Acne can develop just about anywhere hair follicles appear on the body, including within the shell of the ear itself. Blackheads, a mild form of acne, form when the opening to a hair follicle, the pore, becomes plugged. The plugs form when sebum, the oil that lubricates skin and hair, traps dirt, discarded cellular matter and other debris at the pore. In ear blackheads, ear wax can also plug the pore.
Blackheads within the shell of the ear can be particularly painful because the skin is so thin in that area and any amount of sebum trapped below the plug causes pressure. Add to that the awkward location of the blackhead and removal becomes tricky.
Step 1
Tie or hold hair back if necessary.
Step 2
Wet one cotton ball with rubbing alcohol or witch hazel. Use this to disinfect the stainless steel blackhead extractor. Set extractor aside.
Step 3
Scrub hands with an antibacterial soap. Rinse.
Step 4
Moisten one cotton ball with rubbing alcohol or witch hazel. Use this to clean the area around the blackhead, taking care not to drip the liquid into the ear canal.
Step 5
Place one drop of cleansing milk on the head of a cotton swab. Massage this gently over and around the blackhead plug, taking care not to dig into the skin. This will help to soften the plug.
Step 6
Find the blackhead in the mirror. Place the looped end of the blackhead extractor around the plug. If your blackhead extractor is the cupped kind, place the hole over the blackhead so that you can see the plug in the central hole.
Step 7
Gently, but firmly, press down. Rolling the extractor around the plug can help to loosen it. Stop when the plug is fully expressed.
Step 8
Moisten a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol or witch hazel. Use this to disinfect the blackhead site.
Tips and Warnings
- Ideally, a friend would do this for you because working "backwards" in a mirror can be tricky. Do not drag the blackhead extractor across the skin. This could cause the walls of the follicle to tear, resulting in an infection. Do not continue pressing after the plug is fully expressed. This can irritate the site. Disinfect the blackhead extractor after use and between each removal.
Things You'll Need
- Rubber band or headband
- Antibacterial soap
- 4 cotton balls
- Rubbing alcohol or witch hazel
- Mirror
- Cleansing milk
- 2 cotton swabs
- Blackhead extractor
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