How to deal with blackheads…

What are blackheads?

A good, basic skin care regime is necessary to have smooth, blemish free skin – however blackheads can be hard to eliminate. Blackheads, or to give them their technical name comedones, start off life in the pores and hair follicles. Blackheads develop when a pore or the opening at the base of the hair follicle slowly fills with sebum which is oil that is naturally produced by the sebaceous glands and keeps our skin supple and smooth. This combines with dirt from the environment, makeup and old skin cells and fills the pore.

The oily mixture in the pores or hair follicle opening mixes with air and reacts chemically with melanin in the skin. The surface or head then turns black, giving rise to the name blackhead. Unlike a pimple, a blackhead does not form above the skin but is flush with the skin’s surface.

What can we do about blackheads?

If you have numerous blackheads or have tried to remove them yourself and have had no success, a beauty therapist or dermatologist may be the best person to manually remove them. A good skincare regime is essential to help treat blackheads and to prevent them from forming again.

Removing blackheads:

• Cleanse the skin thoroughly but gently – you can’t remove blackheads by scrubbing at the skin and it will only damage it.
• Use warm but not hot water or try to remove then after a shower as the pores will open and it will be easier to remove the blackheads.
• Gently exfoliate to again avoid damaging the skin but to remove dead skin cells on the surface – a washcloth will do the job.
• With clean fingers gently squeeze the skin to the sides of the blackhead to allow the head to ‘pop’ and the rest of what is in the blocked poor to be pushed out.
• Pore strips can be bought – these are adhesive strips you can apply to the affected area and when they are quickly pulled off should remove the blackhead with them.
• Large areas of blackheads can be difficult and painful to try to remove yourself – you may need to get some expert help from a beauty therapist or dermatologist.

How to prevent blackheads:

• Gently cleanse the skin daily, preferably morning and night to prevent build up of dirt and sebum. Here is a link to a gentle yet effective cleanser.
• All makeup should be thoroughly removed at the end of the day.
• Sunscreen, especially waterproof should be cleansed from the skin before sleeping.
• Apply the cleanser with a damp facecloth to gently exfoliate skin cells that have been shed.
• Use lukewarm water to rinse away the cleanser.
• Use a moisturiser that is non–comodegenic – that means it is formulated not to block skin pores. Here is a link to skinsaviour’s non-comodegenic moisturiser.

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