How to Get Rid of Blackheads for Good

What are blackheads?

Blackheads are small bumps that appear on your skin due to clogged hair follicles. These bumps are called blackheads because the surface looks dark or black. Blackheads are a type of acne and even if they are less serious that cystic acne, they are very frustrating. In addition – long term blackheads may live enlarged pores and uneven skin, furthermore if removed the wrong way they may lead to infection, acne marks or even scars. Blackheads   usually form on the face, but they can also appear on other body parts such as: back, chest, neck, arms and shoulders.

Acne affects over 50 million Americans and is the most common skin disorder in the United States, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Blackheads form when the opening of hair follicles in the skin is clogged. Each follicle contains one hair and a sebaceous gland that produces oil. This oil, called sebum, helps keep your skin soft and moist. Without sebum our skin will resemble the alligator’s skin. However too much sebum causes serious problems. Dead skin cells and oils collect in the opening to the skin follicle, producing a bump called a comedone. If the skin over the bump stays closed, the bump is called a whitehead. When the skin over the bump opens, exposure to the air causes it to  ”oxidize”  and look black and a blackhead forms.

There are many factors that can cause overproduction of skin oil (sebum):

• The major one is a internal imbalance usually caused by hormonal imbalance (too much androgens also known as testosterone) or androgen-like hormones (stress hormones resemble androgens). Hormonal imbalance may be caused  by hormonal changes during the teen years, during menstruation, while taking birth control pills, during or after pregnancy, by excessive exercise or some health problem like polycystic ovarian symptom, ovarian cysts, even some medications.
• In addition, some other factors that may increase your chances of developing acne and blackheads, include:
• The buildup of the Propionibacterium acnes bacteria on the skin
• Irritation of the hair follicles when dead skins cells don’t shed on a regular basis
• Taking certain drugs, such as corticosteroids, lithium, or androgens  (testosterone)
• Some foods that increase blood sugar levels, such as carbohydrates or foods that contain lots of simple sugar, may play a part in triggering acne or exasperate it.

Many topical acne treatments (that are available in cream, gel, and pad form and can be bought in your grocery store of local pharmacy) contain ingredients such as salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and resorcinol. They may work temporarily by killing bacteria but they also dry and prematurely age your skin and will NOT remove THE CAUSES of acne that is OVERPRODUCTION of sebum. In addition, FDA recently issued some warnings regarding those ingredients and sun exposure. Finally – for darker complexion they may cause discolorations and blotches of the skin.

Manual removal

BEWARE of SELF EXTRACTION of Blackheads. This may cause permanent or at least long-term injury of the skin such as skin marks or even scars.

Extraction by dermatologists or specially trained skin care professionals is done in a sterile condition and with use of a special instrument called a round loop extractor to remove the plug causing the blackhead. After a small opening is made in the plug, the doctor applies pressure with the extractor to remove the clog.

Again - these are NOT treatments of blackheads, but just removals of the symptoms of acne (after these procedures, blackheads might come back).

Microdermabrasion and Peels

Another way to try to limit clogging is to limit the number of dead skin cells that may mix with sebum.

It this case occasional microdermabrasion or peel may be used as a helpful adjunct (addition to acne treatment). During microdermabrasion, a doctor or skin care professional uses a special instrument that contains a rough surface to sand the top layers of your skin. Sanding the skin removes clogs that cause blackheads.

Chemical peels also remove clogs and get rid of the dead skins cells that contribute to blackheads. During a peel, a strong chemical solution is applied to the skin. Over time, the top layers of the skin peel off, revealing smoother skin underneath. Mild peels are available over the counter, while stronger peels are performed by dermatologists or other skincare professionals.

There is a number of natural ingredients that can serve as a great DIY peeling masks such as papaya, (see below for a bonus papaya mask recipe).

REAL TREATMENT FOR BLACKHEADS

The only effective way to treat blackheads is to treat acne when it starts, which means treating it from INSIDE your body. The only way to stop new acne including the blackheads from forming is to stop acne cascade, that is to PREVENT acne process to start by removing the cause of acne that is overproduction of sebum.

This is exactly what AcnEase is doing by breaking the acne cycle. When you start using AcnEase (please choose the right regimen for your type of acne) the first thing you will notice is less oily skin. This will be the first step on your journey to get rid of your blackheads, whiteheads, pimples and even cysts.   

BONUS

Papaya Mask

This papain enzyme is present in maximum concentration just under the peel of unripe papaya. Therefore, for the maximum benefit of papaya for your skin use the peel rather than the pulp of this fruit. Papaya is also a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, pantothenic acid, folate, magnesium and potassium

How to do it

1. Peel and chop 1/4 part of ripe papaya into pieces.
2. Blend papaya and 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice in it.
3. Now take a steam to open skin pores and apply this as a face mask.
4. Leave on 15 – 20 minutes.
5. Rinse with lukewarm water followed by cold water to close the pores.