How To Get Rid of Blackheads
Let’s be honest, there is nothing worse than waking up in the morning, looking into the mirror and to your horror, find dozens of these annoying blemishes on your face. If you Every bit of advice out there, you’ll find there are almost hundreds of ways on how to get rid of blackheads. It can all get a bit confusing sometimes, when all you really want is consistent and simple tips to help you remove and keep them away.
So well done, you’ve certainly come to the right place. I’ve compiled what I found to be the best blackhead removal tips and condensed them into a short article that you can have handy at all times. But first, to understand how these steps work, you’ll probably find it useful to first understand what blackheads really are.
Click here for the Best Guide on How to Get Rid of Blackheads
So, what are blackheads anyway? Well, in technical speak they are called open comedones. A comedone is nothing more than a blockage in your hair follicle or sebaceous gland, either due to sebum, keratin or other particles. The reason they are called open, is because the blockage will result in exposure of the gland lining above it. They look like small plugs and are often indented. An important note – blackheads tend to accompany oily skin, whereas whiteheads can occur even on dry skin. When learning how to get rid of blackheads, it is important to know the distinction.
What causes blackheads?
When your body expels toxins, excess sebum and dead skin cells, this mixture sometiesl clogs up your pores. Also, if you have misshapen or impaired pores, the normal flow of sebum can be blocked and also block your pore. Either way, this will leave the section of pore above the clog exposed. The sebum that is exposed reacts with the air and becomes oxidized, thus turning into a dark colour. This results in a blackhead.
Blackheads are formed due to several reasons, one of which is hormones. The release of the hormone androgen will trigger production of sebum, and if there is an excess, blackheads are easily formed. Additionally, use of certain types of make-up or skin products (particularly oily ones) can cause a mix-up of these substances with sebum and dead skin to form more clogs in your skin.
Getting rid of blackheads
Now then, on to the real reason you’re here – how to get rid of blackheads. Well, there certainly have been a variety methods suggested to get rid of blackheads, but by far and large gently squeezing them is the most popular and effective. Removing the clog is beneficial since you are relieving the pressure off the pore. Just ensure you follow the steps below to minimize scarring to your face:
- Start by using a mild scrub on your face. This ensures that blackheads are exposed and also helps remove dead skin cells. Dry your face thoroughly to prepare for the next step
- Prepare a warm face towel (by soaking it in warm water) and gently apply it to your face for about 5 – 8 minutes. This step helps to dilate your pores slightly, making blackheads much easier to remove. Pat your face dry once this is finished. Remember, re-warm the towel as necessary.
- Have a piece of tissue on the tip of each of your left and right index fingers. This is to prevent fingers from slipping when squeezing, which may result in skin tears, causing more damage.
- You’re now ready! Apply a very gentle pressure to both sides of the blackhead, focusing on the motion of first pushing down on it from both sides, and then up, gradually squeezing gently. This is one of the most important things to know when learning how to get rid of blackheads. As you may appreciate, the aim is to dislodge the blockage that may be stuck deep into the pore.
- When you are done, splash cold water on your face, pat dry and apply some toner on affected areas. The purpose of this is twofold, first to ‘cool’ your skin and also to close or tighten the pores once more.
A note of caution – do this for no more than once or twice per blackhead you wish to remove, any more may result in permanent scarring or your skin being damaged. Also, some people use tools like the remover with a ring at the end or even a sharp needle. While these may appear to be more useful in getting ‘stuff’ to emerge from your skin, it is best to avoid them. Many don’t realize the actual amount of strain they place on their skin using these tools, and they inevitably cause more harm than good. The ring exerts a lot of pressure, since all the force used in pressing is concentrated on a very small area on your skin.
Click here for the Best Guide on How to Get Rid of Blackheads
What about porestrips?
Well, this is a question many people ask when figuring out how to get rid of blackheads. The simple answer to this is, try not to use them if possible. Here are several reasons:
- They only work very superficially, not fully removing clogs in your pores. More often than not, only the very fine, superficial blackheads are removed. This only helps temporarily and doesn’t always remove the deeper blockages.
- Repeated use of these products may cause irritation to your skin, sometimes resulting in more unwanted breakouts.
- The strong adhesive used has the potential to severely damage, tear or injure skin. This may be made worse especially if you suffer from conditions like psoriasis, sensitive skin or naturally have very thin skin.
All the steps I have listed above are certainly very helpful in removing blackheads that appear. However, a large number of acne sufferers much prefer to prevent blackheads from occurring altogether. This is only possible with a thorough understanding of how acne works as well as taking the right steps to ensure acne never recurs. Learning how to get rid of blackheads is neither unachievable nor elusive, you just need someone to show you how.