Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Removing Blackheads? - Learn How to Do it Right!

By Peter Skonctue

Removing blackheads is an important step in bringing acne under control. Acne is a common and annoying skin condition that adults and young people suffer from. It can cause low self-esteem and be very frustrating trying to control it. Understanding what acne and blackheads are, and the reason they form, can lead to knowing how to get rid of them.

You should understand that acne and blackheads are caused by a buildup of excess oil in the sebaceous glands that are located right underneath the skin. It is a myth that acne is caused by uncleanliness.

A blackhead in medical terms is known as an open comedo, and can look yellowish as well as black. In fact, it is when an open comedo appears in a clogged hair follicle, as they often do, that the hair gives it its black appearance. It depends on the severity as to whether or not removing blackheads will be necessary as in some instances they can disappear naturally.

Many times, they become severe or chronic, and then removing blackheads is necessary. There are different means of removing them and some of those are natural remedies.

Use a gentle facial scrub on your face every other day for removing blackheads. Wash your face daily with a vegetable glycerin based soap or some other natural skin cleaner. Buy your face cleaning products from the health food store or whole foods store so you know you are buying pure, quality products.

Successfully removing blackheads means getting down into the pores of your skin, so a warm shower can be helpful to open you pores up prior to cleaning. Twice a week, it is helpful to use a little more forceful heat by way of steaming your pores open. You can do this by putting your face over a bowl of steaming hot water (you can add a tiny amount of plant oil if you wish), and covering your head and the bowl with a towel to ensure the steam is directed at your face. If you happen to use a gym with a sauna, this will do equally well.

You can also make a natural lotion to apply to your face using 2 portions of jojoba oil, to one of rose hip seed oil, to one of lavender oil. The jojoba and the rose hip combine to help in removing the blackheads and to minimize scarring, whilst the lavender kills of any infection and help to lessen any inflammation.

Do not squeeze blackheads even though you may be tempted to do so. Removing blackheads in this method is dangerous as it can lead to infection and cause scarring.

There is a device on the market known as a comedo extractor or blackhead strips. These work in similar fashion to hair waxing strips. To use it, you apply a strip to your skin, leave it for a few minutes and then rip it up, pulling blackheads up with it. It does work for removing blackheads but his can cause scarring and it does not address the root cause of blackheads so they do not return.

It is best to try natural methods of removing blackheads first so you can minimize the risk of causing permanent scars on the delicate skin of your face. In many cases, the natural methods work just as well if not better than treatments that are more dangerous do anyway. Learn more about the natural treatments available so you can rid yourself of blackheads for good.

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