If it’s not a large pimple on the forehead, it is a black head on the nose. There is no winning really when it comes to having clear skin.
And then they keep coming back and it gets super annoying and overwhelming.
To better understand these pesky bumps that can appear on the chest, neck, shoulders or even back, we need to understand what they are and how they are formed first before we can tackle them hopefully for good.
When an opening in the pore gets clogged with sebum, a blackhead is formed. It gets its name, however, due to its black colour after exposure to air causes the pore to oxidize because it is not covered by a layer of skin.
Common during puberty, comedones, the scientific term for acne lesions, may be caused by many underling issues such as fluctuation in hormones during pregnancy or menstruation, certain beauty and hair products, diet, medical conditions or excessive sweating.
Divided into two, they can be open or closed. Closed comedones are covered by a thin layer of skin thus having a lighter color and commonly known as whiteheads.
Although they can clear by themselves, they may take super long and it wouldn’t hurt to tweak a few things here and there to get rid of them.
Here is how.
SteamTo ease the extraction, it is a good idea to loosen and soften the debris trapped in the pores using some heat from hot water if you don’t have a face steamer.
You can choose to take a hot shower or place your face over a bowl of hot water then cover your head entirely with a towel for a few minutes.
You can also trap the heat on the pimple by applying a heavy moisturizer then extract the gunk while your skin is moist and as soft as possible.
Avoid picking and scratching blackheads especially with dirty hands or it will cause permanent damage.
You must be very patient and gentle and remember, do not use your nails or you may puncture your skin leaving behind a scar.
With clean hands, identify how large the lesion is and place your fingers around the area gently pressing from the bottom up.
Wipe off the sebum with cotton pads and use a pore strip to lift any trapped debris to the surface.
Use an extractorIf using your fingers doesn’t sound appealing, use an extractor tool for the job.
After steaming or doing a facial, place the extractor on the pimple and apply some pressure then gently press until it pops and the stuff inside starts to come out.
But if you discover that there is some resistance and it is not releasing easily, stop. Further manipulation will be painful and may cause some scarring and in extreme cases, infection.
Once you have successfully extracted, wipe the area with an alcohol free, antibacterial toner and leave it to go down.
To prevent future occurrence of blackheads, follow a simple skin care routine that boils down to cleanse using a water-soluble mild cleanser, exfoliate with a Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) product and hydrate with a night cream at night and a light moisturizing sunscreen during the day.