They’re universally reviled. They’re reliable for showing up at the worst possible time. And they have turned people into home chemists. What’s that? Pimples, my friends.

How many home remedies have you quickly tried to get rid of a giant, throbbing, event-ruining monster zit? There’s toothpaste, Pepto Bismol, egg whites, and tea tree oil mixtures. Some have worked while others have not. One technique that’s been making believers out of acne sufferers is facial extraction.

You can DIY it. What you do is buy a little tool called an extractor that is designed to remove blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, or acne blemishes. Combined with a series of skin prepping steps, you can wipe out a zit on site and heal up the redness.

Follow these steps to use an extractor at home:

1. Steam Your Face

   Steam your pores open by getting in the shower or using a bowl of hot water to create a facial sauna.

2. Scrub a Dub

   Clean your skin with a facial cleanser, rubbing it on using circular motions. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

3. Tone it Down

   With a cotton pad, wipe your face with toner to clear the pores. Tip: toner that contains salicylic or glycolic can help keep prevent future breakouts.

4. Lasso It

   Sterilize the extractor tool with rubbing alcohol. Position the loop of the extractor over the pimple like a lasso. With slight pressure, move the tool gently from side to side, across the top of the bump until it comes off.

5. Sanitize

   Clean up any pus or gunk from the face by swabbing with toner, tea tree oil, or alcohol. Wash off the tool with warm soapy water or alcohol to prevent bacteria from growing.

 

Following your pimple busting procedure, moisturize the skin with an oil-free moisturizer. If you experience any redness or inflammation, treat the skin with an ice pack or aloe vera gel. Aloe has antibacterial properties and can reduce swelling. Before you head out the door, you can also cover the spot with a bit of concealer (men too!) to moisturize and address redness or scarring.

Roping a pimple with a metal rod sound too icky? There are few other tricks you can use to zap a zit overnight. A warmed green teabag can be used as a compress to shrink the size of the pimple and clear up any redness.

Another winning home remedy is vinegar – supermodels use this too for pesky skin invaders. Dab some onto your face with a cotton ball as either a toner or a spot treatment. If you’re feeling really desperate, leave it on overnight with a band aid to hold the cotton in place.

Tried and true is using a pinch of white toothpaste – not unholy gel – directly on the pimple to dry it out. The next morning, clean and rinse your face thoroughly and moisturize.

Since any of us can get a zit at any age, having a few rescue remedies on hand to help us save face can go a long way.

What instant zit removal techniques do you use? Have you ever used a facial extractor?