How to Extract a Blemish Like a Pro

Popping pimples. We've all been scarred by it. Doing extractions the right way, though, can actually improve your complexion, says aesthetician extraordinaire Ling Chan of Ling Skin Care in New York City.

Here are her three steps to getting rid of zits.

Apply an exfoliating enzyme peel (like Philosophy's Microdelivery Purifying Peel, $40; sephora.com) to the pimple or blackhead, then cover it with a hot, wet towel.

After about three minutes, clean off the product with a massaging motion.

Wrap your fingers in an unscented tissue. With one finger holding the skin close to the blemish, use the other to push against the opposite side.

For a whitehead, extract all the material until only clear fluid is left. For a blackhead, if it doesn't come out after a few tries, stop!

Cover former whiteheads with a lotion made with zinc oxide (such as Ling's Drying Lotion, $32, lingskincare.com), and busted blackheads with a clay mask (like Boots Botanics Complexion Refining Clay Mask, $9; shopbootsusa.com).