One of the most difficult parts of maintaining healthy skin is removing blackheads. What is a blackhead? Blackheads are technically referred to as comedones, indented tiny plugs that fill your skin. Oily skin usually produces blackheads.
Extra oil in your skin clogs pores. Built up oil cannot flow to your skin surface and the pore is obstructed. When the pore is uncovered exposing it to oxygen and opens up, it turns dark and creates a blackhead.
Blackhead formations number one cause is hormones. Hormones called androgen increase the production of oil in your skin. Males usually have more hormone production of androgen, especially during puberty when hormone production increases dramatically. Females also have androgen but not in the increased amounts of males. As oil increases blackheads increase accordingly.
Another big culprit is using make-up. Make-up can clog the pores of oily skin increasing blackheads.
Prevention of blackheads on your face is possible. Don’t use products for your face that are oily, creamy or greasy.
Many people unknowingly use soap to wash their face which increases oil production which will boost blackhead production. The emollients that create a bar form for soap can clog your pores. Dead skin cells are on your face and washing your face with soap can cause these cells to flake off too early, before they are ready, which clogs your pores. You should exfoliate your face to get rid of dead skin cells instead of washing with soap. Exfoliation also removes cells that are irregularly shaped and easier to clog.
By absorbing excess oil on your face, you can prevent blackheads from forming. A beneficial way to do this is to use facial masks. Facial masks are a great way for those people who have oily skin to absorb oil setting on your skin’s surface. Dry skin won’t benefit from masks because blackheads on dry skin are caused by oil inside pores.
Squeezing blackheads is the most common form of ridding your face of them. By relieving the “stuff” inside blackheads you’re releasing the pressure that causes harm. Some people find it unbearable to leave a blackhead alone. If you must remove them, try some gentle ways of eradicating them from your face.
• Exposing the blackhead should be done using a mild scrub
• Your face should be patted dry
• To make the blackhead easier to remove, a warm compress should be used for 10-15 minutes on your face
• Again pat your face dry
• To avoid further damage to your skin a piece of tissue should be placed on your finger so it won’t slip
• Push down on the blackhead by applying gentle even pressure on both sides of the blackhead
If the blackhead is resistant and doesn’t “pop” you may cause scarring or worse. Only attempt once or twice.
Pore strips, vacuum blackhead removers or extractors are not recommended to remove blackheads. These types of products can injure your skin and only remove superficial blackheads and not the total blackhead.
The best way to prevent blackheads is to control oil on your skin.
