Blackheads was a problem that I grew up with and a source of much teenage irritation. I remember that right till my GCE A level’s, I was still struggling with removing these ghastly plugs from my face and my nose. No matter how hard I tried, oh and believe me I really tried, these blackheads would just keep coming back. I could just never figure out how to get rid of blackheads.
The most unfortunate thing about these blackheads is that they appear on those parts of your body which are the most visible. There is an entire expanse of human body where blackheads could stick out their ugliness, but no, they have to appear on your face or your neck.
Alas, there is a logical reason for their appearance. Our skin has small sebaceous glands underneath which help to naturally keep it hydrated. The upside of these glands is that they feed the collagen which is why our skin looks soft and supple. If it weren’t for these glands, we would all have been born wrinkled and stayed wrinkled for the rest of our lives!
The skin on the face, neck, chest and the back are richest in sebaceous glands and unfortunately, the sebum that these glands secrete may be more than what our skin requires, giving the skin an oily and unclean look. Though sebum is good for your skin’s health, it also acts as a dirt magnet. No wonder, after a long day at work, when you come back home, your skin feels all oily and grimy.
What to do
For those of us who exfoliate and clean their skin regularly, blackheads would seldom pose a problem but not all of us are wise enough to understand the virtues of regular exfoliation. In fact, there was a time when I was actually scared of exfoliation. The reason was my sensitive skin. My skin has always been oily and therefore prone to acne and blackheads. However, there are times when my skin is extremely dry and starts to crack at the slightest drop in temperature. I was scared that if I use an exfoliate, I would end up peeling off my skin!
I realized much later that my skin type was a sensitive and special one and I had no reason to be scared of exfoliation. So I went ahead and made a skin routine for myself. It’s no use trying to pick out your blackheads or squeeze them out of existence. You may only end up damaging your own skin. What you need is a cleansing ritual that helps you fight dirt and grime from clogging your pores. All you have to do is to keep your skin clean. If you work in an environment where you come in contact with a lot of dust and dirt, keep some hygienic wipes with you and clean your face regularly.
Determine your skin type and use only the kind of cosmetics that are suitable for your skin. For instance, if you have oily skin, try to use water-based cosmetic products.
Cleaning your face every night before you go to bed is vital, especially if you wear a lot of makeup. Get yourself a good makeup remover if you feel water alone can’t work. Also, exfoliate once every week.
It took me a long time to finally confront my problem and seek a solution, but if you have blackheads too, there’s no reason why you should continue to live with them. Take charge of the situation and watch those blackheads disappear with time.
