Yea I do this myself

Ash- How? I love to pop things... I'm so nasty, I know.

I'm with you girls. I think I should of gone to school to be a dermatologist.

LOL Foxie!

I was going to one facialist for all of my facials and she's done extraction on me and it was always painful. I would even tear up! Then I decided to treat my mom, aunt, and myself to a pricey facial (in Hawaii) and when the lady did extraction it wasn't painful at all! I was so shocked. I guess the initial lady wasn't doing it right? Unfortunately I can't go back to Hawaii too often to see that "nice" lady.

Ahhh I really want to get one done professionally - it's something I really need!

recently i got a facial and it was so painful i started tearing up! Should i find someone else?

Sorry, but I think this article is VERY misleading. Extraction can cause discomfort, even with a trained professional. I've been to a number of qualified estheticians over the years and the level of discomfort is based on the sensitivity of your skin, how clogged your pores are, the overall condition of your skin, etc. If you have a couple of deeply clogged pores, it's going to hurt, regardless. If it's your first facial or if you have a low threshhold for pain, I would suggest telling your skincare professional before the facial starts so he/she can adjust their techniques to minimize discomfort, but it won't be as deep of a cleaning, either.

Extraction is so not painless!

my mother is an esthetician, so i have most of those tools on hand. the process done by a pro or by myself was not painful at all. though i'm sure this will vary. and i'm guessing the worse your skin is, the more it will hurt~
if at home, try it out right after a shower.

I love extraction. My skin feels better after.

Oh my gosh...the first time I had an extraction, I felt like crying. The esthetician definitely did not know what she was doing. Luckily, my second one was a much better experience and I loved the results. I miss getting facials...

I do it myself. I think the easiest way to do it is to know whether or not it is something that needs to come out in the first place. Picking at something that could go away on its own if treated with an on the spot acne treatment shouldn't be picked at.
I always do it when I have first wash my hands with antibacterial soap and finished completely washing my face with warm water, gently apply light pressure and remove...usually around your nose when you sometimes get small white heads. I always use toner especially after you extract. And I finish up with an on the spot treatment.

I love having this done!! Even though for me, it hurts like a SOB, lol. Thiv, be careful what you use on your face after self extracting.. I have no idea of the truth behind this but I remember hearing long ago how a lot of toners contain alcohol (that much I know is true anyway) and alcohol on open pores = bigger pores! And of course bigger pores just leads to more gunk filling them up. I always heard that the best thing to apply to skin after any kind of facial treatment is a gentle moisturizer.

extraction should not hurt. and it also depends on your pain tolerance. i say what's the point in getting a facial and paying that much if you don't get all of that icky stuff out? you might as well give yourself a steam and masque.

I agree with a lot of you, it is not painless, at least not for me. I've had it done many times by dermatologists and a very good facialist, and it has always hurt. I don't think this is a reflection on the people who did the extractions because I know they were all very good. I think it has more to do with my personal sensitivity.

I love getting facials and I like how extractions help! However, last time I got a facial I specifically asked for extraction because my skin was so clogged and that lady said they didn't do it there. =( They did it last time! I need to find a new place! And I have had it hurt and not hurt....I thought it depended on the person doing it. =)

I go to an amazing facialist in NYC and she's well trained and comes highly recommended by some fab NYC ladies and the extraction hurts like hell!!!! I felt like someone was stabbing my face!! But, no broken capilaries and less blackheads.

guys, i have a star aesthetician!shes 'extracted' me over 10 times and i have to be honest, the pain isnt from the process but the depth and characteristics of the pore being extracted.... but your face is soo much better after its "cleaned up", its almost like getting a facial. so worth it ~ esp when insurance covers it

I have had extraction done and it definitely made me tear up, but it was fine. I bought the Tweezerman extraction tool ($9.99, I think, at Fred Meyer) and use it at home myself, after either steaming my face or after a shower, when my pores are open. It's really great and has one end for blackheads and the other for whiteheads. Gross, I know, but it works!

If you guys are interested in buying the Tweezerman tool, I've bookmarked it as a Beauty Mark under "extraction tool"!

I read somewhere that if you have a whitehead that is ready to burst - rather than pushing your fingers towards each other to try to pop it -it suggested to pull your fingers away from it causing the skin to stretch for a split second and the gunk comes right out. That it's a "better" option (of course the best options are to leave it alone or have a professional take care of it) than pushing your fingers together and possibly forcing the sebum or bacteria down into your skin. I tried what I call the "pulling away method" and it's totally changed how my skin heals after an eruption and that I gets all of the gunk out of my face quickly. I had never heard of trying it that way before.

As a guy, I watched with a lot of curiosity those commercials for Biore strips. I said to myself - 'there is NO WAY a strip is going to clear up my skin.' Just for my own curiosity, I bought a box of them and used one. I followed the directions, used accordingly, and removed after it dried. I looked at the thing and was SHOCKED at how much JUNK it pulled from my pores. They are well worth the money, but there are less expensive generic brands out there that do the same thing. I just wanted to buy theirs because they were the first to come out with them and because I was only going to try them just to see what they would do. Anywhere you have blackheads and/or whiteheads and/or clearheads on your face, use one of these strips. They aren't just for the nose. Don't let them dry on your skin longer than the instructions say. It will peel the top layer or two of skin off if you leave them on too long. If it starts pulling your skin off, rewet / remoisten them and try to remove them again. The glue in the strips sticks to the junk that is clogging the pores and pulls it right out, but it will also stick to your skin and tug on it too. They work, but be careful. You will be pleased. MFussell2316 - MikeTheGreaseMan@Bellsouth.net

As a licensed Esthetician I can assure you that extractions are going to cause some discomfort and the amount of discomfort varies from person to person. Please be aware that I DO NOT advise doing your own extractions. Doing extractions wrong is a sure way to cause a scar and/or discoloration. When doing extractions by hand I NEVER EVER perform extractions without wearing gloves and wraping the tips of my fingers with gauze sprayed with toner. You should never use your nails as this can cause an infection, plus you risk damage to the follicle. I would advise everyone to skip the home extractions and instead exfoliate once or twice a week to help remove dead skin cells, excess oil, and debris which is what causes blackheads, and mila, also know as whiteheads. One more thing...for the love of god people use SUNBLOCK!! Excess sun exposure is the number one cause of premature aging, not to mention the whole skin cancer thing.