Blackheads

Back last summer, I posted this as one of my very first GCS blog posts. Because it's important to go back to basics once in a while, I'm pulling this one from the archives! 

Even those with the clearest skin are prone to blackheads. Look carefully in the crease and on the bridge of your nose and on the flat of your chin. For those of you blessed with small pores, you may have to use the bright lights and mirror in your bathroom. Normally, blackheads are much easier to see on a man's skin, as they tend to have larger pores. However, almost everyone is prone to blackheads. The medical term for a blackhead is open comedo.

A quick medical description, found on About.com, is this: "Blackheads, also known as open comedones, are follicles that have a wider than normal opening. They are filled with plugs of sebum and sloughed-off cells and have undergone a chemical reaction resulting in the oxidation of melanin. This gives the material in the follicle the typical black color." 

Below is an image (not of my own nose) for those of you who  may be questioning exactly what a blackhead looks like. 

Unfortunately, blackheads tend to be rather stubborn little devils. You can try to squeeze them, and often they will "pop" in rather gross, curly little spirals. However, popping does more damage than good. Though I am guilty of it from time to time, it's a terrible habit and can lead to long term scarring. Your best bet for blackhead removal? It's a three step process. First, a good exfoliation should help. Secondly, Mario Badescu (one of my favorite skin care brands) has a wonderful product to help clear blackheads. It's called Silver Powder, and it's good stuff. You'll feel a bit strange as you are using it at first, but you'll see a noticable difference. Lastly, don't skimp on moisturizer just because you have blackheads. Moisturizer is an important step in your skin care process and your skin will dry up like prune without it.