How to Remove Blackheads With Dental Floss | Men's Health Magazine Australia

How to Remove Blackheads With Dental Floss

The creative tricks people come up with to clear their skin never cease to amaze. The latest: extracting blackheads with dental floss.

Instagrammer Sukhi Mann is known for mixing DIY lip plumpers out of wasabi and whipping up acne masks with aspirin. One of her most popular tricks has gotten over a million views: using two disposable floss picks to scrape out blackheads.

Here’s her method: Use a hot towel on skin for five minutes to open pores. Drag the floss pick over skin, then cleanse with a mild cleanser. Finish with toner (which can even include mouthwash!) and moisturiser.

She’s not the first to hack the hack—but the question we have to ask: Is this safe? “The dental-floss method may be effective at removing blockages that are not deeply rooted, so long as you do not push too hard,” says dermatologist Dr Joshua Zeichner. The name of the game is gentle, even pressure.

If blackheads don’t come out, don’t pick, increase pressure, or use something sharp (your nails), which can injure, inflame, and potentially scar skin.

But perhaps you rather keep your floss in your mouth. In that case, Dr. Zeichner recommends salicylic acid cleansers and scrubs as the go-to for treating and preventing blackheads. “They help absorb excess oil and remove dead cells from the skin’s surface,” he says.

The article Everyone On Instagram Is Obsessed With This Blackhead-Removal Technique originally appeared on Women’s Health.

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