There are several things that can help you prevent your black heads from coming back. First, though, you need to understand what a blackhead is and how it is formed. Blackheads, or open comedones, are blackish or even yellowish plugs or bumps on the skin. A kind of acne vulgaris, blackheads are responsible for creating a number of issues. Firstly, they are unsightly and embarrassing. They can also get infected and turn into red swollen pimples. Many people falsely assume that blackheads are caused by poor hygiene. Actually, it is not.
Blackheads are formed when excess oil and dead skin cells build up inside a pore. The top of these oily plugs turn dark when exposed to oxygen. It is the melanin in the cells that actually creates the color. As you can see, they are not black because of dirt, they are black from oxidization. Thankfully, a good skin care regimen will eliminate the blackheads and keep them from re-forming.
To truly eliminate blackheads, you must follow a daily facial routine without skipping too many days. The idea is to keep the pores cleaned out and tightened so the oil plug cannot form to oxidize and turn dark. We are so busy these days that for many people, it is very difficult to keep up a routine like this, but it can be simple. Here are the basics:
1. Cleanse: One of the first things that you need to do to prevent blackheads is gently cleanse your skin each day. Make sure the cleanser does not contain harsh astringents as this will likely increase oil production in your skin.
2. The next important step is to exfoliate every day. This happens right after cleansing. You can also buy a cleanser with salicylic acid or AHA which are gentle acidic exfoliants. What exfoliating does is removes the dead cells from the pores, keeping them from getting plugged up. Some people find that the acidic creams work best to get deep down into the pores.
3. After you have regularly cleansed your skin every day and exfoliated, you will need to "tone" your skin which simply means to apply a liquid that causes your pores to gently constrict or tighten. This helps to keep the pores tiny and not noticeable. Also, it will help keep those yucky plugs from forming again.
4. The last step in making sure that blackheads do not come back is moisturizing. How this helps with blackheads is by reducing the amount of oil that your skin produces. Your body is smart and it can sense when there is a good amount of moisture in the skin and when there is not. When your skin is dry, your oil production increases to protect it. When you apply a light moisturizer, oil production can decrease and this will reduce the formation of blackheads.
As with most problems, and blackheads are no different, prevention is key. By following the steps outlined above, you can eliminate and prevent unsightly blackheads. Just remember though, blackheads are a natural process of the body when skin turnover is not high enough and excess oil is present. If you stop your skin care regimen, the blackheads will come back. Sorry that there's no permanent solution, but this routine will truly have you blackhead free as long as you're faithful with it.
Blackheads can be so embarrassing. I know, because I have had them all my life. I follow the regimen above and I can tell you it really works! I use Obagi skin care products and I love it. I heard about it through my favorite athlete who also uses Obagi. If you want more info, check out these Obagi reviews. I encourage you to try them, as they will help get rid of your blackheads much faster.
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