Leave it Bee!

Let’s get real about what happens when you pick your zits or try to squeeze out your own blackheads. We know you can’t help yourself, but there are consequences to your grubby little fingers messing with your gorgeous face and body!

Blackheads

Blackheads are a plug of sebum in a hair follicle, darkened by oxidation.  Commonly found on the nose, chin, and cheeks. 

It is a myth that pores open and close; they do not, they merely “soften” under the right conditions.  During a professional facial at Queen Bee, a clarifying cleanser or disincrustation solution is applied on the skin and warm steam is gently blown onto the area. This action softens clogged pores and enables dirt and sebum to be more easily removed.  The skin is not left untreated after extraction either. We like to finish with a witch hazel-based toner or for very acneic skin, we use an astringent. Our custom-formulated Buzz Off Bumps treatment pads are also essential when dealing with and preventing blackheads. 

When you attempt to push your own blackheads out, you are creating an injury to your skin.  Not preparing your skin increases the chances of irritation, infection and you’ll generally make matters worse.  If you absolutely have to get that blackhead out, use the tips I have given you above, and with clean hands and tissue wrapped around both pointer fingers, hold the side of the blackhead with one finger and use a gentle rolling action with the other.  This way, you are not pushing down on the skin, you are just manipulating the follicle. If it doesn’t come out, leave it be and let the experts take care of it.  

We believe that prevention is better than cure, so here is some advice on how to prevent blackheads from occurring:

• Remove excess oils, dirt, and makeup thoroughly every night using a double cleansing process.  We recommend a gentle cleanser followed by our custom-formulated Buzz off Bumps. 
• Follow with your preferred moisturizer or nothing (Buzz off Bumps won’t dry your skin out).  
• Keep hair off of the face at night as dead skin cells and hair products can also contribute to irritated skin.   
• We also recommend a double cleanse for those of you who sweat a lot and have oily skin.  Clarifying cleansers are usually the best to use, preferably in the shower under steam.  We also recommend a good volcanic clay mask. Our professional choice is Epicuren or SkinCeuticals (which you can purchase at our online store or in-store).

Whiteheads

A whitehead is a type of acne that forms when dead skin cells, oil, and bacteria become trapped within one of your pores.  

Don’t even try to pop one of these.  What you think is a short-term benefit to popping them can lead to long-term harm to your skin such as:

• More whiteheads, more bacteria and infection. Your poking and prodding can lead to bacterial leaking out of the pustule and absorbed into other pores. 
• Scabbing, Scarring, Hyperpigmentation.  Picking an acne whitehead will lead to scabbing. Picking off of the scab leads to a scar (sometimes a keloid) and for those of you with more melanin in their skin, hyperpigmentation.  

Prevent whiteheads by: 

• Using clarifying skincare products.  We recommend Queen Bee’s custom-formulated Buzz off Bumps as a marvelous treatment for the prevention of the above. 
• Keep your mobile phones and fingers off of your skin at all times. Bacteria can cause eruptions and we commonly see these on the side of the face a phone is used on. 
• During flu season and our current pandemic, change out your face mask at least twice a day. Bacteria from your hot steamy breath can get trapped and cause maskne, acne, and whiteheads. 

If you have an important event and that pimple is getting gnarly, a dermatologist can inject it with a diluted corticosteroid and within a few hours, your pimple should start to go down. 

We do offer acne focused facials at Queen Bee and although we can’t promise to cure it, we will do our best to get you on a great skincare routine. You can also make a video consultation appointment with our “esthetician on call” who can help guide you into a healthy skincare routine.

Prevention is better than cure

Buzz into the Queen Bee Store for more information and recommended products.