Damn blackheads, they’re everywhere. And do you know what blackheads are and how they are formed, as well as how to get rid of them forever? Find out now!
It seems to you that everyone around you has flawless skin, and you, while looking in the mirror, see only blackheads and ask yourself “Why me?”
So guess why?
It’s not just you. You may really feel that way while looking in the mirror, but don’t despair. It is completely normal that everyone get blackheads at some point in their lives. This is because blackheads are the result of natural processes that occur in every person’s skin.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to love your blackheads, nourish them or live with them. Simply come to terms with the current situation, accept it and start solving the problem.
But before you take care of them and get rid of blackheads, it is important to know more about what blackheads are and what causes blackheads.
What Are Blackheads?
Blackheads are closed pores on the face that appear caused by excessive secretion of oil and sebum by the sebaceous glands due to various factors, such as bacteria, dust and other impurities that come in contact with the face.
Let me explain a little better.
Each follicle contains one hair and a sebaceous gland that produces sebum. When your skin removes dead skin cells, they enter the follicle, mix with the oil and form a plug that pushes to the surface and creates a bump called a comedo.
Such impurities in the pores react with oxygen, get a black color and create a blackhead, sometimes it can be yellowish in color.
How Do Blackheads Form?
Maybe your sebaceous glands produce more oil, which causes more frequent appearance of blackheads on your face. It is good to know that blackheads appear more often with certain hormonal changes in the body, during menstruation or pregnancy.
Your face can be smeared with blackheads, if you are under stress or if you use a cream with a large amount of oil.
Except the T-zone and chin, blackheads can also appear on the back, chest and shoulders. If you are currently going through puberty, you are a good candidate for blackheads. This is 100% normal and means that your body behaves as it should at that age.
However, things usually get complicated. Then you get small pimples on your face, and if you don’t take care, it’s not hard to get pimple spots.
Blackheads on the Face
What are blackheads on the face and why do they appear there? Yes, you’re right, it doesn’t look nice when you see blackheads on your face, whether on your cheeks, forehead or around your nose, it’s not pleasant. But, you have to understand one thing here.
Blackheads are not something that can never be cured, of course it can, so do not moan. It’s all up to you. Let’s see then what you’re doing wrong, because they keep coming back to your face.
- If you have not cleansed your facial skin well, dead skin cells can accumulate in the pores. So your pores become clogged and lead to oil accumulation.
- If you use oil-based cosmetics or moisturizers, they can also stimulate the development of blackheads. Talk to your doctor about the cosmetics that will work best for your skin. Additional piece of advice for you, when choosing cosmetic products, always look for non-comedogenic products that will not clog pores.
- If there is a lot of pollution, humidity and grease in your work environment (for example, if you work in the kitchen near the fryer), these conditions can also affect the appearance of blackheads on the face.
Another important thing you should bear in mind: You may now be wondering why you still have blackheads even though your facial care is adequate and you wash your face often. Well, that might be a problem, because in reality, your skin should be naturally oily.
Excessive cleansing or sharp scrubbing can remove oils, which are expected to be there, on your skin. That’s why your skin says, “Hey, I make all this oil and I’m still dry. I’d better produce extra oil. ” Do you understand now how it works?
This is a big problem, because the last thing you want is for your skin to produce more oil than it needs. This will only create an environment in which blackheads can thrive. That is why it is important to thoroughly, but gently cleanse the skin in order to reduce the chances of creating new blackheads on the face.
What Are Blackheads on the Nose?
Let’s see now what to do with blackheads on your nose. Most of us, when looking at it, see tiny spots on the nose that look like blackheads. The same spots are sometimes seen in the chin area below the lower lip.
If you treated them like blackheads and didn’t have any improvements, it’s probably because they’re not blackheads at all.
You’re surprised, aren’t you?
The dark spots you see are called pollen threads, natural threads like formations that direct the flow of oil along your pores.
If you see blackheads on your face, especially on your nose, here are some tips for identifying whether they are blackheads or sebaceous fibers:
- Blackheads on the nose are usually larger and darker than sebaceous fibers which are usually more gray than black.
- Blackheads often have a raised rim around the darkened top, but the sebaceous fibers are usually smooth to the touch.
Let’s see which factors can increase your chances of developing blackheads on your nose:
- production of too much oil
- accumulation of bacteria on the skin
- hormonal changes that cause the increase in oil production during adolescence, during menstruation or while taking birth control pills
- taking certain medications, such as corticosteroids, lithium, or androgens
Blackheads on the Forehead
What are blackheads on the forehead and are they different from blackheads in general? Blackheads can appear anywhere on the face and on the body. I don’t know if you have a problem with blackheads on the forehead, but yes, they can also appear on this part of the face.
Since blackheads are often present on the face, because the skin contains a higher concentration of sebaceous glands, that’s why blackheads fill the T-zone which refers to the forehead, nose and chin.
The solution for blackheads on the forehead would be a mild scrub, after which you will apply your fantastic acne cream. Blackheads will disappear in a very short time.
What Are Blackheads on the Cheeks?
Of course, blackheads also appear on the cheeks, but what are blackheads on the cheeks and what can you do to get rid of them?
Try using fantastic pimple creams, which are completely mild and natural. These creams will help you get rid of blackheads on your cheeks in a great way.
If you have long hair, always try to keep your hair as far away from your face as possible or to simply tie it . Oily hair touching the skin can spread bacteria and affect the growth and appearance of blackheads on the cheeks.
Also, you must take care of your diet and what you drink. Not only is it very important for your overall health, but for the blackheads on your cheeks as well.
It is considered that dairy products and foods that increase blood sugar levels, such as carbohydrates, can play a big role in causing blackheads, so always take care of what is on your table during daily meals.
Blackheads on the Back
You wonder what blackheads are and what they are doing on your back?
Hormonal changes during puberty are the most common causes of excessive sebum production (oil found in the sebaceous glands below the surface of the skin).
If you are going through puberty, the body begins to pump out higher levels of hormones. This change in hormone levels can lead to an increase in sebum production in the sebaceous glands. If excessive sebum is combined with dead skin cells and bacteria in the pores, blackheads can form on the back.
But don’t worry about that too much, because you can use a mild scrub that will help you get rid of blackheads on your back.
Also, due to sweating, blackheads can appear right on your back.
Sweat does not necessarily cause blackheads, but it can lead to increased skin irritation, which leads to blackheads.
What is characteristic of blackheads on the back is that they can be a little bigger and can even itch.
This condition is most often noticed in people who have an intensive exercise regime or perform heavy work. So, if you do some sport and have intense training, that is exactly one of the reasons why blackheads appear right on your back.
Factors Influencing the Appearance of Blackheads
Here, We will explain why and what are the factors that are the main trigger for the appearance of blackheads anywhere on the face and body.
Hormones – One of the most common causes of blackheads is excessive sebum production, which occurs due to hormonal changes. While most hormonal acne appear during puberty, there are other life events and situations that can also catalyze the production of excess sebum. It is believed that hormonal pimples usually appear on the chin, but it is not the rule.
Menstruation – You may have noticed that blackheads appear during or before the start of your menstrual cycle. You noticed well, because it is so.
This is so because the body experiences many hormonal fluctuations at that time.
When estrogen levels decrease, progesterone levels increase. When progesterone increases, the sebaceous glands in the skin produce more sebum.
Birth control pills – Yes, it may have happened to you or a friend of yours to notice that while using the birth control pill, your face was “somehow cleansed”. It can happen and it is not a rare case, however…
Some women have solved their problem of blackheads with these pills, but some of the pills can do just the opposite, boost their appearance.
You’re surprised, aren’t you?
Contraceptive pills may contain certain ingredients that can directly affect the appearance of blackheads.
Pregnancy – if you’re pregnant, great, congratulations, but also don’t be surprised if you are attacked by blackheads. During pregnancy, many women will get more blackheads or they will appear for the first time during pregnancy. This usually happens around the sixth week of pregnancy. Hormone changes during pregnancy can cause an increase in androgens.
Stress – Although there has been no significant research on whether stress causes blackheads, researchers and dermatologists have noticed a correlation between high stress level and the frequency of blackheads in many patients.
Stress is not the cause, but it seems that it will worsen the problem with blackheads. As more cortisol and androgens are released during a stressful situation, the body responds by increasing oil production.
Nutrition – You surely already know that nutrition is very important and affects overall health. Health includes clean and well-cared skin and has a lot to do with nutrition.
Make sure you have as many vegetables, fruits, whole grains and as much water as possible in your menu. Get rid of all fatty foods, fried foods, sweets and fast food.
Why do you have the impression that you get blackheads even when you eat healthy? Although the links between food choices and the appearance of blackheads have been noted, there is not enough research to bring them into direct connection.
Popular questions like “If I eat chocolate, will it cause candy pimples?” or “Does alcohol consumption worsen the condition of blackheads?” make sense, but without significant research.
Smoking – what are blackheads and what do they have to do with smoking? If you are a smoker, we should not talk about how harmful it is for your health, and besides what you did not know is that a direct connection was found between smoking and the appearance of blackheads on your face.
Removal of Blackheads
The key to removing your blackheads is not to touch them or pick them yourself. Although it may be tempting to squeeze them yourself, it is not recommended, not at all. Your fingers have oil and dirt on them, which can cause further outbreaks, and you certainly don’t want that. You can’t get rid of existing ones, you certainly don’t need new ones.
You can also damage the skin by pressing. Instead, focus on using blackhead cream and cream for oily skin prone to acne.
Look for cleansers and scrubs that contain salicylic acid or glycolic acid or a combination of the two. Retinol is also a great ingredient for removing blackheads. Products containing these ingredients soften dead skin cells and oils that clog the hair follicle.
Blackhead scrub for the face only removes dead skin cells that are on the surface of your skin. They can’t remove deep blackheads, because the scrub doesn’t penetrate deep into your pores to clean them.
Keep your hands as far away from your face as possible – forget the habit of touching your face during the day, and, really, why would you do that at all. You certainly don’t want all the oil and dirt accumulated on your hands to be on your face.
Check your phone. Look at your cell phone and I bet you’ll see the oil from your face. Clean your phone with alcohol daily.
Be less fashionable. What are blackheads in comparison to beauty? Well, yes, it may be easy for you to say so, but if you wear a hat every day, especially if you have oily skin in addition, chances are good to see blackheads on your forehead. Rest your head a little from wearing a hat.
