Acne Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Acne, including details on skin problems, diet, treatments, puberty.

Surgical pearl: the safety pin as a better alternative to the versatile paper clip comedo extractor.

Mukhtar M, Sharma R

Sofia Skin Center, Patna, India. muhammedmukhtar@hotmail.com

Acne vulgaris is a very common, chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous apparatus. The comedo extractor is the instrument primarily used for comedo extraction. There are many types of more costly instruments available, but extraction can be achieved with the help of a modified versatile paper clip and disposable syringes. The disposable syringe is a good option for acne surgery, but a safety pin has been found to be more effective than the clip comedo extractor for extracting the comedo. The safety pin can be regarded as a "two-in-one" instrument for piercing the lesion and for extracting the keratinous material from the pilosebaceous canals.

Published 30 November 2004 in Int J Dermatol, 43(12): 967-8.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Acne Research Today. All Rights Reserved.