Blackheads arise when a skin pore becomes clogged with dead skin cells, oil, or bacteria. These dead skin cells and excess oil accumulate in the follicle’s opening and form a bump. The bumps start to turn black with air exposure, hence the name blackhead.
Although most people develop blackheads on the nose, this skin nightmare can develop in other body parts like around the face and eyes. In addition, blackheads can stick around for days and even weeks if left untreated, so you need to know how to remove blackheads the right way. Below are some skin care tips that can help.
- Wash gently with a cleanser
Resist the urge to roughly scrub your blackheads because that may worsen the situation. Instead, use a mild cleanser containing glycolic acid. Glycolic acid will help clear out your skin, and although it won’t wipe out the blackheads, you are on the right track.
In addition, you should cleanse daily because daily cleansing helps to eliminate excess oil and dirt that clog up your pores. A helpful approach is double-cleansing. First, you cleanse with an oil-based cleanser to eliminate pollutants and makeup from your skin. Then follow with a water-based cleanser to remove oil and dirt from your skin.
- Steam your face
Before you extract blackheads at home, it’s vital to soften and loosen your skin pores with heat. A face steamer is the go-to equipment for this, but there are other crude methods available if you don’t have a steamer. For example, take a shower, wash your face well, and apply a thin layer of moisturizer to the area.
This method aims to keep the heat trapped in your skin and make the extraction easier. Afterward, cover the area with plastic wrap and use a hot, damp cloth also to cover it. Next, add another layer of a hot, damp cloth. This will ensure that heat is retained and your skin is soft for the extraction. After some minutes, remove the plastic and the clothes, then add another thin layer of moisturizer before extracting.
- Never squeeze with your nails
Many people who do not know how to remove blackheads pick and scratch their skin in an attempt to extract blackheads. This only puts them at risk of scarring their skin permanently. The trick is to be gentle. Start with clean hands, and don’t place your fingers too close to the blackhead. Spread your fingers out so the blackheads will be extracted from a deeper level in the skin.
Gently squeeze and often change the location of your fingers to avoid creating any marks. If you resort to using your nails, you may puncture your skin and still not remove the blackhead, so you need to be as careful as possible.
- Make use of an extractor tool
If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, an alternative option is to use an extractor tool. Most aestheticians use the tool, so this is your best bet if you want a fast and easy way to get rid of annoying blackheads.
Place the open tip of each side of the extractor tool on the blackhead and press gently. Apply pressure until it begins to release, and once you’ve grabbed the black material, pull it out to extract it. You can check videos online to know exactly how to carry out this extraction. If the blackhead doesn’t come off easily, don’t force it. It means you need to try other methods. However, wipe your skin with an alcohol-free, antibacterial toner if it does work.
- Make use of a pore strip
Do you know how kids put duct tape on their skin and rip it off so it takes the surrounding hair? This is the same mechanism but without force. After loosening and softening your skin with hot water, you put a band-aid on the affected area. The suction from removing the band-aid will pull out the blackheads on the surface. You should note that this is a temporary solution because you’re not really treating the blackheads.
- Always exfoliate
Although regular exfoliants work, they are not as effective as the chemical ones. Instead of using a scrub, turn to alpha-hydroxy acids and chemical peels. Some scrubs are known to cause microtears in your skin, so they’re not advised.
Look for ingredients like lactic acid, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid. These ingredients enter deep into the skin and dissolve the dirt causing blackheads. They also keep the pores open and clean.
- Use blackhead-clearing topicals
Applying topicals can break the dirt and oil deposits that cause blackheads. However, they take some time to work, and you’ll have to apply them for several days or weeks to see any significant change. Popular topicals include tea tree oil, salicylic acid, and alpha-hydroxy acids.
- Stop using comedogenic products
You may be using the cleanser, exfoliate and mask, but they’ll do no good if you keep using comedogenic makeup and face products. Your blackhead removal regimen should begin with using non-comedogenic products because these products won’t clog your pores or cause comedones. Unfortunately, not all products are non-comedogenic, so you have to carefully read the labels of your skin products or consult a dermatologist.
- Always moisturize
Although oils are the primary cause of blackheads, avoiding it will do more harm than good. The key to minimizing blackheads is not avoiding oils altogether; it’s keeping your skin moisture level balanced. Although some oils like avocado oil can clog your skin pores, avoiding it will only make your skin produce more which can cause blackheads. Find a non-comedogenic moisturizer to keep your skin’s moisture level balanced.
- Use gadgets
Apart from the extractor tool mentioned earlier, a few other tools make it much easier to extract a blackhead. There are pore vacuums that suck the dirt out of your skin. However, before using just any vacuum, you need to do proper research because they can have too strong suction.
- Know when to let go
From the start, you should target the most apparent blackheads. But if one of those blackheads doesn’t budge, don’t force it. If you’ve tried extracting it three times and it doesn’t pop, don’t be persistent. You can damage your skin or break a capillary if you keep on trying. If it’s not coming out, it’s not the time to remove it yet. You can try some other day again.
In some rare cases, people mistake a cyst for a blackhead. Unfortunately, cysts sometimes look like blackheads, so you may need to see a dermatologist if your blackhead isn’t coming out.
- Wash your face before and after exercise
Sweating can be why your pores are clogged because they combine with dirt, bacteria, and dead skin cells leading to blackheads. Wash your face before and after a workout or any activity that makes you sweat excessively. Although this is not how to remove blackheads, it’s a great preventive measure. In this case, using a mild face wash is the most effective way instead of exfoliants. Be gentle when you cleanse because rubbing or scrubbing too hard can irritate your skin and cause inflammation or breakouts.
- Use a charcoal or clay mask
Masks containing charcoal or clay can help you eliminate excess oil and dirt from your skin. Although products like this don’t cleanse your skin, they can help manage blackheads and other acne problems. Wear the mask for about 10 to 15 minutes, rinse it off and apply moisturizer afterward because they can dry out your skin.
Products That Can Help You Remove Blackheads
Now that you know how to remove blackheads, below are some products that can hasten your skincare journey.
Talk about killing many birds with one stone. This facial exfoliant contains 2% Beta Hydroxy acid that unclogs pores, exfoliates dead cells, brightens your skin tone, and smoothes wrinkles. It is gentle on the skin compared to abrasive face scrubs. In addition, it is fragrance, fluff, and paraben-free.
This scrub uses salicylic acid to eliminate blackheads, leaving the skin feeling fresh. It exfoliates and minimizes the appearance of the pores. It also cleans excess oil and scrubs off dead skin cells. It’s effortless to use; wet your hands and face, then apply it to your face. Rinse after a few minutes and dry.
This pore vacuum uses innovative technology to extract acne and blackheads without chemicals. It’s eco-friendly and non-irritating. It has five different suction levels available for different skin types, and it can be used directly on the face.
It has an inbuilt USB rechargeable battery and a LED display to check battery power and suction level. It’s portable, which makes it easy to carry around.
This 3-in-1 kit is made from natural materials. It has no silicone or parabens, and it is vegan-friendly. Not only does it work against blackheads, it eliminates whiteheads, skin impurities, and skin stains.
It has five blackhead and pimple extractors made of durable steel. The extractors are easy to use, and they can help you remove acne and blackheads from your skin painlessly.
Biore pore strips clean and unclogs your pores in just ten minutes. In addition, consistent use of the pore strips has been proven to reduce the appearance of blackheads.
Conclusion
Knowing how to remove blackheads isn’t enough; you need to put the information you’ve gathered into practice. Remember to cleanse, exfoliate, use tools and strips. Talk to an expert on the best product for your skin tone and read product instructions carefully before use.