Blackheads; causes, treatments and prevention

What are blackheads? 

There are many different types of spots, commonly known as, pimples, pustules, whiteheads and blackheads. All have slightly different characteristics. A blackhead is very common and can also be known as a comedone. The usual place to notice them are on the t-zone; predominately the nose as this is the oiliest area of the face. 

A blackhead develops due to a blockage in a pore as a result of excess sebum.  These pores are larger than normal and when exposed to the air, trigger a chemical reaction involving melanin which changes the centre of the pore to the characteristic black colour. This is usually a result in the over production of sebum in the skin, common in teenagers as hormones effect the quantity of oil on the skin. 

Blackheads have a high risk of turning into lumps, nodules or cysts which can be painful, and difficult to treat, in this case.  

Many people attempt to remove blackheads by squeezing them, but this isn’t advised as once you do this, it will damage the surrounding skin tissue causing inflammation, redness and at the worst, will leave an existing scar.

Who’s prone to blackheads? 

-Teenage boys/girls (due to hormone changes) 

-Men (due to higher sebum content) 

-People with oily skin  

-People who rarely cleanse their skin  

How to prevent and treat

To prevent blackheads, you will need to have a strict, effective skincare routine which consists of cleansing, gentle exfoliation and moisturising. They are usually caused due to the skin having an overactive sebaceous gland. The best ingredient to use on the skin is a substance called salicylic acid and glycolic acid.  

This gently exfoliates the epidermal tissue pushing up any excess oil and bacteria out the pores avoiding the risk of causing a blackhead.  The best treatment for removing blackheads is chemical peels within the clinic.

Chemical Peels – Kingswood Parks Dental (kingswoodparksclinics.co.uk)

Here at Kingswood Parks Clinics, we use a range of chemical peels to reduce the blackheads and excess oil. This is done by the superficial epidermal tissue being exfoliated off the surface of the skin, by the chemicals in the peel; using AHA and BHA acids to speed up cellular turn over. A chemical peel will also reduce the oil content in the surface, reducing the risk of pores becoming blocked resulting in blackheads. Chemical peels remove clogged pores and get rid of the dead skins cells that contribute to blocked pores. During a peel, a strong chemical solution is applied to the skin. Over time, the top layers of the skin rejuvenate, and skin is clearer, and pores are refined and much tighter. Usually, it can take between 3 to 5 peels to see visible results and blackheads decreasing.  

Once you start to have chemical peels here at within the clinic, we will send you a personal prescription allowing you access to medical grade skincare products which will be selected for your specific skincare needs, from our skin care professionals. If you choose to go ahead and purchase the products, you will be able to keep up with minimising oily skin causing blackheads.  

For more information, please contact our skin practitioners:

Contact – Kingswood Parks Dental (kingswoodparksclinics.co.uk)