Blackheads are one of the common woes that not only makes your complexion dark but also makes your skin rough and dull. Blackheads are stubborn and take time to get removed. These are types of acne or pesky blemishes that occur when your dead skin cells make a plug with sebum which clog your skin pores. However, there are some safe ways to remove them at home. In general, blackheads are removed at home by cleansing or exfoliating processes. These processes loose the plugs and draw them out. But sometimes the plugs become harder and deeper enough that it feels impossible to remove blackheads at home.
In this article,you will find tips on how to remove blackheads at home or professionally. You may also learn about the factors that will verify which treatment is effective to achieve a radiant, flawless and clear skin.
What are Blackheads?
When a clogged pore remains open, it adopts the form of an acne which is full of trapped oil and oxidized debris. Exposure to air makes this acne dark colored. On the other hand, the whiteheads are not so prominent because they are closed under the skin. But blackheads ate more visible and prominent.
Causes of Blackheads
Blackheads are formed due to several factors, including:
Excess Sebum (oil) Production: Production of excess oil from sebaceous glands leads to formation of a mixture of oil and dead skin cells. This mixture clog your skin pores.
Hormonal Changes: Menstruation, puberty, and pregnancy are some stages of life where the hormonal changes reach their peak level. These hormonal changes increase the sebum production and cause more blackheads.
Improper Skincare: Improper cleansing makes your pores more vulnerable and trap more oil in them. Use of comedogenic (pore-clogging) skin products also lead to worsened blackheads.
Environmental Changes: Changes in temperature, humidity and increased pollution in air also causes deposition of impurities and dust in your skin pores.
Tips to Remove Blackheads at Home
Removal of blackheads is often easy and can be done at home. You can do it on your own by using some simple techniques. Here are some simple tips to remove your blackheads at home on your own. These methods are not only feasible but also affordable and effective. Let’s start!
Cleansing
When you decide to start removal of your blackheads at home, the first step is cleansing of your skin. This step should be done twice a day i.e day and night. You often wash your face during the day, especially if you work out or get sweaty. But over-cleansing is not suitable for some skin types. Because it can dry out your skin. Excess of cleansing also causes more sebum to accumulate in your skin pores and lead to more dead skin cells. Therefore, skin specialists suggest cleanse your face only two times a day. For all other times just rely on simple washing and rinsing with water so that you may avoid drying of skin.
In addition, the selection of cleanser also has great importance in blackheads growth. The cleanser that suits your skin type can help you better in removal of blackheads. Therefore, it is good to use a cleanser according to the prescription of your dermatologist.
Gel-based cleansers are considered better than liquid ones because:
- These are safe to use for both sensitive skin types.
- They aren’t oily and do not make your skin oily like other cream-based cleansers.
Physical Exfoliation
This is the second step to help remove your blackheads. Physical exfoliation is the effective way to prevent sebum production and accumulation of debris and dead skin cells in your skin pores. You can find a lot of products that can act as physical exfoliants but always choose the one which cannot irritate your pores. Try something simple or natural such as DIY (do-it yourself) options or some OTC scrubs made up of gentle or natural ingredients like oatmeal to avoid irritation in skin pores. Avoid ground-up nuts and other harsh beads as they can irritate your blackheads and cause a breakout.
Most people follow the care instructions labelled on the product but if you want to try the following, you may get better results. These can be good initiative steps for most exfoliants:
- Apply exfoliator to your face in very small quantities.
- Spread the lays on your ski evenly.
- Massage the skin.
- Avoid scrubbing into your skin.
- Leave it in your mask for a few minutes.
- After some time, rinse off the exfoliant completely.
Steam Session for Opening of Pores
This is the most important step that needs your more attention. Steam helps loosen gunk and debris that have clogged your pores. The good thing is you can take a steam session at home by ordinary means without any spa steamer.
Follow the following steps to open your pores with steam:
- Boil 1-2 liter water in a pot.
- Let it cool for 3 minutes.
- Now, pour some of it in a wide opening bowl.
- Sit in front of the bowel, keep the distance of nearly 5 to 6 inches between your face and bowl.
- Cover your head and bowl to keep steam in.
- Move your face forward and backward to adjust the heat level.
- Continue the session for ten minutes at least.
Mask of Charcoal or Clay
After exfoliation and steaming processes. Your skin has prepared four next steps to remove blackheads. Now, apply a charcoal or clay mask to be more successful in your purpose. The clay and charcoal based-masks help deep cleansing your pores. They also help get a large amount of oil and dirt from your clogged pores. This is necessary before using an extractor tool. You can do it by:
- Apply a thin layer of charcoal or clay mask onto your face.
- Leave it on your face for ten minutes, at least.
- Remove the mask and rinse your skin with water.
Extractor Tool
Mask loosen your pores and get your skin ready to use an extractor tool. The extractor tool extracts deep blackheads. How is it done?
Here’s how it’s done:
- First, sterilize your extractor tool with sterilizing liquid or alcohol.
- Press its loop on your blackhead.
- Don’t oppress directly down in the middle of blackhead, it can make your power irritating afterwards.
- Try to get the head of the tool in the exact place, make a gentle sweep motion to the opposite side of the [pore.
- Now get the plug out.
If you can’t get the plug out at the first attempt, repeat for two more times. But don’t exceed the limit as more than two times can damage your skin and irritate the pore.
Soothing Serum or Cooling Gel Mask
After debris extraction from your pores, apply a soothing serum or cooling gel mask to your skin. This will help prevent inflammation. Always choose a soothing face serum or gel mask containing anti-inflammatory ingredients, like almond oil, green tea extract or vitamin E. applying a small amount of serum can make your skin cool and smooth. Rinse up your skin after applying a gel mask if you want to follow up the rest of the skin care routine.
Avoid Squeezing or Pinching
The skin specialists strictly suggested avoiding squeezing, icing or poking your blackheads. Although squeezing out a blackhead seems tempting and easy at the start , keep in mind that it’s not safe and can cause inflammation or damage to skin. Poking or pinching a blackhead can lead to:
- Scarring or bruising.
- Irritation.
- Larger pirates.
How to Use Pore Strips?
People nowadays choose pore strips to remove clogged pores. black head strips help remove blackheads without pinching, poking or picking. However, sometimes they are more dangerous than poking and picking as they cause irritation, inflammation and dryness in your skin. They also target the surface debris that often doesn’t help remove deep blackheads.
Do You Benefit from Home Remedies?
You can find a long list of “home remedies” for blackhead removal on just a click. But there’s no proof to verify their effectiveness. Studies show that some of them make your skin more sensitive, dry and irritating. Some of them open your pores widely and make them vulnerable to acne. Therefore, experts suggest exercising extreme caution before trying a home remedy. Performing a patch test can help you determine how skin will react to the specific home remedy. Try a patch test on your forearm first and wait overnight for observing the result.
Harmful Home Remedies for Blackhead Removal
Sometimes, you tend to rely on so-called natural ingredients to remove your blackheads at home. But they can harm your skin more than god. These may include:
- Applying lemon juice.
- Using apple cider vinegar for face wash.
- Using a toothpaste mask.
- Applying Epsom salt.
- Applying baking soda paste.
Some sources declared that these ingredients are useful for removing blackheads and help get rid of excess oil and dead skin cells as well. However, there are no medical proofs that make sure that these sayings are authentic. These ingredients can cause irritation, dryness, inflammation and more breakouts.
Other than these, there are some home remedies that are not effective for blackhead removal, including:
- Yogurt.
- Green tea.
- egg white.
- Honey.
You may observe that most home made skin care masks contain these ingredients as they are antioxidant and exhibit hydrating properties. But in reality they have no effects on blackheads.
Effective Options for Professional Blackhead Removal
Skin experts do not suggest professional removal at earlier stages. You can go for professional blackhead removal if you’re experiencing severe swelling or pain in blackheads. The first choice is always a home remedy but if the home remedies didn’t work in your case, you can consider making an appointment with an authentic dermatologist. Ta;k wt them about your concerns and symptoms. So that they suggest you the best one professional option for reminding your blackheads.
In most cases, following options are recommended:
Professional Extraction: In this treatment option, they male a small hole in your clogged pore, remove the plug with a looped-end metal tool.
Microdermabrasion: This method of deeper exfoliation resembles scrubbing. Fine crystals are sprayed on your skin to remove sebum layer. A specific device rubs and auctions off the upper layer of dead skin cells. A diamond-tip hand piece is used as a stool to exfoliate sensitive areas, like around your eyes and ears. This will also help reduce the appearance of wider press.
Chemical Peeling: This technique is used on the whole outer layer of your face skin. This is an effective way to remove debris and blackheads completely. However, after using this technique, your skin may be more prone to sunburns, while spending time outdoors. It is good to use a shield to protect your skin from sun rays while you’re outdoors. Follow the instructions of your dermatologist to avoid any complications when you go outside.
Laser Therapy: Breakouts usually manned an effective professional treatment option. Laser therapy is the best one because breakouts usually don’t respond to other ordinary home remedies or professional options.
In addition, skin specialists use photo-pneumatic therapy in this treatment option. High frequency laser beams are bombarded on the target and vacuum the debris simultaneously. This technique helps remove deep blackheads that are considered stubborn. Both the tools help your dermatologist to get deep into your pores to remove excess sebum and dead skin cells along with debris.
Conclusion
Blackheads make your skin and complexion dull and dark respectively. You can get rid of them by trying some simple home remedies. Home remedies are considered more effective ways to remove blackheads safely than professional treatment options. Professional options are usually more expensive and less safe. Dermatologists recommend any professional treatment option for blackheads removal only when home remedies do not affect your blackheads.
In addition, if you don’t experience any improvement, you can talk to your dermatologist about your concerns. Before choosing a home remedy or professional option for the removal of blackheads, make an appointment with your dermatologist to avoid any complication. Always do a patch test before applying any skincare product and wait for 24 hours to observe the results. Following these instructions can help avoid any side effect of skincare products used for blackheads removal.
