Ugh. Even the word “blackhead” is enough to make you cringe. Not only are they such unwelcome guests on our faces, but the very term we need to use to describe them is unpleasant at best. All terminology aside, blackheads are one of the more tenacious results of adolescence, often extending far into adulthood, wreaking havoc and embarrassment all the way.

Blackheads are not acne lesions in the sense that they are not typically infected, but their appearance is enough for us to sit up and take notice. Blackheads (or comedones as they are called) are essentially clogged pores. The skin’s natural oil (or sebum) is constantly being produced and it traps dead skin in the pores – particularly those found in the T-zone where the skin is typically oilier. As more oil is produced and more skin cells are sloughed off as part of the face’s natural process of exfoliation, blackheads can become more and more compacted. Of course blackheads can make the transition to official pimple status if they become inflamed or exposed to bacteria.

The tough part about fighting blackheads is that, in a sense, you are fighting your body’s natural processes: oil production and the sloughing off of dead skin cells.

Salicylic Acid

A good place to start on the war on blackheads is with a salicylic acid cleanser. There are many to choose from, but look for ones that list fewer rather than more ingredients. Why you may ask? The fewer the ingredients, the less foreign material you are applying to your face and the less you are risking a reaction to a random scent or color included in the cleanser. Salicylic acid can help control and remove oil on your skin and help dislodge the debris clogging your pores. While not a pretty picture to imagine on the microscopic level, the result can be the disappearance of those tiny black dots.

Alpha Hydroxy Acid

Another weapon to use in the fight is a product that includes alpha hydroxy acids – whether as a cleanser, a topical treatment or both. Instead of targeting oil like salicylic acid does, alpha hydroxy acids are exfoliants and work on the other side of the equation by gently assisting your skin in the natural process of removing dead skin cells. A combination of products using these two ingredients may be a useful “double whammy” to blackheads, but consult your dermatologist before proceeding.

Don’t Pick

As tempting as it may seem, do not pick at or squeeze blackheads. While it may seem to alleviate the problem, the reality is that by squeezing the clogged pore, you could be introducing new bacteria to the area (from your finger tips) or risk otherwise irritating the skin around the blackhead to the point that it transitions into a raised acne blemish. On a related note, pore strips can fall into this category as well. While certainly not as traumatic to the skin as squeezing or picking, strips can nonetheless cause irritation – either through the act of ripping the pore-clogging material out of the glands or in the interaction of the adhesive and the sensitive skin around the blackhead.

Tip: If these solutions don’t help the issue, check with your dermatologist to ask if a retinoid treatment may be right for you. Retinoids, while not a fast solution, can help in many cases. Retinoids help loosen the debris in the pore and also help to slow down oil production in the skin so that it is more difficult for new blackheads to form.

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