At the very least, make sure you're working in a well-lit environment. Once the comedo is within the extractor's loop, you want to apply enough pressure to force the whitehead or blackhead up out of the skin. Press against the base of the comedo from all sides, working all of the material completely out of your skin. Comedones can reach deep down into the skin, so don't assume you've extracted the whole thing as soon as a little bit of material comes out. Keep pressing from different angles until nothing more emerges from your skin. When you're satisfied that you have the whole comedo, simply swipe the extractor loop over it to remove it from your skin. Either wash the extractor off in the sink or wipe the material away on a paper towel. You should sterilize the extractor for every new comedo, even if you're treating them all in one sitting. Soak the instrument in rubbing alcohol for a minute, then repeat the process with your next whitehead or blackhead. Continue until you've removed all the blemishes on your skin. When you extract a comedo, you leave an open "wound" of sorts in your skin that, while not very noticeable, will take a little while to heal. Apply a small amount of astringent to the treated areas to protect them from bacteria or debris that might cause another outbreak. Moisture your skin after applying your astringent to keep it from drying out. Do not apply makeup to your skin until you've treated it with an astringent.
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Sanitize the extractor. Position the extractor properly. Press down gently but firmly. Re-sanitize the extractor before using it again. Protect your opened pores.