AN INTRODUCTION TO BLACKHEADS
WHAT ARE BLACKHEADS?
Blackheads form over an open hair follicle when there is a build-up of dead skin cells and excess sebum. This build-up blocks the pores and is visible to us as small black bumps. When these pores are plugged, the dead skin cells in the open pore react with oxygen in the air and turn black, forming a blackhead. While they do have a raised texture, they aren’t as raised as pimples, and they also aren’t inflammatory. This means they are not infected, and they will not cause pain and discomfort in the same way as pimples and pustules. While this explains how blackheads are formed, there are a variety of reasons why they do.
HOW ARE BLACKHEADS FORMED?
A common cause for blackheads is hormonal fluctuation. During various stages in life, you can experience hormonal changes. This includes puberty, pregnancy, and the menstrual cycle. These hormones can impact your skin’s sebum production causing it to produce more than is necessary. This excess sebum has no where to go besides the open hair follicle. Similarly, stress is a big factor when it comes to hormone fluctuation. This too can trigger and increase in sebum production leading to the formation of blackheads.
Another cause is the overproduction of skin cells, which essentially does the same thing. Extra skin cells add a build-up to the pores and clogs them. Sometimes, medications can have the side effect of rapid skin cell turnover which can lead to this formation of clogged pores. Weather conditions also play a role in the production of blackheads. If you live in a warmer and more humid climate, you are more likely to develop blackheads because when the hot environment can ramp up our sebum production.
SKIN-CARE TECHNIQUES THAT HELP WITH BLACKHEADS REMOVAL
Before we get into how to remove them, here’s how NOT to: pre strips do not help and in fact, the pulling action while removing can cause the skin to stretch and gain wrinkles. Trying to pop them off with your fingers is also not a viable solution as it just further irritates the skin. So, here’s how you should remove blackheads, methods that are both safe and effective!
