What Causes Blackheads?

Have you ever woken up one morning, excited to go to school or head to work, when all of the sudden, the mirror gives you something horrifying? Somehow, your nose managed to create little pinprick black dots that just looked annoyingly ugly on your skin. You spend the entire hour in front of the bathroom mirror obsessing over how to cover or remove these black spots, most commonly known as blackheads, on your nose. What you don’t know is that the most effective way of getting rid of these annoying black spots is to determine what causes blackheads.

For those of you who are not aware what blackheads are, they are also known as open comedones, as opposed to whiteheads or closed comedones. Blackheads are considered to be open comedones because they have a wider opening compared to the microscopic opening in whiteheads. The follicle is typically plugged with sloughed-off cells, bacteria and sebum, which is what, causes blackheads. Because of the wide opening, the follicle is easily exposed to air. Hence, the plugged follicle reacts with air by oxidizing into melanin. This is why the blackheads are black per se. Inflammation commonly occur when the follicular passageway to the skin surface are blocked, which also traps the blackhead inside the follicle, making it extra difficult to remove. It is necessary to learn to remove blackheads in the gentlest way possible to avoid deepening of the plug or scarring.

Teenagers are often commonly associated with blackheads because of the hormonal overdrive in the peak of teenage years. Although this is typically the case, older people can also have blackheads. In fact, older people with blackheads should be dealt with earlier compared to those who are still in their teenage years. This is because older people tend to become less efficient in skin repair compared to the younger population. The blackheads then accumulate in the skin, causing more oxidization in the neighboring area.

You can prevent gaining more blackheads just by regular cleansing. Take note, regular cleansing and not rigorous cleansing. When washing your face, it is important to remember to be gentle as much as possible. You can use scrubs but only about once or twice a week. You can also use facial cleansers with salicylic acid or AHAs in them as these are beneficial to prevent blackhead formation in the skin. When drying your skin, pat dry and do not rub so as to prevent damaging the skin.

There are numerous ways to remove blackheads from your skin. For starters, if you want to remove blackheads in your own home, you can use a blackhead extractor, which can be bought in any pharmacy. However, you need to ensure that these are cleansed and sterilized before use to avoid infection. Avoid extracting a blackhead when it is obviously inflamed or infected as it may only make it worse. However, if you don’t want to remove your blackheads on your own, you can approach your dermatologist and ask for various methods to help you get rid of the blackheads on your skin.

Clear and glowing skin is only a grasp away if you know what causes blackheads and what you can do to prevent it from forming.