A blackhead forms when a hair follicle is dilated and becomes clogged with oil and dead skin cells. Each of the many hair follicles on your skin contains a sebaceous gland that produces an oil called sebum. It's the sebum that helps keep your skin soft. However, sometimes the sebaceous glands produce too much sebum.
Blackheads are a type of acne vulgaris, or hormonal acne. The most common cause is oil gland over-production, which can happen during hormonal shifts, such as puberty, menstruation, and pregnancy. Blackheads can also form when hair follicles are irritated or when dead skin cells do not shed regularly.
'You should absolutely not squeeze blackheads. Squeezing a spot can push the inflammation deeper and this can cause scarring of the skin,' she says. Squeezing a spot can push the inflammation deeper and this can cause scarring of the skin.
What happens if you don't remove blackheads like these? They'll likely turn into deep blackheads and, eventually, pimples. Because blackheads are a type of clogged pore, they can become painful, red, and swollen, and can even develop pus down the road.
Blackheads are most common in the pores that lie within your T-Zone, a section of your face that includes your nose, forehead, and chin. The skin in this area contains more oil glands than other parts of your face and body, which is one of the main factors why blackheads often pop up on your nose.
If you're wondering how often you should get your blackheads removed, professional extractions are recommended to get done every four to six weeks, or once or twice a month, depending on your skin needs.
Do pore strips really work? In short, yes — but there is a caveat. While they can remove surface gunk, they don't remove the deeper components of blackheads within the pore, meaning you might still see some dark spots along your nose post-yank, notes Dr. Anolik.
If you've ever had blackheads on your face, then you've probably noticed holes on your skin after they're removed. These are just enlarged pores, and they should heal on their own.
Prolonged exposure to the air causes the blockage to oxidize and darken. Because the pore gets stretched out of shape, it will fill back up again even after it is emptied. These stubborn pores are most likely to occur on the face, chest and back.
Although quick fixes like the toothpaste trick seem tempting and useful, most do not have any real benefits to your skin. Acne treatment is a process and it is important to be patient to see results. Your skin may not clear up overnight, but in the long run it will look and feel healthier.
Basically, what happens if you don't pop a whitehead is that it goes away on its own, usually in 3 to 7 days. It may happen that you wake up one morning and notice the pimple is gone. Or you may notice the pimple draining.
A: Although it's tempting, squeezing blackheads with your fingers is a bad idea. That can cause trauma to the skin and lead to hyperpigmentation or scarring.