What is a blackhead
exactly? And why are they black? Is it dirt?
No. It’s not dirt. If you have blackheads, it does not mean you
have a dirty face. And it certainly doesn't mean scrubbing the hell out of your face is going to do one bit of good.
Exactly what is a blackhead?
A
blackhead is an impaction made up of various oils and waxes made by your skin,
mixed with skin cells that have died and have dislodged from the very top layer
of your epidermis. The same top layer
that makes up the surface of your skin lines your pores as well.
Just
about every pore has a blackhead, some larger, some smaller, depending on the
oil production level of the oil gland attached to that pore, and the level of
dead skin cell production. As we age, we
produce less oil and more dead skin cells.
Now, over
time (not much), these two main substances, oil and dead skin cells, oxidize while being exposed to air closer to the opening of the pore, and change color. The oil gets yellow
and the dead skin cells get a darker version of whatever color they were
according to the melanin levels set forth by your DNA. It’s actually the same mechanism as what
happens when you leave a peeled apple out; the same chemical reaction. This is why they have a “black” top - - the
longer they’re around, the darker they get.
So you see, their dark tips have nothing whatsoever to do with
dirt. At. All.
A
blackhead is scientifically called a Comedone.
Some say Comedo. This is the root
of the term “Non-Comedogenic”, which means “won’t cause Comedones”, ie, won’t
cause blackheads. But what’s the
connection between comedones and breakouts?
Why do we get blackheads? Do they have a purpose?
Believe it or not, blackheads actually have to be
there.
You see, the oil of your skin is acidic. With your skin having a lower pH, bacteria that
fall from the air can’t survive - it's one of the ways your skin protects your
body. The oil and dead skin cell mix
that make up blackheads allows your skin to always have a little oil staying
around, making up a big part of the protective outer layer of your skin. More of
this mix accumulates in the t-zone area in order to protect your eyes, nose and
mouth.
Here’s where it gets really interesting. The high pH of harsh cleansers cause the skin
to need to rebalance itself, which it does by over-producing oil. Your skin wants to remain acidic.
This is huge, because old school logic has always
had it that oil overproduction had to do with dryness, which meant all you had
to do was apply moisturizer after cleansing.
And yet excess oil was still a problem.
Rather, the issue is not loss of moisture, it’s
loss of acidity level! The solution,
besides using a more gentle cleanser, is to use a slightly acidic toner after
cleansing, and only then apply lotion.
With these two factors (which sometimes can occur
at the same time, as in the case of the most popular brands of apricot scrub
which have very harsh detergents along with the crushed apricot pits), there
not only will be more blackhead material produced in response to all of this,
but the slight inflammation that’s inevitable occurs, which actually results in
further darkening of the whole mix!
Why? In addition to oxidation,
which as stated above is what causes the darkening of the oil and dead skin
cells, spilling additional skin pigment into areas of damage is one of the ways
your skin works to repair itself. Talk
about insult to injury!
So you see, the black "head" is actually
oil plus dead skin cells hitting the air and turning dark green, plus
additional pigment when the skin needs to protect itself.
How can we get rid of them?
As you
can see, blackheads do need to be there, but they don't have to be so noticeable. The best way to control them is to make sure
the pH of your skin isn't thrown off by harsh cleansers and there isn't too
much scrubbing. The best way to prevent
them from becoming too dark is to include properly formulated, broad-spectrum
multi-vitamin antioxidants and anti-inflammatories in your skin care routine.
Above all, hydration is required to keep blackheads
from over-accumulating.
RULE OF THUMB: The more hydrated your skin is, the
more pliable it is. The more pliable
your skin is, the less it holds on to the oil that makes blackheads. Every blemish starts out as a microscopic
blackhead.
How? The
lining of your pore will collect substances that signal the body to come to
your skin’s rescue when it thinks this lining is getting too bothered. The oxidation and irritation that occur from
harsh products actually creates more irritation. To quote Gregory House, MD, “The body is
smart, but it’s also stupid.” Irritation
leads to inflammation, creating swelling, redness and warmth. With enough of these three, if the swelling
from all this gets bad enough, and oxygen runs out of the pore, it will create
the perfect air-free, warm environment acne bacteria absolutely love. Most of the time, however, enough oxygen does
get inside, which leaves us with just a nice, painful “undergrounder”. Officially named a “papule”, this bugger will
not go away until the inflammation is cooled off and the fluid that created the
swelling is absorbed back into the body.
Now, this
describes all acne formation no
matter what the person’s age. What is
relevant to adults aged 30s, 40s and 50s is the fact that the chance of pore
clogging from anti-aging products making this all much, much worse, is
extremely high. With fluctuations in oil
production due to life changes, and various forms of stress, the chances that a
blackhead will give way to a full-blown breakout go way up. If this sounds like you, we can easily do
something about this!
Your acne problem has a source, and clearing your skin requires finding that source and either eliminating it or healing it. You can start that right now by filling out my Eval by Email® Online Skincare Consultation Form created specially for ages Gen-Y to Baby Boom!
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