Blackheads And Ways To Combat Them

We all are familiar with acne. It is one of the most common skin diseases. But do you know that all acne is not the same? Acne can actually be divided into two types, i.e. red bumps and blackheads/whiteheads.

Blackheads are also known as open comedones. A blackhead is a thickened secretion which gets accumulated in the duct of the sebaceous gland.

Sebaceous glands secrete a fluid called sebum. When hair follicles are blocked by sebum and skin cells, the result is blackheads.

Basically blackheads are yellow in colour. They appear black because clogged hair follicles reflect light irregularly.

Blackheads are a result of wrong eating habits. You are susceptible to blackheads if you put in too many gaps in the eating hours or excessively consume starch, sugar, fried and fatty foods. Oily and combination skins are more likely to get affected by blackheads.

Blackheads can also attack your skin because of stress and overuse of cosmetics. Heredity and over washing the face can be the other two factors.

But blackheads can be removed if some effective tips are followed in routine. Here are a few of them which can significantly help tackle the problem of blackheads:

1.Creams that contain AHA’s (Alpha Hydroxy Fruit Acids) should be used as they wash away the dead skin.

2.Exfoliation of the blackhead prone area with a facial or a scrub should be done 3-4 times a week.

3.Avoid excessive use of soap.

4.A medicated cream containing resorcinol, salicylic acid or benozyl peroxide should be used. It helps in absorbing the oil and removing the blackheads.

Steaming your face and then gently rolling a tissue on the either side of the blackheads can also help remove them.

Blackheads can also be squeezed out using a blackhead extractor. But a lot of care has to be taken while doing this because applying too much pressure can make the skin go red and possibly leave tiny broken veins. You must immediately consult a dermatologist if the skin gets infected.