Are acne and blackheads a constant struggle for you?  Do you look at your skin on a daily basis and try to figure out what you can do to make your skin clearer and brighter looking?  Every day I come across people who seem to struggle with blackheads, in fact when I look at my own skin I can see black heads clogging my pores and casting a shadow over my once shiny, clear and healthy skin.  So I have created an article to discuss just exactly what black heads are and how we can treat them to remove and help create a nice, healthy and glowing complexion.

Blackheads, what the heck are they?

Well what exactly are blackheads anyway?  And how do they end up all over our face?  Well there are two types of problems that can occur with the pores and hair follicles that are different than the full blown acne.  These are known as blackheads and whiteheads.  Both of these types of pimples are known as comedones.

Comedones are basically small, flesh colored, white or black bumps that give the skin a rough feeling.  They are found at the hair follicle and are caused from the clogging of the actual hair follicle.  The black head is formed when the pore which contains the hair follicle is larger than normal.  Since there is a gap that is wider than normal, the oil, or sebum that is produced in the sebaceous glands combined with the dead skin cells that are sloughed off the skin combine in the pore and react with the chemicals in the air.  This actually causes the oxidation of melanin in the skin and results in the products that are in the pore turning a darker color.

Blackheads are what eventually lead to acne.  This is because an infection develops in the clogged hair follicle causing the large raised red bumps with pus.  This is why it is really important to treat black heads early, before they turn into acne.

Whiteheads on the other hand is actually the clogging of a hair follicle that is not wider than normal and hence, not open to the air.  Inside the hair follicle the same thing occurs, oil or sebum clogs the pore and dead skin cells however because the pore isn’t open to the air it doesn’t have the same chemical reaction and therefore the pore stays white.

Neither blackheads nor whiteheads are an indication of bad hygiene but it can cause the condition to become worse.  Sometimes these skin problems occur because the body is secreting more oil than it should thus resulting in blackheads, whiteheads and acne.

Treating Blackheads

So since we have learned that blackheads are actually the clogging of an open pore which leads to trapped matter in the pore causing infection it is important to clean the skin well.  So it is very important to clean your skin twice a day using lukewarm water and a mild soap.  It is important not to over scrub and to use too drying of a soap.  If you scrub too hard and use a very drying soap it can dry out the skin too much and cause the oil on the skin to actually get secreted more to make up for the dry skin surface.  Since the skin will secrete more oil it can actually lead to even more blackheads.

Another thing that can help keep the skin clear is to shower and wash right after working out or sweating so the sweat and oil do not get trapped in the pores.  The use of a gentle exfoliator product can also help by removing the dead skin cells that are often trapped in the pores of the skin.   It is critical not to pick too much at the skin, however having a facial conducted by an aesthetician can be helpful as they can actually remove the black heads on the skin.

If you want to conduct an at home session to remove black heads this can be done by first opening the pores.  This is done by using steam to open the pores.  Either put your face into the steam that arises from a bowl of very hot water with a towel over your head, or using a warm wash cloth on your face.  Once the skin has been steamed for about 5 minutes you can gently squeeze the material out of the clogged pores.   Both whiteheads and blackheads will respond favorably to topical treatments such as tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide.

Additional Ideas for Treatment

Increasing water intake for can help the body reduce its level of toxins which might result in smoother skin; certainly it can help balance the body.  Here are some decent home remedies for treating blackheads.

• Use egg white by placing it with no egg yolk on the skin and then put a paper towel over it.  Once the egg white has dried or roughly 30 minutes has passed, you can then gently remove the paper towel and rinse your face
• Get some high quality honey and warm it and place it on the skin for about 15 minutes then wash it off.    Honey is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and can also moisturize the skin.
• Mix lime juice, almond oil, glycerin together and place onto the affected areas.  Leave it on overnight and then wash your face
• Combine lime juice and salt together and gently scrub your face.  The salt exfoliates and the lime juice is astringent.

Overall blackheads are unsightly and annoying.  However in order to prevent more severe acne from developing it is critical to treat blackheads early.  Good luck!