How to Get Rid of Blackheads

by Skin Care

One of the hardest parts of keeping a good complexion for many people is preventing and getting rid of blackheads. It seems every time you look in the mirror there’s another one there and proper blackhead removal can be elusive. Here is some information on what causes blackheads, how to prevent them and how to get rid of blackheads.

What is a Blackhead and What Causes Them?
The technical name for a blackhead is “comedone”, however for our purposes we will just continue to use the more common term blackhead. They are small black bumps in the skin and closer inspection shows them as being like tiny pugs, which is in fact what they are. Typically they are present in people with oily skin and they occur because of oil blocking the pores. That’s not to say that those with dry skin can’t get them because oils from make ups can also clog pores.

The blackhead causing clog occurs when there is a problem with the entrance to the pore being impaired in some way and the oil is not able to flow out properly. Often the oil combines with dead skin cells or dirt and because the outside of the blockage is exposed to the outside air it becomes oxidized and turns black.

The primary cause of excess oil production is hormones. Any increase of the male hormones can cause an increased oil production leading to blackheads and pimples. This is why these problems are most prevalent in teens and adolescents. The use of oil based make up and other skin care products can also lead to blackheads, especially when combined with a sub-par cleansing routine. The products slowly build up in the pores over time and eventually lead to blockages. One other thing to note is that the formation of blackheads seems to be genetically derived so if one or both of your parents have had blackhead problems in the past it’s also likely that you will.

Preventing Blackheads
Something that is even better than getting rid of blackheads is preventing them from forming in the first place. There are several things you can do to help prevent blackheads from forming and below are 6 of the most critical.

1. Wash your face regularly using a gentle cleanser. This should preferably be a cleanser specially formulated to fight acne and should also be water soluble to avoid further clogging of the pores. The cleanser should be a liquid cleanser because the ingredients in bar soap can actually help to clog your pores more. If you have dry skin you can use a moisturizing soap, but keep an eye on your skin as the moisturizer may cause excess oils and make your skin worse.

2. Occasionally exfoliate to get rid of dead skin cells. You don’t have to do this everyday because you run the risk of irritating your skin, drying it excessively and causing more oil production. 2-3 times a week is usually sufficient using a product that contains 2% salicylic acid or beta hydroxyl acid. Both these ingredients are able to penetrate the lining of your pores and remove dead skins cells not only from the surface of your skin, but those that are building up in your pores as well.

3. If you must use make up and/or skin creams choose those that are water based and non-comedogenic to avoid adding more oil and pore clogging substances to your skin.

4. Try using products that absorb excess oil from the surface of your skin. Clay masks are very good for this, but even using a cloth to gently dab your face from time to time can make a difference. This only applies to those with oily skin since the pimples on those with dry skin are caused by oils within the pores.

5. Pay a visit to a dermatologist. They have several prescription only solutions that can help, especially in the case of severe acne and blackheads. One solution they often prescribe is a retinoid based cream which serves to decrease the production of oil. They can also use antibiotic creams, steroid treatments or specialized cleansers and exfolients.

6. In some cases hormone blockers may be prescribed to lower the levels of male hormones being produced, but this is only applicable for females. Birth control pills can also be helpful in some cases. Finally, the prescription drug Accutane is sometimes used, but since it has some negative potential side effects use of this drug should be discussed with your physician prior to beginning use.

Getting Rid of Blackheads
Getting rid of blackheads is a difficult discussion because there are several methods, but little agreement on the proper way to get rid of blackheads. The most common method is to simply squeeze them. While this does work, it also poses the risk of spreading acne germs which causes further breakouts as well as potentially leaving scars. Even though it can pose risks, I know most of you are going to try squeezing a blackhead at some point so here are some tips to make the process easier:

1. First wash your face and use an exfoliating scrub to rid your skin of bacteria and dead skin cells.

2. Dry your face and then take a warm compress and apply it to the area where the blackheads are for 10-15 minutes to soften the blackhead and make it easier to pop.

3. After drying your face again, wash your hands to make sure they are clean and then begin by placing your finger tips on either side of the blackhead and apply a gentle even pressure. You want to begin by pushing down into your skin first and then upward to push the blackhead out of the pore.

4. If this does not work the first time you can repeat a second time, but don’t try more than twice as you could cause damage to the pore and make the blackhead worse.

A second method that people use to remove blackheads is pore strips. These are adhesive strips that you place on your skin over the blackheads that actually pull the blackheads out of the pores. This can be dangerous to your skin if it is already irritated or if you have thin or extremely dry skin. I don’t really recommend the use of these pore strips because they only get rid of the very shallow blackheads and are not really a good long term solution.

One other solution is to use one of the blackhead extractors or blackhead removers, which really do pretty much the same thing as squeezing the blackhead yourself. The primary benefit of these is that they are easy to use and they do not promote the spread of bacteria.

Overall the fact that blackheads are primarily caused by excess oil means that the best answer to the question “how to get rid of blackheads?” is to try and make sure they don’t occur in the first place. This is done by good hygiene and by attacking the problem of excess hormones. If you try the hygiene route and don’t see significant improvement then it is probably time for you to check with a dermatologist to find out what additional treatments are available.

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