What are blackheads?
Blackheads are small plugs that develop in the pores of the skin. They’re caused when the over active sebaceous ( oil manufacturing ) glands in the skin become clogged with oil. This sebum then begins to toughen in the pore. Since skin pores are open to the air, the top part of the hardened sebum or oil oxidizes, turning black. This black top of the oil plug is then forced nearer to the surface of skin by the oil hardening beneath it. This then causes the blackhead to be obvious.
It is not clearly accepted why the sebaceous glands start to become overactive. It is often noted that this situation begins at adolescence, and may stop at the end of puberty leading to the position that it is hormonally controlled. For some folk this isn’t the case however , and they may continue to experience blackheads and whiteheads well past adolescence and into adulthood. Whiteheads are formed the same way as blackheads with the exception the pore is closed and the oxidization does not happen.
Acne results from infection of the oil gland due to the blockage by the blackhead. Forestalling and removing blackheads helps to control acne.
Blackhead Removal
The following are a few pointers for removing blackheads :
– Keep the skin as clean and oil free as feasible. Use natural or chemically prepared cleansers, acid solutions or masks to do this. Avoid cruel soaps that may irritate the skin or any creams that leave an oily finish.
– Use a mild exfoliant to keep the dead cells off your skin and away from the pore openings.
– Avoid vicious squeezing or scraping at the blackhead. Excessive squeezing can damage the skin surround the pore and can basically increase the size of the pore leading to more blackheads in the future.
– A warm compress of water applied to the area of the blackhead followed by a very , very gentle pressure can help in clearing the block from the pore.
– Commercial blackhead strips which are basically a tape like substance that is placed over the nose and then pulled off will remove some blackheads that are at the surface. Caution should be used with these products and it is vital to read the directions completely before making the choice to use the strips or not.
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