We’ve all been there before—falling into the mirror like a rabbit hole, searching square centimeter after square centimeter for a bump in our skin to pick at. Human beings simply love popping pimples—popular YouTube videos confirm this. Where else in life can one find such blissful instant gratification? The problem, however, is that picking at skin often proves counterintuitive. That means the more you do it, the more the skin’s condition will worsen, which creates more motivation to continue picking at the skin. Truly a classic vicious cycle.
Even though blackheads are natural and harmless, most people agree they’re less than ideal to wear on your face.
Whether you’ve gotten yourself in a bind due to stress, habits, or actual acne, break the cycle with a pore vacuum. Yes, that’s right, in today’s modern self-care market, rife with trendy products like Tea Tree Shampoo for Men, there’s a wide array of actual vacuums that suck blackheads and other ick right from your pores, leaving skin super smooth and bright. Blackheads removal is no longer a neurotic process, but a feat of science. Don’t trust your skin with just any experiment, though. Check out our helpful guide and roundup to get started on your journey to clearer skin and consciousness today!
What are Blackheads?
Before we begin, let’s get clear on which facet of acne we’re referring to here. Of all the potential skin ailments, blackheads are the least harmful. In fact, aside from cosmetic strife, they’re not harmful in the slightest. Blackheads are simply a mixture of bacteria, dead skin cells, and sebum (skin oil) that have become trapped in a pore. When they hit oxygen, they oxidize into the famous color from which they get their name. Blackheads are a relatively unavoidable stage in your skin’s natural exfoliating process. NOTE—a blackhead extractor is not a pimple extractor! Do not use on active whiteheads—you’ll risk scarring and worsening the condition.
Why Use a Blackhead Extractor?
Even though blackheads are natural and harmless, most people agree they’re less than ideal to wear on your face. However, as mentioned before, using your hands (or worse, your nails!) to extract these bad boys at home is gonna offer you far more further problems than solutions.
First of all, pushing and prodding at one blackhead can actually cause the bacteria to spread into surrounding pores, increasing the surface area of your blemish. In other cases, you can push the bacteria deeper, causing a painful infection. Most likely, however, too much pressure on the skin can cause blood vessels to burst, leaving you with an irreversible problem often tied to aging.
Since blackhead extraction is a far less intuitive process than our animal minds can understand, it’s best to stick to the professionals—namely a facialist or dermatologist. If that’s out of your money budget or time budget range, a blackhead removal tool like a pore vacuum or blackhead extractor can do the heavy lifting for you with less danger. All that’s left is to choose the gadget that fits just right for you!
What to Consider Before Buying a Blackhead Extractor
Extraction Method
Blackhead removal tools have proliferated the market over the past few years, fueled by a zeitgeist trendiness. There’s strips and creams, spatulas and suctions, even old school devices like little metal hooks and loops. For our purposes here, we’re looking exclusively at spatulas and suctions, two blackhead removal tools that are the most-cutting edge and present the least risk when used correctly.
Skin Type
Only you know your skin’s true story. If you’re hypersensitive, then look out for the many blackhead remover tools that feature gentler options for sensitive skin. If you have very very oily skin that needs something more heavy duty, then opt in the other direction. Make sure to always err on the side of caution, and test your pore vacuum on the inside of your arm, where skin is sensitive enough to mimic your facial skin and show if any tool will cause problems.
Ease of Use
Pore vacuums and other blackhead remover tools are high tech, and it shows. You’ll want to minimize the number of steps in your self-care routine according to your own rhythms, so consider how long the process from setup to cleanup will take in accordance with your own time budget.
Additional Features
The best part about the proliferation of blackhead extractors out there is that their wider variety incorporates an ever-growing amount of additional features. Looking for a little something extra to open up those pores before you get to suckin’? A steamer feature will do that for you! Special LED lights give bacteria that final KO. At the bare minimum, most pore vacuums offer multiple heads and settings to adjust to your skin’s state on any given day.
Price
You’ll notice on the blackhead extractor market that prices can run the full gamut. While it’s great to enjoy a bargain buy from time to time, note that this is one case where you really don’t want to cut corners. It’s your skin, after all. You wear it on your face! Make sure to read up on features, reviews, and the company’s clout before buying, and leverage that info with the price. You don’t want to pay more down the road to repair the results of your slapdash search!
Best Blackhead Removal Tools to Keep Your Skin Clear
Sonic Refresher by Michael Todd Beauty
Featured by big names from Vogue to BuzzFeed, this straightforward (but surprisingly powerful) blackhead extractor offers several features in one neat package. The “mister” feature preps skin with mists of water, keeping skin supple throughout your extraction process while encouraging the bacteria you’re removing to rise to the surface for easy access. The “microderm” feature furthers this aim, referring to “microdermabrasion,” which is the super-fine process of exfoliating the skin, removing the top layer to provide access to fresher surfaces below. Suitable for all skin types and equipped with several different sized heads, Michael Todd offers a neat little blackhead removal tool you can count on for heavy lifting.
DERMAPORE by DERMAFLASH
Where a pore vacuum-style blackhead extractor literally sucks debris from your face like a vacuum, the spatula option uses a hyper-flat surface to scrape and push bacteria from the skin with maximum impact. It is uniquely satisfying to watch, much like popping pimples, but must be done right. Fortunately, you’re in great hands with DERMAFLASH, whose stainless steel spatula stays clean and suitable for the skin’s surface, where it vibrates at 33,000 Hz per second for effortless blackhead extraction. Looking to follow up with some skin-brightening serums? This gear pairs its “extract” function with an “infuse” option, which allows you to more effectively apply facial products to permeate your skin.
Personal Microderm MAN by PMD
While almost every blackhead tool was made to be unisex, PMD offers one of the rare few options out there designed specifically with men in mind. On the surface, it looks like the only difference is a range of more masculine colorways. In fact, this product used to come with an instructional DVD for men who might not be so attuned to the steps of self-care. However, in our more enlightened time, PMD has done away with this detail. On the store’s site, the company explains that “The PMD Pro [regular version] has two speeds with a full range of discs. PMD Man has one speed with a full range of discs, but more intensive discs. While you will get great results with either device, the PMD Man was designed with men’s skin in mind.” Across the board, PMD is one of the most reputable names in blackhead removal.
Pore Cleansing MD System by Rodan & Fields
Looking to drop a little more serious dough while investing in a high tech blackhead extractor? Time and again this award-winning medical-grade blackhead removal system sweeps awards and earns acclaim for its unbeatable technology and attention to detail. The 3-step system by Rodan & Fields includes prep, pore cleansing, and blackhead removal for a very thorough at home facial recommended in the evening no more than once a week. Staggering figures like some 97% of users recognized results with diligent use and adherence to instructions. Retailing at $260, the pore cleansing MD system promises “Clear pore-fection. Instantly unclogs pores + removes blackheads in seconds for a cleaner, smoother, more radiant complexion.” Fans agree that it delivers.
Spa Sciences MIO 2-in-1 Microderm Pore Extractor
Priced at just $29.49 at Target, this comparatively budget-friendly pore vacuum option still packs a reliable punch for anyone looking to experiment with electronic blackhead removal. Rather than making those blackheads pop, give this low-commitment investment a quick spin and see how much safer you feel! Out of nearly 400 reviews, this affordable blackhead tool has garnered an incredible 4.5 star rating, raking in rave reviews like this one: “I have been using the Mio for a few weeks now and I’ve seen a huge difference with my skin! This works wonders with minimizing pores and smoothing skin”
MICRODERM GLO GEM
This fully outfitted starter pack from MICRODERM GLO gives newbies absolutely everything they need to get started in this exciting new world of high tech self-care gear. Their GEM comes equipped with multiple suction heads (like the Premium Diamond Tip, Fine Suction Tip, and Oval Suction Tip) to accommodate varying areas of your face according to their unique levels of sensitivity, oiliness, and toughness. Like this, the GEM makes a great choice for all skin types, especially those that are more prone to capriciousness. In about the four minutes it takes to use this product, the GEM just might change your life!
Eunon Blackhead Remover Vacuum
Most roundups focus on the same handful of Amazon blackhead extractors that look the same, ad nauseum, without differentiating one from the other. After sorting through all those options, we’ve saved the best for last, here with the Eunon Blackhead Remover Vaccum. Unlike any of its peers on the market, this blackhead extractor has a large, clear, digital display to show you which of the three suction modes you’re using, along with the runtime that remains and the battery power at your disposal. This blackhead tool comes with four heads, a waterproof charger, and built-in bacteria resistance, crafting a straightforward tool that adds extra ease in all the right places. That’s what life (and good skin) is about, right? Decimate what you don’t need and lean into everything you do. Happy suckin’!
