Blackheads: Prevention, Recurrence, & How to Get Rid of Them!

One of the most common skin afflictions that pester an average person is blackheads. This affects almost anyone even those who technically have good skin. Even if you have very few dark spots or seldom breakout, this skin affliction can still find its way in your skin especially your T-zone.

During summer, these tiny pore plugs become even more prevalent because we sweat more and produce more oil that contributes to its formation.

It is unpleasant to look at and make us stress out even more.

There are countless blogs talking about how to get rid of blackheads but why is it that we find that it isn’t working for us? Or if it did at one point, why is it not having a lasting effect?

Let’s explore the possible reasons why blackheads continue to be a daily nuisance for everyone.

How Blackheads Come to Be

Our skin is covered by hair follicles that can collect oil, sebum, skin debris and dirt. A hair follicle may also get infected if bacteria gets into it that may cause pimples, boils, or other skin infections.

An open comedo or blackheads is a clogged hair follicle that is oxidized, thus giving the blackened color and that’s why it is called a “blackhead.” If it is a closed comedo, it results in the formation of “whiteheads” instead.

Blackheads form in the wide opening of the surface of a pore. The combination of excess sebum, bacteria, and abnormal sloughing off of skin cells lead to the clogging of the pores.

Anyone can have blackheads even those who have good skin and it can occur anywhere in the face but is mostly found in the oiliest part of the skin, usually at the T-zone or the forehead, nose, and chin.

How to Prevent Blackheads from Taking over Your Skin

Knowing how blackheads form is a first step in preventing it from taking space in your face and in your life.

Since we know that it forms if there is excess oil production, then we should review how we get excess oil in our skin.

You may not be aware of it but the skin care products you use may be the number one culprit why you have these unsightly bumps in your skin in the first place. Go for products that are non-comedogenic, be it moisturizers, sunscreens, makeup or hair products.

If you have naturally oily skin, let go of heavy moisturizers that can contribute to blackhead formation. Use gel or water-based moisturizers, foam facial cleansers, and non-comedogenic make-up.

Aside from oil, you also need to exfoliate several times a week. Dead skin cells can clog pores and contribute to bumps in your skin. Microdermabrasion is a great way to remove dead skin cells, buff away rough skin, decongest pores, and improve the overall appearance of the skin.

Trophy Skin’s microdermabrasion tools also have a Pore Extraction Tip that can be used to remove excess oil, sebum, whiteheads and blackheads.

Choose a facial wash that has salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. It is a good way to prevent blackheads and whiteheads on a daily basis. You may also go for toners that have salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to make sure that the active ingredient sits on your skin longer for it to be able to do its work.

How to Eradicate Blackheads for Good

You may hear professionals discouraging you from picking your own skin and this is not without reason. Most cases, you end up infecting the pore because of unhygienic practice, leading to a more serious condition.

Some people manage to remove the blackheads but did not follow up with an antibacterial solution to kill the bacteria from deep in the pore. This results in more trouble, scarring, and infection. So, if you have no idea how to do it properly, do your own research before taking matters into your own hands or go see a professional.

Dermatologists and licensed estheticians can perform extractions to remove blackheads for you. It can be costly but removing these pesky black dots is oddly satisfying. If you are really itching to remove the blackheads, consider doing the following:

• Wash your face with a gentle foaming facial wash.
• Wash your hands properly.
• If available, wear a pair of latex gloves to prevent the natural oil from your hands from transferring to your face.
• To open the pores, use a facial steamer (if available) or apply a warm compress to the skin. A hot towel should be good to open up your pores. Be careful not to burn your skin!
• Use a comedone extractor that is aptly sanitized. It is important to use a clean tool to prevent infection. Do not apply too much pressure that may result to overly traumatizing the skin. If the blackhead won’t pop out, apply a warm compress to that area again until it is easier to remove it.
• Apply a calming anti-bacterial toner over the areas you have unclogged to prevent infecting the pore.

Trophy Skin has a nifty device that can help unclog pores safely and effectively. The Labelle Ultrasonic Skin Spatula is proven to remove blackheads, whiteheads and exfoliate the skin to prevent clogging.

The ultrasonic waves help loosen up dirt, clogs, blackheads and whiteheads to prevent skin congestion. It removes excess oil and helps prevent dull skin tone.

All you need is to follow the simple steps below:

1. Wash your face with a gentle facial wash.
2. Do not wipe your face dry. Keep it wet and press the power button once on your Labelle Ultrasonic Skin Spatula for the scrubber mode. The top icon should light up blue and you can feel the device vibrate.
3. Glide the spatula across your skin in a 30-degree angle. You may spray water or your favorite facial mist to keep the area damp during the scrubber mode.
4. Focus on your T-zone or the area that gets clogged often. It helps if you let the spatula stay on a stubborn area for a few seconds or so to loosen up the clogged pore.
5. You can wipe the blade on a clean towel or tissue to remove the residue that you collected.
6. Apply moisturizer using the Infusion Mode. Put moisturizer on your face without rubbing it in. Push the power button again to switch on to Infusion mode. The lower icon should light up orange.
7. Flip the Labelle, with the power button facing your skin, and rub your serum or moisturizer in.

Using the Labelle Ultrasonic Skin Spatula is a better way of removing the blackheads and whiteheads compared to using a blackhead-extracting tool. It is painless and feels like getting a massage. No wonder it is a popular service in med spas.

How to Keep Blackheads Off Your Face

There are countless over the counter products that can help us get rid and prevent blackheads. There are also a number of spas, medical clinics, and dermatologist’s offices that we can go to in case we need a professional touch.

Many at-home devices are also available so we can level up our skincare game. But despite all the advancement in skin care, why do we still get common blackheads?

Mainly because we do not use the correct product for our skin type. Or, if we do go see our estheticians or dermatologists, we don’t do so often. Or if we do have great at-home tools, we barely touch the thing and let it collect the dust.

We need to incorporate skin care in our daily routine, just like when you brush your teeth daily. It is important to keep our skin clean and healthy so that the dirt from our environment and from the makeup that we use will not cause any irritation to our skin.

If we take skin care seriously, no blackhead will pester us ever again. So, we have to do the work and be responsible for keeping our skin in tip top shape, on a daily basis.