Say Bye, Bye to Blackheads

If you have pores, you will at some point experience blackheads. Pretty much everyone does because the microcosmic network of glands and follicles that keep skin functioning and healthy is a factory for blackheads.

Those pesky dark dots appear mostly on your nose because the sebaceous glands here are bigger and produce more oil than other parts of the face. However, they can also show up on your chin, forehead, back, chest, arms, and shoulders. They are particularly annoying because they give the impression of dirty skin, but in reality, these specks have little to do with dirt.  

Every follicle has an oil-producing sebaceous gland along with a sebaceous filament, which is a tiny tube that funnels sebum to the surface of the skin. While those elements are functioning, your skin is busy shedding dead cells, which get into the follicle and mix with the sebum to create a plug. If the skin over the plug remains intact, it will become a whitehead.

A blackhead forms when a pore is only partially clogged allowing some of the trapped sebum to drain to the surface where it’s exposed to oxygen. That black color you notice is caused by the exposure to air. That’s oxidation, not dirt. (Though dirt, makeup, and environmental pollutants can certainly contribute to a buildup of oil in the follicle.)

To remove blackheads and prevent them from returning, get a professional deep cleansing facial monthly if possible. At home, it’s critical to stick to a consistent, daily routine. Products containing vitamin A, acids (especially salicylic) and benzoyl peroxide will keep pores flushed out and oxidation from occurring.

Alpha hydroxy acids exfoliate dead skin cells. Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that goes a step further. It’s oil soluble, which allows it to work beneath the surface to clear dead cells and oil from the follicle. Salicylic acid works best in combination with benzoyl peroxide, which kills acne bacteria and flushes pores. Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that accelerates cell turnover to peel out impactions and clear cellular debris.