Everyone who has blackheads knows what they are: little naughty black spots on the skin, which spoil one’s look. But not all blackhead acne sufferers know what causes blackheads and how they came to be on their skin. Let’s find out what makes this type of acne to appear on your nose, face or other parts of your body.
What are blackheads? Basically, blackheads are considered to be the initial stage of acne. They are non-inflammatory acne lesions. If bacteria invade a blackhead, it turns into a pimple with or without pus in it and further skin inflammation. In this case, we talk about inflammatory acne lesions (pimples, nodules, cysts). Blackheads are formed in skin pores and these pores contain hair follicles. Tiny hair grows all over our bodies. Most blackheads get formed on the face, chest, back and even in ears.
Here is what causes blackheads: inside our skin pores there are little glands, called sebaceous glands. They produce skin oil, which works as a skin moisturizer and protector. When produced by the glands, it pours out through the skin pores. However, if your glands start to over produce oil, it cannot be eliminated properly and pores get blocked with the excessive oil and dirt. This is the main cause of blackheads. What happens is that this sticky substance clogs the pores and forms a blackhead.
Clogged pores get enlarged and can become permanently damaged by acne. If bacteria get inside such pores, they cause inflammation and pimples. Blackheads are also called open comedones. These pores are open; they are not covered up with any skin layer. Sebum in them comes into contact with the air and oxidates. This turns it black. Whiteheads, on the other hand, are closed with a thin layer of skin and the oil in them does not get oxidized. It stays white.
So, as you may see, an excessive skin oil production is what causes blackheads. Even people with dry skin may have blackheads on their nose, because skin there tends to be oily. There are some other causes of blackheads such as a high fat diet, and a lifestyle that is not healthy, but they are not the main causes.
The only real cure for blackheads is an acne treatment that reduces the production of oil by the sebaceous glands of the skin. Blackheads can be treated with topical treatments such as washes or scrubs, which dry up the skin and help to keep it clean. This prevents skin pores from getting blocked and can help you get rid of blackheads. There are also comedone extractors that can help remove blackheads manually.
