# You learn something new every day. TMI **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 17, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399 "2009-09-17T03:08:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/1 "2009-09-17T03:08:21Z")
My sister (32) just taught me (29) the proper way to pop a zit. Apparently, you stab it with a very thin needle (she used one of my bead weaving needles). Then, you use a q-tip on either side when squeezing (so you don’t leave fingernail marks in your skin). Then you squeeze gently through the small needle hole. Then you put a bit of rubbing alcohol on it to dry it out. This is the kind of thing most older sisters teach their little sisters when they’re pre-teens. She said her ex-husband taught her. I have to say, her popped zit looks much healthier than mine usually do. I’m not sure I could willingly stick a needle into a zit though. Those things hurt! The zits, I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/2 "2009-09-17T03:18:48Z")
> [@congodwarf](#): > > Then, you use a q-tip on either side when squeezing (so you don’t leave fingernail marks in your skin). Then you squeeze gently through the small needle hole. They also make “pore cleaner” tools that are basically a metal loop on the end of a handle that would do this trick as well. You’re also supposed to use it to gently express a clogged (but not too impacted) pore, but I haven’t had much luck with them in that respect. [Here we go](http://www.carefair.com/Beauty/Beauty-Tools/Blackhead_Removal_Tools_1286.html), scroll down to the “metal loop extractors” and “double spoon extractors”. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/3 "2009-09-17T03:28:08Z")
You should first examine the zit to see if there’s a hair in the middle of it. If there is, then pluck the hair. Sometimes a lot of the crud will come out with it, and in any case, you’ll have a dandy exit for the crud. I only lance a zit or boil if it’s a big one. Most of them I just pop. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/4 "2009-09-17T03:28:13Z")
[This page](http://www.acne.org/pop.html) is useful, as is the rest of the site for those who are acne-impaired. Similar technique. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/5 "2009-09-17T03:34:02Z")
**congodwarf** , this thread makes me want to hurl. Beading needle in a zit…EEEEWWW! OWWWW! But I’m happy to know of another beadweaver on the Dope! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/6 "2009-09-17T03:38:58Z")
> [@freckafree](#): > > **congodwarf** , this thread makes me want to hurl. > > Beading needle in a zit…EEEEWWW! OWWWW! > > But I’m happy to know of another beadweaver on the Dope! 🙂 LOL, I was kind of grossed out too, but I had to watch. I’m not really a beadweaver yet. I just started. I haven’t actually finished anything yet. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/7 "2009-09-17T03:39:52Z")
I keep a sewing pin tucked on a ledge in the bathroom in case of zits that need a little help. Just sayin’ . . . ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/8 "2009-09-17T04:48:07Z")
I love when they splatter on the mirror. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/9 "2009-09-17T07:43:22Z")
Where’s the fun in using a needle? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/10 "2009-09-17T07:56:08Z")
Doesn’t anyone just leave theirs alone? ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/11 "2009-09-17T09:34:38Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Doesn’t anyone just leave theirs alone? Are you new? ---
**Author:** ![lemac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f19dbf/32.png) [@lemac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lemac)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/12 "2009-09-17T10:06:57Z")
I just shave my zits. It works for other… growths… too. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/13 "2009-09-17T11:10:25Z")
> [@freckafree](#): > > **congodwarf** , this thread makes me want to hurl. > > Beading needle in a zit…EEEEWWW! OWWWW! > > But I’m happy to know of another beadweaver on the Dope! 🙂 I use a [lancet](http://carelife.en.alibaba.com/product/50232616-50051008/Pull_off_lancet.html) as I can never find a beading needle in the bathroom 😃 [I just bought the spiffiest antique reclaimed gold bugle beads for a project, they will look fantastic with the seed pearls on blue velvet] ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/14 "2009-09-17T11:22:30Z")
> [@Marlitharn](#): > > Are you new? must be, otherwise they would have perused the epic zit thread .. anybody have a link to it? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Buttons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Mr\_Buttons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Buttons)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/15 "2009-09-17T15:40:00Z")
Oooo… Broomstick’s famous on Google too. First thread when I punched in “broomstick zit thread” in my little Google toolbar. [Super Zit](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=106449) (starts @ post 44) ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/16 "2009-09-17T15:57:04Z")
So sorry I opened this thread just before lunch. Feeling a tad queasy. Bleargh. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/17 "2009-09-17T16:43:12Z")
> [@Mudshark](#): > > Where’s the fun in using a needle? The needle is only for one of the really deep painful zits. You know the kind: you squeeze and squeeze but nothing comes out because there’s too much skin in the way. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/18 "2009-09-17T16:45:34Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > I keep a sewing pin tucked on a ledge in the bathroom in case of zits that need a little help. Just sayin’ . . . I keep one there to drain cold sores. Then apply alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/19 "2009-09-17T16:50:37Z")
Just don’t try to use one of those ball-point needles made for polyester knits. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399/20 "2009-09-17T18:22:29Z")
> [@congodwarf](#): > > The needle is only for one of the really deep painful zits. You know the kind: you squeeze and squeeze but nothing comes out because there’s too much skin in the way. Apply a warm moist compress a few times, for 15 minutes at a time. To make a warm moist compress, get a washcloth wet with hot water, wring it out, and fold it up. Hold it on the zit. It’ll cool down in just about 15 minutes. Doing this will help bring the zit to the surface, if it’s an ordinary zit. Extraordinary zits might need professional medical attention. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-learn-something-new-every-day-tmi/510399.md?page=2)