Your Options For Getting Rid Of Blackheads

Some people, especially those that are past the age when acne is prominent, may be plagued with blackheads. They are unsightly so lets cover getting rid of blackheads.

Lets begin with what blackheads are and then move on to other important questions about blackheads.

What is a blackhead?

A blackhead is not a pore filled with dirt and scum. That is a common myth about acne and pimples, that poor hygiene causes them. A blackhead or an open comedo, is caused by a hair follicle that has been filled with sebum (an oil that is naturally produced by the body's sebaceous glands) along with skin cells that have been shed. The darkening of the pore is not caused by dirt. The oil and skin in the pore comes in contact with oxygen and darkens through oxidation. Make this note, a whitehead is the same thing but had no exposure to air and so it did not oxidize and turn brown.

What causes a blackhead?

1. It is a combination of excess sebum and dead skin that fills a hair follicle and turns dark with the oxidative action of the air.

2. Some things people use on their skin like soaps and cosmetics can leave a film on their skin, which clogs pores and follicles.

What causes excess sebum?

Hormones. The hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. These hormones occur naturally and are elevated during puberty and are why teens are likely to have worse acne. It has also been proven that stress and sexual activity causes an elevation in hormones that cause sebum production. It is believed by distinct researchers but is still inconclusive that a large consumption of sugar and fat will cause increased sebum levels. You will also want to seriously consider removing dairy products from your diet. Dairy contains hormones that increase sebum production like the human hormones.

How to prevent blackheads

Medication - As a teenager it is possible that medications will be the best solution. A number of 3-part acne packages are available but there really is no "one stop product". Genetics and heredity make each one of us different. It may be the case that you need to try a few things until you know what works best for you. If you do use a medication you should also follow all the other habits that will help you prevent all forms of skin blemishes. Medications like Adapalene, Tretinoin and some birth control medications are used for the prevention of forms of Acne Vulgaris.

Washing - Do not use bar soap or heavy cosmetics that can clog the hair follicles. Do not scrub the skin excessively because this can dry the skin causing more oil to be secreted.

Exfoliation - You can find over the counter products that are formulated to remove the top layers of skin that are just dead cells that can plug pores and follicles. You can find over the counter products like salicylic acid and alpha hydroxy acids.

How to remove a blackhead

Vacuum and Extractors - There are syringe type devices that can "suck" the blackhead out of the follicle but it does not always work since the blackhead is "stuck" in the follicle. It is also possible that it may irritate the skin.

Pore strips - There are a number of contraindications and warnings to the use of pore strips so I cannot recommend them. Feedback from users ranges from good experiences with them. If you search very far you will find some bizarre stories about using them.

Squeeze blackheads - Squeezing acne is never recommended. It is possible to cause more damage if your squeezing irritates any of the surrounding tissues and an infection or inflammation spreads. Blackheads don't have the infection and inflammation like an acne lesion but you should be careful. Begin with an exfoliant to slough away dead skin. Then use a warm cloth on your skin to soften the blackhead and enlarge the pore. Squeeze ever so carefully to avoid any skin damage. Never squeeze acne!

The best solution of course is to reduce the amount of sebum produced. Various ways to less the body's production of sebum has been mentioned. Remove dairy, fatty foods and sugar from the diet, learn to cope with stress and be moderate in all areas of your life.

There are good acne systems that address acne by vitamin and herbal supplementation as well as using creams to treat the skin each day. A number of these systems have real good feedback from the customers that keep ordering. Getting rid of blackheads is not an impossibility but will require from you persistence and consistency.

Related Articles

• Drug Abuse: What To Do To Detect It
• Tips For Finding The Best Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center
• Abusing Sleep Medicine
• Seeking Out The Perfect Diet To Gain Muscle
• Is There Any Place To Stop Alcoholism?

HTML Ready Article. Click on the "Copy" button to copy into your clipboard.

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC '-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN' 'http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd'><html><head><title>Articles Back Link | Your Options For Getting Rid Of Blackheads</title></head><body><h3>Your Options For Getting Rid Of Blackheads</h3><br><br> By: Bill Wynne<br><br><p><p>Some people, especially those that are past the age when acne is prominent, may be plagued with blackheads. They are unsightly so lets cover getting rid of blackheads.</P><p>Lets begin with what blackheads are and then move on to other important questions about blackheads.</P><p>What is a blackhead?</P><p>A blackhead is not a pore filled with dirt and scum. That is a common myth about acne and pimples, that poor hygiene causes them. A blackhead or an open comedo, is caused by a hair follicle that has been filled with sebum (an oil that is naturally produced by the body's sebaceous glands) along with skin cells that have been shed. The darkening of the pore is not caused by dirt. The oil and skin in the pore comes in contact with oxygen and darkens through oxidation. Make this note, a whitehead is the same thing but had no exposure to air and so it did not oxidize and turn brown.</P><p>What causes a blackhead?</P><p>1. It is a combination of excess sebum and dead skin that fills a hair follicle and turns dark with the oxidative action of the air.</P><p>2. Some things people use on their skin like soaps and cosmetics can leave a film on their skin, which clogs pores and follicles.</P><p>What causes excess sebum?</P><p>Hormones. The hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. These hormones occur naturally and are elevated during puberty and are why teens are likely to have worse acne. It has also been proven that stress and sexual activity causes an elevation in hormones that cause sebum production. It is believed by distinct researchers but is still inconclusive that a large consumption of sugar and fat will cause increased sebum levels. You will also want to seriously consider removing dairy products from your diet. Dairy contains hormones that increase sebum production like the human hormones.</P><p>How to prevent blackheads</P><p>Medication - As a teenager it is possible that medications will be the best solution. A number of 3-part acne packages are available but there really is no "one stop product". Genetics and heredity make each one of us different. It may be the case that you need to try a few things until you know what works best for you. If you do use a medication you should also follow all the other habits that will help you prevent all forms of skin blemishes. Medications like Adapalene, Tretinoin and some birth control medications are used for the prevention of forms of Acne Vulgaris.</P><p>Washing - Do not use bar soap or heavy cosmetics that can clog the hair follicles. Do not scrub the skin excessively because this can dry the skin causing more oil to be secreted.</P><p>Exfoliation - You can find over the counter products that are formulated to remove the top layers of skin that are just dead cells that can plug pores and follicles. You can find over the counter products like salicylic acid and alpha hydroxy acids.</P><p>How to remove a blackhead</P><p>Vacuum and Extractors - There are syringe type devices that can "suck" the blackhead out of the follicle but it does not always work since the blackhead is "stuck" in the follicle. It is also possible that it may irritate the skin.</P><p>Pore strips - There are a number of contraindications and warnings to the use of pore strips so I cannot recommend them. Feedback from users ranges from good experiences with them. If you search very far you will find some bizarre stories about using them.</P><p>Squeeze blackheads - Squeezing acne is never recommended. It is possible to cause more damage if your squeezing irritates any of the surrounding tissues and an infection or inflammation spreads. Blackheads don't have the infection and inflammation like an acne lesion but you should be careful. Begin with an exfoliant to slough away dead skin. Then use a warm cloth on your skin to soften the blackhead and enlarge the pore. Squeeze ever so carefully to avoid any skin damage. Never squeeze acne!</P><p>The best solution of course is to reduce the amount of sebum produced. Various ways to less the body's production of sebum has been mentioned. Remove dairy, fatty foods and sugar from the diet, learn to cope with stress and be moderate in all areas of your life.</P><p>There are good acne systems that address acne by vitamin and herbal supplementation as well as using creams to treat the skin each day. A number of these systems have real good feedback from the customers that keep ordering. Getting rid of blackheads is not an impossibility but will require from you persistence and consistency.<br></P></p> <br><br> <b>Author Resource:-></b>  <br><br><b>Article From</b> <a href='http://www.articlesbacklink.com/'>Articles Back Link</a><br></body></html>