{"id":1046,"date":"2023-02-22T08:13:59","date_gmt":"2023-02-22T08:13:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.helpyourskin.co.uk\/?p=1046"},"modified":"2023-10-10T07:34:04","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T07:34:04","slug":"what-happens-if-you-dont-squeeze-a-blackhead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.helpyourskin.co.uk\/what-happens-if-you-dont-squeeze-a-blackhead\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens If You Don’t Squeeze A Blackhead?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all heard the advice never to squeeze a blackhead. You could injure your skin or introduce an infection. But to be honest, many of us can\u2019t keep our hands away. Hunting and squeezing them is kinda addictive.<\/p>\n

What if we actually followed that advice and never squeezed a blackhead. Would it die away? Would it grow bigger? And what\u2019s the best way to remove a blackhead? We discuss that and more below.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s A Blackhead?<\/h2>\n

\"what<\/p>\n

A blackhead<\/a> is a milder and non-inflammatory form of acne. You mostly find it in teens and young adults because of hormonal changes, but they can occur even in adults.<\/p>\n

Blackheads are clogged pores that are filled with oil (sebum) and dead skin cells. They occur when your skin produces excess oils.<\/p>\n

Blackheads are open clogged pores. Exposure to air oxidizes melanin, making the clogged pores appear black. Of course, they are harder to spot in people with dark skin.<\/p>\n

Blackheads are typically painless and have no effect on your physical health. However, many people feel self-conscious if they have blackheads on a visible area such as their face. They can affect mental health especially if they occur often.<\/p>\n

Good to know: <\/b>Blackheads are very similar to whiteheads. The only difference is that white heads are closed pores, and that\u2019s why they appear white. But both are clogged with the same stuff – sebum and dead skin cells.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Why Shouldn\u2019t You Squeeze A Blackhead?<\/h2>\n

There are good reasons why medical professionals advise people to avoid squeezing blackheads, no matter how tempting it is.<\/p>\n

The biggest reason for this advice is to prevent infection<\/a>. Your hands are not always clean and they could introduce germs into the open pore as you try to squeeze a blackhead.<\/p>\n

Infection could worsen the blackhead, making it painful and swollen.<\/p>\n

Another reason is that squeezing will not help if you have a blackhead that goes deep into the skin. The more you try to squeeze it out, the deeper you\u2019ll push it. You could end up injuring your skin.<\/p>\n

There are better and safer ways to deal with blackheads, which we discuss further below.<\/p>\n

What Happens If You Don\u2019t Squeeze A Blackhead?<\/h2>\n

What happens if you ignore a blackhead – no squeezing, no blackhead removers<\/a>, no nothing?<\/p>\n

If you don’t squeeze a blackhead or do anything to it, what happens depends on the nature of the blackhead.<\/p>\n

If the blackhead is close to the surface of the skin, it will likely go away on its own. As the skin exfoliates naturally, the blackhead will fall off.<\/p>\n

However, some blackheads are embedded deeper into the skin. These don\u2019t go away on their own. If anything, they can get bigger as they collect more oil and dead skin cells.<\/p>\n

They can also start trapping dirt and debris, making them even bigger and deeper. At some point, there’s a risk of bacterial infection.<\/p>\n

If you want to see just how bad it can get, here\u2019s a video from Dr. Pimple Popper.<\/p>\n