Blackheads – Get The Facts

Have you had enough of blackheads? They can be pesky, annoying, unsightly and ultimately, quite tempting to pick and squeeze. While they may be tempting to attack with the fingers, there are much better ways to treat blackheads, while also preventing new ones from occurring.

There may be more myths associated with blackheads than there are any other types of acne. In fact, many people are unaware that blackheads are a type of acne—they’re commonly thought of as dirty pores, or a sign of poor personal hygiene. Anyone who showers daily and takes great pride in hygiene can quickly tell you that such isn’t the case; blackheads can still cause problems and show up on a daily basis.

What Causes Blackheads?

It’s quite interesting to know that blackheads form just as all types of acne do. They are the product of the same process that results in whiteheads, or even the painful and dreaded cystic acne, often referred to as an acne cyst. Like the others, a combination of dead skin cells, bacteria from the skin’s surface and sebum (skin oil) from the sebaceous gland will serve to clog a pore and follicle. When this happens acne will develop. The difference in acne types lie at the surface of the skin.

Blackheads and Other Comedomes

When a pore remains open at the surface it will allow air to combine with the clog, and this will create a process of oxidation, discoloring the pimple. The result is a blackhead. Another variable in that mix is melanin, which gives the skin its color. Blackheads are also referred to as open comedomes.

Closely related, a whitehead occurs when the opening is microscopic, creating a closed surface, or a closed comedome. And cystic acne occurs when the infection takes place in the skin’s inner most layers, the dermis.

So there you have it. Blackheads are acne, and they will occur regardless of impeccable personal hygiene.

How to Treat Blackheads

As briefly mentioned, you can pick and pop blackheads, but this can lead to underlying damage of the skin. While the skin is only “seen” as an aesthetic, it is actually the body’s largest organ, and should be respected and cared as such. If you are interested in extracting blackheads, there are medical instruments that can perform the process known as comedome extractors, and this can be done by a licensed esthetician within an acne facial, or with a dermatologist.

That being said, there are even easier ways to treat blackheads without the expense of a facial, or a visit to the doctor through routine skin care. If done consistently, you can even work to prevent blackheads from frequently developing.

A routine skin care regimen will help to cleanse the face of acne-causing components, while also cleansing pores of impurities, giving the skin a balanced texture, free of acne, including blackheads.

A quality acne soap or acne cleanser is a great way to begin a skin care regimen, followed by an astringent/skin toner. The process can be completed with a great acne cream, such as a benzoyl peroxide based cream that includes moisturizers.