What exactly causes blackheads? Are the pores on your nose too large and fill up with dirt? Are they pimples that do not officially become blackheads? When you understand exactly what causes blackheads, you can make sure they go away and never come back.
Blackheads are actually pimples that don’t turn into whiteheads because the pores are too large to form a protective layer of skin when they become infected and clogged. Specifically, what happens is that your body produces what is known as sebum oil. For people who have naturally oily skin, this is the substance you are dealing with. Sebum is produced to keep body hair waterproof and to moisturize the skin. Without sebum, your skin would dry out and fade.
This substance travels from the sebaceous glands, through the pores and hair follicles to the surface of the skin. When too much sebum is produced or blocked by clogged pores, it cannot effectively reach the skin’s surface. As a result, clogged pores fill up with bacteria and dead skin cells. When this occurs and the pores are smaller in diameter, a protective layer of skin forms over the hair follicle and a blackhead begins to form. However, when the hair follicles are slightly larger, the protective layer of skin cannot form. Now the bacteria- and sebum-filled pores are exposed to air, which oxidizes and discolors the contents of the hair follicle, forming what is known as a blackhead.
So now that you know what causes pimples, you can begin to see why preventative methods and treatment regimens work to get rid of pimple acne. There are two fundamental things that effective treatment programs focus on: reducing the amount of sebum oil that is produced and keeping pores healthy and unclogged.
Topical solutions containing beta-hydroxy acid draw bacteria out of your pores and keep them clear, so you can see why this is a top blackhead removal product. That is a simple process. After washing your face, simply wipe the problem area with the BHA solution.
What is a bit more complicated is getting your body to reduce sebum oil. This can usually be accomplished by changing your behavior or the way you do certain things, which requires some self-discipline and is usually a harder problem to overcome. For example, you may need to change the products you use and the way you wash your face. Many acne-prone people tend to deal with their oily skin by over-washing, being abrasive, or using drying products. This overcompensation could actually make the problem worse. When your skin is dry or damaged, your body tries to protect and repair it by producing more sebum oil, which is the factor you’re trying to reduce, not increase.
This is just one example, but there are a dozen other simple behavioral things you can do to get rid of pimples. When you use a blackhead acne treatment that focuses on both reducing sebum oil production and keeping hair follicles healthy and clean, you can get rid of blackheads for good without spending more money on products that don’t they work and are potentially making the problem worse.
