

I followed the rules this time, refraining from using retinol, and found my skin was much less red following the exfoliation. I revisited the PMD for a session one week later, then again one week after that, eventually advancing to the blue disc–slightly more heavy duty, but still safe for sensitive skin. My skin was pretty red and inflamed after my first session–but that's probably because I had been using a retinol cream (which instructions warned me I should've laid off of 48 hours prior–I was just impatient). The suction wasn't overpowering and it was quite difficult to maneuver around my nose, so I didn't feel like I was really going in on my blackheads in a really satisfying way. When I finally decided to give the PMD a go, I started with the most gentle of the spinning, exfoliating discs and guided the suction in upward strokes from my jawline all the way up and across my forehead. To maximize smoothness, she told me to steam with a hot shower or over a pot of boiling water to open up pores and soften up debris within them. Pimple Popper for some skin prep advice to get the best results. Pimple Popper) Rodulfo sought to erase her blackheads. It "triggers the body's essential healing process, which builds collagen and elastin and leaves the skin firm and radiant." With the help of Sandra Lee (famously known as Dr. The benefit, the brand claims, is to stimulate increased blood flow and circulation. Kristina Rodulfo, beauty director and writer, tried the PMD Personal Microderm Classic: a device meant for microdermabrasion (using spinning discs made of aluminum oxide crystals), but also offers pore-clearing suction. $260 at What is it like to use a pore vacuum? Retinoids can make your skin more sensitive and susceptible to trauma. According to Zeichner, you should start a vacuum once per week at first, as your skin begins to tolerate it, before progressing to twice or three times per week. “Applying too much pressure in one area can cause trauma to the skin.”Īdditionally, here's what to avoid when using a pore vacuum.

“The key is constant motion,” he says, explaining that you don’t want to let the vacuum stay in one single area for an extended period of time. Zeichner suggests using pore vacuums on clean, dry skin, and running the device from the middle of your face outward in short, single strokes. Remember-misuse can lead to inflammation, light bruising, or even broken capillaries (and, obviously, no one wants that). Watching a pore vacuum at work via YouTube is one thing-actually using one correctly is a totally different ballgame. What is the proper way to use a pore vacuum? “Additionally, an occasional medical-grade facial can have this aspect of treatment as part of it.” He goes on to say that the benefit of a medical-grade facial is that it would be done by an expert who would minimize risk. “Using a cleanser with salicylic acid can have a similar effect over-time and is much less traumatic,” says Bhanusali.

Try our Salicylic Acid Spot Treatment which will help with the healing process and prevent new blackheads and whiteheads from forming.The catch: They have limited use when it comes to treating large, deep blackheads and are not effective when removing whiteheads (blockages that have only a very small orifice connecting them to the surface of the skin), Zeichner says.īoth Zeichner and Bhanusali say other methods of exfoliation can be safer than pore vacuums. Apply a cold clean washcloth against the area and use a disinfectant to keep the area clean. Once a pimple has been popped, be sure to keep the area clean and let it heal properly to avoid scarring. If they aren’t extracting, don’t persist and stop immediately.Īfter-care. When you’re ready to begin the extraction process, place the preferred loop over the pimple, encircling the area with the loop.

Use cotton and alcohol to clean the treatment area and to disinfect the tool before each use.Įxtract. Then gently press a warm washcloth against the pimple for a few minutes to soften contents of pores allowing an easier extraction process. After washing your hands, wash the area of skin in question with warm water and cleanser. For best results, use only when the pimple has come to a head and the bump is very superficial to the surface of the skin.
