How to get rid of those blackheads

The are plenty of articles online telling us how to get rid of acne and spots, but not so many telling us how to get rid of blackheads. Although not as apparent as acne, sufferers can feel very self conscious about blackheads and find them distressing. Hopefully you will find this guide comprehensive enough to answer any possible questions you may have on how to get rid of blackheads. So read on.

Knowing how to get rid of blackheads in a non-abrasive and gentle manner is a key-factor to consider when it comes to maintaining healthy glowing skin. If you are too harsh or aggressive when trying to get rid of blackheads then you could end up leaving your fragile skin damaged, sore, and looking worse than it did before.

It's important to understand the causes of blackheads if we want to combat them effectively. Blackheads can develop at any stage of a persons life, but generally start from the teenage years onwards. This is because our hormones are going crazy during our teens. We start producing high levels of androgen and other oil producing hormones. These oils (known as Sebum), along with a few dead skin cells collect in our skins pores where they become exposed to oxygen which turns them black and solid. Particularly oily areas of the skin such as the nose, chin and cheeks are usually affected by blackheads the most. Sometime they can appear in clusters across an area of the skin (this is often the case on the nose) and sometimes as large individual blackheads.

So that's what blackheads are, but what can we do about them?

Preventing Blackheads

Well first off, prevention is better than cure. Keeping on top of your skincare regime will help stop blackheads from forming before they even develop. It doesn't have to be an extensive and time consuming regime, it just has to be regular. At least twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, use a warm damp flannel to open up your pores before washing your face with a little mild anti-bacterial soap. Soap infused with tea tree oil has became a popular choice for people looking for a natural anti-bacterial option.

If you wear make-up make sure you remove it all completely before you go to bed at night. Make-up is a big cause of blackheads because it blocks up the pores in your skin and is often greasy. Greasy and clogged up pores are a recipe for disaster as far as blackheads are concerned so get yourself into the habit of thoroughly removing your make-up.

If you don't do it already, you may want to consider using an exfoliate or face scrub about once a week. This will help remove dead skin cells from your pores and prevent them getting blocked. Anyone who already suffers with acne should probably give exfoliates and face scrubs a miss, as they will only further agitate and damage inflamed skin.