Black Head

Black Head

People with acne may have different types of bumps on their skin. These can be whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, and cysts. Where do they come from? Your skin is full of tiny holes called pores. If a pore gets clogged with oil, dead skin, and bacteria, the top surface can darken and you're left with a blackhead. With a blackhead, the pore stays open. But if the pore closes, a whitehead forms. According to medical practitioners, blackheads are the first stage of acne, forming before bacteria invade the pores of our skin, which in turn results in infection and inflammation (otherwise known as the pimple). These lesions typically develop after puberty, when hormones begin surging into the body and skin. The excess hormones in the skin result in stimulation of the oil gland (called the sebaceous glands). This stimulation leads to excess oil production in the pores. The excess oil gets occluded in the pores resulting in a ball of accumulated oil which, when exposed to air, turns black in color. There are many conditions that may cause or even worsen blackheads. Some of these causes are the use of topical oils and the use of makeup. While blackheads are present in almost any skin type, they are most likely to develop on people with very oily skin.

What Causes Blackheads.

Common cause of the appearance of blackheads is that the skin is has not been cleaned thoroughly. When skin is not cleaned properly, dead skin cells accumulate within the pores. These dead cells then clog the pore opening which then results in oil build up, which we already know causes blackheads to form. Yet another cause of clogged pores is the use of too much makeup. Excessive use of moisturizes, foundations or sun screens can also have the same effect as the overuse of makeup.

A good rule of thumb to always follow is that whatever is it you put on your face throughout the day, be sure to take it off before going to sleep that night. Although thorough cleansing is essential, over-scrubbing or cleansing has been found to be one of the reasons for skin's anomalies and irritation. Although excessive oil is not beneficial, our skin needs a small amount to stay healthy. Too much scrubbing or irritation of the skin will result in reflex over activity of the oil gland. This will result in increased oil production and clogging of the pores, which, in turn, aggravates acne.