I don't know how many hours I've spent in front of a mirror squeezing one blackhead after another out of my big nose. If you're anything like me, and a little OCD (that rhymes!), then you've spent some time in front of the mirror wondering just what the hell is so wrong with your pores that they can't manage to do their job and drain that junk. Blackheads, after all, are a failure on the part of your follicles (aka. pores) to properly drain the Sebum, oil that naturally accumulates in them. Once the blockage begins, it's just a matter of time before acne causing bacteria take over and completely clog the pore resulting in either a whitehead or a blackhead. Below is some advice about how to get rid of blackheads and avoid the ghastly things altogether.
Before we talk about getting rid of blackheads, you need to understand that the information provided below is not a proper substitute for consulting a dermatologist or a licensed physician.
Getting Rid of Blackheads
If you want to get rid of blackheads you're going to stop using oil-based makeup and skin treatments. These oil-based skin products will ensure that your pores get clogged on a regular basis because oil-based skin products, as compared to water-based products, are near impossible for your body to break down naturally. There are non-comedogenic (“clog-free” for us lay people) skin products available that should be used instead.
If you're going to get rid of blackheads you're going to stop scrubbing your face with harsh abrasives. Irritating your skin with harsh chemicals and special skin scrubbing cloths actually causes more acne problems because your skin reacts to these chemicals by trying to repair the damage you've done, clogging your pores with puss and naturally occurring oils.
Moisturizing your face with a damp, warm cloth in the evening can help get rid of blackheads. Simply put the damp cloth over your face for a period of 15-25 minutes each night, to help loosen and dissolve dead skin, dirt, and other pore clogging particles. It has been suggested that boiling the wash cloth first will ensure that you are not introducing additional bacteria to the surface of your face. Please allow the cloth to cool properly.
Applying beta hydroxy acid to the face on a regular basis has been shown to help get rid of blackheads. Beta hydroxyl acid (Salicylic acid) is an organic acid that exfoliates the skin, allowing dead and dying skin cells to slough off more readily, thus opening the pores. Opening your pores allows the comedones (blackheads) to come to the surface for easier blackhead removal.
A 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide facial cleanser will help get rid of blackheads. Benzoyl Peroxide is a chemical most teenagers should be familiar with, seeing as how it's the main anti-bacterial agent in many acne treatment products. The key to a good facial cleanser though, is a sufficient percentage of Benzoyl Peroxide. Don't go for anything less than 2.5% if you really want to get rid of blackheads.Blackhead Removers or Extractors
A lot of us either don't have the patience to follow through with a blackhead treatment regiment or don't need it because we only need to remove the occasional blackhead. This is where cosmetic companies like Simco, Revlon, and Pfeilring come in. These companies make a number of different blackhead removers, and for a reasonable price too—sometimes less than $3.00. A blackhead remover works by using a circular pressure pad to apply, well, pressure to the areas directly surrounding the blackhead, pushing the comedone toward the surface for safe removal. You may want to opt for the Revlon Stainless Steel black head remover because they're easier to clean and keep sterile, something you'll want to make sure of considering the leading role bacteria plays in the creation of blackheads.
