What are?
Blackheads, also called open comedones, are skin impurities resulting from the dilation and opening of white spots or closed comedones.
Causes
Why do black spots form?
The black dots substantially form following the opening of the so-called white dots. The latter are made up of oily masses containing sebum, keratin and sometimes microorganisms, which accumulate inside the hair follicles.
When the white comedones open under the dilating thrust of their content, lipid oxidation, associated with the migration of melanin-rich cells, determines the formation of the characteristic dark cap, hence the term "blackheads". Although the coloring of the top of the blackhead is not due to dirt, a poor cleaning of the skin can still favor its appearance.
As mentioned, blackheads are a typical imperfection of the puberty period, linked in large part to the increased synthesis of sex hormones. These messengers, particularly testosterone and its metabolites (dihydrotestosterone in the first place), stimulate the activity of the sebaceous glands; consequently, the skin appears more oily and the follicles are prone to obstruction due to sebum accumulation.
Not by chance, blackheads and boils are typical manifestations of seborrhea, a dysfunction of the sebaceous glands that leads to an overproduction of their secretion. Stagnating in the follicles, excess sebum therefore gives rise to comedones.
In addition to seborrhea, there are various conditions that can cause or promote the appearance of blackheads. Among these, the lack of regular skin cleansing and the application of some cosmetics, such as fat or oily makeup and creams. Therefore, it is very important to remove these products, always and everywhere, before going to sleep.
Treatment and Prevention
As everyone knows, crushing the black points between the fingers facilitates the expulsion of their contents, which appears in the form of adipose cylinders with a dark apex. However, this questionable and unfortunately widespread approach is certainly not the best technique to treat them, since, if followed without due care, it could have scarring or infectious outcomes.
First of all, to limit the appearance of new blackheads it is essential to take care of your skin regularly and adequately. In this regard, it is essential to cleanse the skin daily with soap and water. Remembering, however, that a small amount of sebum is still important to protect it from annoying irritation. Therefore, it is good to avoid aggressive detergents and frequent washing (which would lead to producing even more sebum).
Deepening: Black Point Patches
drugs
If the blackheads are particularly tenacious, they worsen or cause discomfort and inflammation, it could be necessary to use drugs.
However, the pharmacological treatment of blackheads cannot do without a prior dermatological examination.
Comedolytic therapy is based on the administration of topical drugs, among which the products based on retinoic acid (a derivative of vitamin A) stand out. This active ingredient, today superseded by less irritating derivatives, prevents the formation of the keratin cap and stimulates its expulsion at the level of the black spots already formed. In other words, retinoic acid dissolves comedones and prevents their reappearance.
Of course, in the case of drug therapy of blackheads it is important to follow scrupulously the instructions on the label of prescribed drugs and medical advice. Only by relying on the care of those who know the problem thoroughly will you be able to avoid the scars and dangerous irritations that are often hidden behind DIY remedies.
Other treatments
Very useful are also the so-called peelings that, through cutaneous application of special products, followed by a light massage, favor the removal of the superficial cells, stimulating at the same time the cellular proliferation.
Finally, surgical enucleation also deserves mention, through which the physician, with the help of a small metal instrument with circular tip, called comedone extractor, favors the expulsion of the oily mass enclosed within the black points. These operations must be carried out with sterile materials, in a very clean environment.
To facilitate the opening of the pores, it is important to expose the skin to the steam for about ten minutes before starting the treatment.
Other Remedies
For the treatment of blackheads alternative remedies for pharmacological treatments can also be used.
For example, you can try using herbal medicine. Among the various herbal remedies, we recall the use of Melaleuca oil (Tea tree oil), with antibacterial properties useful in the treatment of acne.
Remaining in the field of natural remedies, even the green clay face masks can be a valid aid in fighting blackheads. The clay, in fact, has antiseptic and purifying properties against the skin and, at the same time, with exfoliating properties.
There are also numerous "do-it-yourself recipes" for the elimination of blackheads which are very popular on the web without any control and which often propose the use of substances and methods that are somewhat questionable for the removal of this type of blackheads.
In this regard, it is very important to remember that "do-it-yourself" is not exactly the best method to use in the treatment of blackheads, as there is no guarantee of the efficacy or safety of this practice.
In fact, even if in the "do-it-yourself recipes" apparently innocuous ingredients are used, if not correctly dosed, or if mixed together and handled by inexperienced people, the results obtained could be completely counterproductive; or worse, they could lead to skin irritation and sensitization, resulting in inflammation.
