All acne is not the same, and if you want to get rid of your acne then you’ll need to have an understanding of the specific types of acne lesions that you are dealing with.
Today we’ll be taking a look at one of the peskiest, and yet most common, types of acne lesions: blackheads.
Let’s just right in and talk about what blackheads are, how they are formed, and finally at how you can prevent and treat them.
What Are Blackheads?
Blackheads are small “plugs” in the hair follicles of your skin, usually black in color but sometimes yellow.
The most common place for blackheads to form is on and around the nose, however they can form anywhere there are hair follicles.
Despite what many people think, the blockage is actually not dirt, but rather a mixture of keratin and sebum (the skin’s natural oil). Also, the true color of the plug is often not black! It merely appears this way because of the irregular way in which light is reflected off the walls of the hair follicle. If you remove the plug, you may find that it is often more yellow than black, however because sebum oxidizes when exposed to air it may truly be dark.
Blackheads are known as open comedones, because while the follicle is plugged, it remains open. This is in relation to closed comedones, otherwise known as whiteheads.
What Causes Blackheads?
Blackheads form when dead skin cells, keratin, and sebum mix together and clog the opening of a hair follicle.
When too much of these substances are present at one time, it blocks the opening of the pore, the sebum oxidizes (turns dark), and a blackhead is formed.
Blackheads only form in hair follicles that are relatively large. If the follicle is smaller, it would develop into a whitehead instead.
Despite popular belief, blackheads are not caused by poor hygiene or from not washing your face enough. It is simply the natural oils of your skin that happen to get stuck in the opening of the hair follicles.
Some people are more likely to get blackheads than others because of a combination of the size of their hair follicles, the amount of sebum that their skin produces, and how well their dead skin cells are able to slough off.
How To Prevent Blackheads From Forming
Since blackheads are not caused by dirt or poor hygiene, washing your face more often is not the answer to preventing blackheads from forming. Washing once or twice a day is all you need. Instead, here are some legitimate ways to help prevent open comedones from forming.
Exfoliation
By removing the outermost layer of dead skin cells, you will lower the chance that those cells will become trapped in a hair follicle and lead to a blackhead forming.
Exfoliation can be performed at home in a number of different ways, including exfoliating facial scrubs, exfoliating masks, and with products containing salicylic acid or glycolic acid.
Tretinoin
Available only with prescriptions, tretinoin changes the way dead skin cells slough off. By reducing the “stickiness” of those dead skin cells, they are prevented from clogging pores and causing blackheads to form.
Speak with a dermatologist if you feel that your problem with blackheads is severe enough to warrant a prescription for tretinoin.
Benzoyl Peroxide
Benzoyl peroxide is capable of killing a bacteria known as P. acnes, which is naturally present in sebum and is one of the reasons that the sebum clogs hair follicles.
A 2.5% concentration of benzoyl peroxide, which is available over-the-counter, will kill the P. acnes bacteria and make it more difficult for your hair follicles to become plugged.
How To Get Rid Of Blackheads That Have Already Formed
While prevention is crucial, what should you do about the blackheads that have already formed?
Fortunately, open comedones are some of the easiest acne lesions to extract. This is partly because they are generally not inflamed, and partly because the material comes out much easier when the hair follicle is already open.
Extraction
The best (and safest) way to extract blackheads is with a tool called a comedone extractor. It is a small metallic instrument with a circular end which pushes down of the skin surrounding the blackhead and forces the material out of the follicle. Any dermatologist will have one, or you can buy your own very cheaply.
Alternatively, you can simply use your fingers. Always wash your hands first, and carefully push down on the skin around the blackhead until the material comes out. Be very careful, or you risk irritating the area and causing unnecessary inflammation which will only make the problem worse.
Pore Strips
Another option for removing blackheads is to use a pore strip. The most well known brand of pore strips is Biore, but there are many others.
Basically, a pore strip is places over the skin and allowed to dry. Once dry, the strip is pulled off and the material clogging the hair follicles should be stuck to the strip and removed from the skin.
The effectiveness of pore strips varies depending on the type used, and your skin type, but it’s not a bad idea to give them a try.
