My Life in Words

Here is one of my articles for you to enjoy: Fighting Blackheads.
Blackheads are a very common skin problem, which is considered to be a symptom of acne. They are usually found in the area across forehead and down the nose and chin, also know as a T-zone. That is because sebaceous glands there are usually more active than in other skin areas. Sometimes blackheads can also be found on other areas of the face, neck, chest, back, shoulder, and arms.

Cause of blackheads.

Blackheads appear when sebum (the skin’s natural oil), toxins that are expelled through the skin and dead skin cells create a pasty glue and it hardens in the pores. When the tip of the plug is exposed to the air, it becomes oxidized and turns black.

Such processes can be caused by unhygienic living habits, wrong eating habits, and chronic constipation. Wrong eating habits mean an excessive consumption of starch, sugar, fried and fatty foods, tea, coffee, alcohol, and tobacco. Where as chronic constipation is a cause because it overburdens the skin with excess waste that
is being absorbed into blood stream after not been disposed of with bowel movement.

Preventing blackheads.

· Regularly wash the dirt, oil, and cosmetics off the face. Facial cleansers that contain salicylic acid help the most.
· Once a month pamper your self with a facial.
· Exfoliate the face 3 times a week using facial scrubs.
· Use creams containing Alpha Hydroxy Fruit acids, also known as AHA’s, every 3 days.
· Keep your hair a way from the face and try not to touch your face with unwashed hands.
· Use masks with a clay base.
· When you choose skin-care products try to buy only those that are marked as noncomedogenic, which means that it does not clog pores and does not cause blackheads. It would be nice if they are also oil-free, and without added perfume and colorants.

Removing blackheads.

One of the most popular ways to remove blackheads is squeezing them out. It is usually done either using fingers or with a help of blackhead extractor. This is a little instrument that looks like a metal stick with a loop at one end. Pressing the loop around the blackhead cause it to pop out through the loop. If you use your fingers wrap them in tissues and gently roll against opposite sides of the blackhead.

It is difficult to squeeze out blackheads without steaming the pores, which will
cause them to open. If you have broken capillaries on your face do not steam your face, as it will make them worse. Otherwise steaming can be done up to twice a week for no longer than 10 minutes at a time.

If you can’t steam there is other ways to loosen the blackheads:
· Combine ¼ cup of boiled water with one teaspoon of Epsom salt and three drops of iodine. Soak a cotton pad with this mixture and dab on the blackheads.
· Combine equal parts of baking soda and water and rub in on your skin for a couple minutes, then rinse with water.

Not everyone likes squeezing either so there is number of other popular ways of dealing with blackheads out there:
· Pore strips can be bought from supermarkets or pharmacies and used to remove debris from pores.
· Moderate sunbathing clears blocked pores.
· Sponging a clean face with milk everyday.
· Applying warm honey on the face for 15 minutes.
· Applying grated potatoes like a face mask for 15-20 minutes.
· Applying grated cucumber over the face eyes and neck for 20 minutes will not only remove pimples and blackheads but will tone up the whole area.
· Mix couple of tablespoons of kaolin with a drop of water will get an easily spreadable paste. Apply it in a thick layer over blackheads and wait for it to dry. The blackheads will come off with it when you pull it off.

If you have tried methods above and they did not help you, speak to your doctor about getting a prescription for Retin-A or similar acne medicine. It is a strong
exfoliant that clears black heads, peals off dead skin, speeds up cell renewal, and reduces oil production. The skin may appear flaky at first because of the pealing, but the good result is visible within few weeks.