When it comes to common skin concerns, blackheads and congestion never fail to discriminate. No matter if you're male or female, young or mature, fair or dark I'm sure a stubborn blackhead (or two) has graced your skin with it's presence.
But have you ever wondered what exactly a blackhead is, how it has formed, how to get rid of it and most importantly, how to prevent blackheads from making a reappearance? We sat down with a Professional Skin Therapist to deliver to you all the facts and a few industry insider tips so you can banish blackheads pronto!
What is a Blackhead?
Blackheads are surface skin bumps where clogging of a hair follicle (pore) occurs. Professionally referred to as comedones, the trapped sebum, dead skin cells and grime create a plug in the follicle, with the dark appearance caused by oxidisation of this oil on the skin's surface... much like a cut apple turns brown. Blackheads unfortunately aren't fussy and can set up camp on the face, shoulders, arms, neck, chest, back and even inside the ear hollow (hello office phone sharing!).
What causes Blackheads?
A combination of sebum (your skin's natural oil), sweat, dirt, makeup, sunscreen, and dead skin cells that have collected in a hair follicle can combine to make a career as a blackhead.Certain products and ingredients love to hide out in the pores and really set up camp if you don't cleanse and exfoliate the skin well. These include mineral oil, talc, petroleum products and lanolin so you should always read the ingredients carefully on your products.
Are Blackheads, Whiteheads and Pimples the same?
Categorically, we can refer to all of these skin blemishes as 'congestion'. Blackheads and whiteheads are essentially formed in the exact same way, the difference being a blackhead is an open blockage whilst a whitehead has the skin over the bump closed. A whitehead or 'milia' must be extracted with use of a lance to create an opening for the impaction to escape. A pimple or 'pustule' differs to a whitehead, as bacteria and (excuse the honesty) pus arepresent, making this form of breakout a site of infection.
How do I get rid of Blackheads?
No matter which form of skin congestion you are experiencing, ALWAYS enlist the skillful hands of a Professional Skin Therapist to avoid scarring and damage to the skin. The perfect formula to remove Blackheads involves extractions, which when performed correctly won't hurt at all. First the skin must be cleansed, exfoliated and softened under steam which allows the impaction to wriggle out more easily. Then equipped with gloves, your Skin Therapist will carefully support the skin as a small mound with gentle pressure frees the blockage from the follicle to be wiped away. This is often the highlight of a skin treatment and is oh-so-satisfying for the Therapist, so take time out to lie back and relax!
How do I prevent Blackheads from re-appearing?
Once the follicle has been cleared you can do most skin maintenance at home, and it's worth it. Think of a visit to the dentist... you spend good money on a checkup and clean but maintain this by brushing and flossing between visits. Treat your skin in the same way with monthly skin treatments or mild peels. Invest in a good cleanser, one containing AHA's is perfect as this will gently exfoliate the pores with each use. A Clarisonic is an easy in-shower wwwice to become friendly with too. Follow with exfoliation approx. 3 times a week and a clay based drawing mask to ensure grime, oil and cosmetics don't clog the skin, and be sure to avoid the aforementioned comedogenic ingredients in your products. For hard to reach places opt for a medicated wipe, perfect for the back, neck and shoulder after the gym. Overnight gels or lotions such as Clinique's Anti-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel work wonders whilst you sleep by decongesting the pores. Oh and be sure to alcohol wipe down phone receivers to avoid Blackheads building up in the ears.
Where do we begin... Yvette opened the doors to 'Escape' in 1999, a stunning beauty sanctuary filled with candle light, comfy treatment beds and where serious skincare took place. Fast forward with many sleepless nights and gutsy decision making along the way to Activeskin HQ, where Yvette still slips into the salon to consult with her first clients. Years of close customer interactions lead Yvette to wanting more than a cold online presence, which is why Activeskin is the leading beauty destination with real beauty experts at the helm. Her superpower is getting ready in 6 minutes flat (yep, mascara and all!) and her weakness is a vitamin B serum, probably expertly layered to maximise efficacy of course!