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10 Pimple Popping Videos We Can't Look Away From

Blackheads, sebaceous filaments, whiteheads and cysts: If you can pop it, we'll press play
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There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who love pimple popping videos, and those who hate them. Seriously, no one feels "meh" about watching the contents of a dirty pore explode across their screen. Either you consistently find yourself on the dark side of YouTube at 3 a.m., lured by the promise of "best blackhead extraction ever," or you think those people are gross. (And even then, it's hard to look away.)

Dr. Sandra Lee, MD, aka Dr. Pimple Popper, calls the former "popaholics" -- people who get a thrill out of watching pore gunk evacuation. "I think it creates a response in everybody. It just depends on which side of the scale you have this response," said Lee. "I think that's why it grew so quickly," says the board-certified dermatologist of her YouTube channel, which has 2.6 million subscribers. Lee says some watch to relax, like a pre-bed ritual. Others like that it's a resolution to a problem. "You're making everything nice and the way that it should be," explains Lee. But some do watch for the ick factor, which Lee compares to watching a scary movie or going on a roller coaster. And some viewers have picking problems themselves, and watching the videos is a way to get their "fix" without breaking their own skin.

At their best, pimple popping videos are elegant, with deft, sure hands flitting across the subject's face and soothing, harmonious music playing the background.

Then, we have the other end of the spectrum: We've all at least thought about clicking on 25-year-old blackhead gets removed. Those who have followed through on that thought may have immediately regretted their click, but few can keep themselves from watching the video that YouTube has removed more than once "for violating [their] policy on violent or graphic content."

We've rounded up the top 10 pimple popping videos on our radar. If you've never watched a popping zits video, consider this your primer on all things poppable. If you're a die-hard popaholic, settle in for a treat -- we've highlighted the very best pop of each video, down to the second.

Image via Getty

Cover image via Imaxtree

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We'll start off in beginners' territory. Pore strip videos are basically the gateway to the dark part of the internet where gushing, exploding pores survive and thrive on millions on YouTube views. One second you're just looking at a few blackheads on a nose strip; the next, you're screaming, "No ... No!" at a glowing screen in the early hours of morning.

Best Pop: 1:16 reveals a particularly satisfying dislodgement of a sebaceous filament.

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If you've already binge-watched all of Dr. Pimple Popper's videos, allow us to introduce you to Josefa M. Reina, an aesthetician and ingrown hair extractor extraordinaire. There's no other way to describe it: The pimple-popping and ingrown hair-removing in this video is straight-up graceful. Reina has what seems to be a sixth sense for detecting the depths of a fluid-filled blemish, and gently prods at skin until everything (hair, pus, oil, SO MUCH STUFF) is released. The 16 million views on this video speak for themselves.

Best Pop: 8:19

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2017, with all of its uncertainty, has at least given the pimple popping world a great gift: the blackhead extracting tweezers. This little tool appeared on the scene early in the year, and has already amassed millions of fans. The curved tweezers are able to exert a precise pressure on even the tiniest of blackheads or sebaceous filaments, and its hook shape makes scooping up all the gunk post-popping oh-so satisfying. Move over, comedone extractor.

Best Pop: Starts at 1:36, but anything after the first 1:15 is pimple-poppers' gold.

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It's not just the over-the-top pops Dr. Lee posts on the reg that keep her fan base loyal. She's basically Oprah with a comedone extractor (and a medical degree). Her soothing demeanor and empathetic personality make seeing the doctor feel like a treat instead of a chore. She even started a GoFundMe for her patient "Pops," who lost his wife.

Best Pop: 1:39 is a two-for-one pop that can't be missed.

BY EMILY WOODRUFF | JUN 29, 2017 | SHARES
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