A blackhead has planted itself at the rim of my upper lip. It just sits there, like the guy who puts his feet on your chair at the movies, and has similarly been asking me, “Whaddaya gonna do about it?” I can’t squeeze it effectively, maybe because it’s in a bad position for leverage. A tool to pull out blackheads, that I thought existed, appears not to. Scrubbing and applications of Clearasil have had no effect. I’m an expert on zits, but I’ve never had a blackhead that I can remember. What can I do, in light of where it is? I don’t like to be seen without at least lipstick, and I use Carmax at night, so I hope forgoing those two things isn’t necessary.
First, take a hot shower, so it is loose. then, use one of those “pore strips”, more fun than…well…um… 
Um–if gentle scrubbing doesn’t remove it, we’re talking serious dermatologist removal here, I think. Blackheads go down into the deeper layers of skin. I speak from experience–about 20 years ago I tried to “remove” one on my arm (don’t ask) by basically digging it out with a needle (I thought, what could it hurt? and I put Vitamin E oil on it afterwards, too), and ended up with a huge interesting scar on my arm instead of the actually very tiny blackhead.
Do not try surgery at home. Save up all your blackheads and go to a serious dermatologist and have them removed.
BTW–I did ask a real dermatologist one time about what blackhead removal entailed (I had a funny color one he was looking at–it was OK), and he said, “Removing a blackhead or mole will always leave a scar of some kind. Big blackhead, big scar. Little blackhead, little scar.” However, it’s important to note that he was a dermatologist who made a POINT of NOT doing “cosmetic dermatology”, he was the “serious” guy, and the other guy in town was the “cosmetic” guy. So a “cosmetic” guy not only probably would give you a different answer, he/she would also be able to remove it/them without leaving noticeable scars. People do it all the time and I’ve never heard of anyone being absolutely furious afterwards. “Geez, first I had a blackhead, now I’ve got this frigging scar…”)
My advice to you, if you don’t want to do surgery, and if it’s not too big, if it doesn’t look like you’ve got a fly or a piece of chocolate chip stuck to your lip, is try to ignore it, or think of it as a beauty mark.
Don’t scrub and scrub at it–you’ll take off more skin and get a big sore there, too, plus maybe a scar like the one I now have on my arm.
Nothing but bad news, sorry. 
I haven’t been scrubbing it hard. I can’t ignore it, because it looks like a poppy seed, especially next to my dark lipstick. I’m going to try DanielITWD’s suggestion of hot shower/pore strip.
Thank you for responding, though.
If you got guts you can loosen it with a sterile pin…
Pharmacys usually have somethings, ask your pharmist.
Revlon makes a specific tool for removing blackheads - check w/ the tweezers, nail clippers, etc at your drugstore. They run about $3 iirc.
–ty
Grandma comes through again. The way to get rid of a blackhead without scarring (with due apologies to Notthemama’s dermatologist):
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Get a ring (a simple wedding band is the best);
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Pressing down gently but firmly, run the inside of the ring across the blackhead (the inside has a sharper edge);
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Lather, rinse, repeat.
Works for whiteheads, too.
If the dang thing hasn’t already deeply imbedded itself, you could try a tool normally used by electricians and electronics technicians called a ‘solder sucker’. It is a spring-operated cylinder that creates a suction at its nozzle tip, which is usually about the size of a drinking straw or smaller.
Thank you. I’ll try all these suggestions, in order of expense, least to most, until one of them works. The author of the one that does gets a gift certificate to Madison Chocolatier…postdated to 2050. 
Have you tried White Out™?
If you have access to any hypodermic needles they’ll do the trick too… with the needle part removed, of course. Suck a little water into the syringe so it makes an airtight seal with your skin, then pull the plunger back verrrrry slowly. You might have to repeat it a couple of times.
Vera
I tried the ring; I only managed to shave the blackhead down so it’s level with my skin. Next, I’ll try the pore strip. I did look for that Revlon tool, but couldn’t find it. The pharmacist said, “A tool to remove blackheads??”
Vera, I don’t have any hypodermic needles.
This place has a couple of items that remove blackheads. I’m fairly certain that I’ve seen similar products in one of the drug store chains like Eckerd or Phar-Mor. You might have better luck now that you know how the product actually looks.
Actually, this very situation happened to me when much younger, only I had two of the little buggers.
First I attacked one by squeezing, using fingernails and determination. Didn’t get it all completely out, the remainder became infected, formed a typical zit, squeezed a couple more times, treated with benzoyl peroxide and astringent finally healed after about two weeks of feeling like a leper. (No scar) I decided to put up with the other one as I couldn’t bear to go through it all again. After about six months I noticed it protruding slightly. I gave it a small, gentle squeeze and the thing came out cleanly. Touch of astringent on the pore to help shrink it back to normal size. No worries.
I realize you may not be interested in all this detail about my past blackheads and I must say I a bit surprised to be ever relating this to anyone, but you might benefit by my experience. After a few months they shrink down and eventually work their way out.
If you must attack it try something like baby oil and a bit of gentle pressure.
I’ve always used roll-on antiperspirant on pimples
and blackheads. Sounds crazy, but it does dry
them out.
I’ve heard toothpaste does the same thing.
Years ago I had decent luck with the extra-strength, direct application version of the original benzoyl peroxide stuff. (The stuff with the announcer with the deep, portentous voice.) You mentioned Clearasil®, but I don’t know that all the Clearasil® products have benzoyl peroxide or at what strength. Note of caution: when using the BP extra-strength, apply it with a Q-tip® or something small and limit the amount of skin it touches. It can cause its own sore if it is spread over healthy skin.
I don’t understand your situation.
As an expert on various skin blemishes* (nope, not a dermatologist–just lucked out on the wrong set of genes), I’ve never had blemish in the lip area that didn’t just come right on out–especially a blackhead.
And I don’t understand how you “can’t get leverage” on it. I’ll tell you where it’s hard to get leverage–right at the margin where your nose connects to your face or where the back of your ear connects to your head. Or how about one right on top of your spine where you have to bend your arm in ways it wasn’t designed to bend to get at it.
In comparison–one on the lip is a cakewalk.
So clue me in on how one on the lip presents a problem trapping it.
*I use the term blemishes to refer to any of the various blocked pore situations–zit, whiteheads, blackheads, wens, etc.
Mjollnir, it’s a problem because there’s not enough subcutaneous fat to push it up when I squeeze the area.
Thank you for the link, Koffing.
Mission accomplished!
Thank you all.
Rilchiam: so what worked? I hope it was MY idea
PS one of my nicknames is “Dr Dan”.