Here at SANO we see a number of clients who come in for regular deep cleaning facials that focus primarily on manual extractions.  There are a lot of reason you should not do this at home.  Here are a few.

Steam is an integral part of a facial that includes deep cleaning.  It softens the skin, sebum and debris that can block pores.  The heat relaxes the facial muscles and tissue which allows for easier manual extraction.  Professional steamers often produce ozone which has an antiseptic effect on the skin.  This lessens the chance that infection will be spread during  deep cleaning.

Professional exfoliation removes the dead, top layer of skin and skin or debris that may be blocking the clogged pores.

When applying pressure to remove a comedones the correct angle is imperative.  Improper technique forces debris further into the pore which can lead to infection.  Also, the correct amount of pressure is vital.  Not enough pressure will not remove all of the clog, while too much pressure can break down the follicle wall.  This can cause the infection to spread under the skin.

The use of instruments such as a lancet (disposable sharp instruments) often need to be used to create an opening in the dead skin that covers a breakout such as a whitehead.  Proper opening of the comedone reduces the amount of pressure that is needed to clear a clog from the skin and prevents the skin from tearing.

Lastly, and possible most importantly, and esthetician is trained to know when to not attempt to remove a clog or pustules that appear on or under the skin.  Extractions should never be attempted on active infections.  This can cause scaring, deeper cystic breakouts and the spread of the infection.

When done correctly, deep cleaning can allow pores to contract in size, refine the texture of the skin and release bacteria which speeds up the healing of breakouts.  It is often the only way to expel impurities from the skin.  But training and caution is an important factor.  Please don’t pick at your skin at home!