What Are Black Heads?

The most common place to have black heads are the nose and the surrounding area, especially around the sides of the nose spreading out to cheeks. The chin is another area. If you have a problem with congested skin  black heads can appear over the whole face. Not all back heads are the same so will not be treated the same.

Black heads and white heads are dead skin cells piling up and sticking together inside the pore along with other debris such as sebum. This debris clumps together to form a plug inside the pore.

If it is still under the skin it is called a whitehead or “closed comedone” and have only a microscopic opening to the skin surface. Since the air cannot reach the follicle, the material is not oxidized and remains white.

Contrary to popular belief, blackheads are not caused by dirt– it is a plug of dead skin cells and  sebum that is discolored. When the end of the “plug” gets exposed to air, it oxidizes and turns the  dark color; hence giving the blackhead its apt name. A black heads really name is actually called a “comedo”. A whitehead is called a closed comedone”

You can get rid of blackheads and whiteheads by using the right products for it and by
understanding the science of the skin. The skin is easy to treat when you know what it wants.

Getting rid of blackheads can be very frustrating and challenging. To get this type of acne under control, it takes a trained skin therapist to know just how much to push the skin to keep it clear; and how to pull back when it’s too much for your skin. It takes time to get rid of blackheads  it can be the toughest kind of acne to get rid of!

We would advise you to come in and have a chat with usso we can take the time to make sure you are not causing more of a problem for your skin and you know how to get the best from it.

IT LOOKS LIKE A BLACKHEAD BUT IT IS NOT.

These are what are called sebaceous filaments. They are basically the oil glands on your nose and in the chin area just below the lower lip. They are meant to be there and will never go away. Even if  extracted, it still looks the same and it fills right back up again a week later.

Once in a while, someone actually will have blackheads in their nose. The picture shows someone who has blackheads in between the sebaceous filaments.

The rule of thumb is, if all the so-called “blackheads” in your nose are all the same size,then they are not blackheads. If, however, you have a “blackhead” that is bigger than the rest of the other  “blackheads” in the nose, then it really is a blackhead and not just another sebaceous filament.

Our clients tend to have a very disappointing reaction to our assessment of their “blackheads” on their nose. They, most often, ask me how to remove the blackheads on the nose. I reassure them  that everybody, even people who have never had acne, have them and there is no getting rid of them. Everyone but the most oil-dry of skin does have them. When you are standing a couple of  feet away from someone, which is the normal “space” between people, you can’t even see the  pores on the nose.

We are all so used to looking at air-brushed pictures of models in fashion magazines that have absolutely perfect skin with no pores showing at all. Unfortunately, this sets up an expectation and fantasy that our skin should look just like this. Sorry…… these pictures are just not real; and we tell  our clients that they are just going to have to accept their nose the way it is.

There just is no“getting rid of blackheads on your nose”… unless they truly ARE blackheads.

OPEN PORES

As the picture show some of us to get larger pores than others and these can appear on the nose  and the sides of nose spreading across the cheeks. There are things you can do to help close  these pores but it is not an over night treatment and does take time and patience.

The treatments we use with very effective results are IPL, LED& correct home care.

Treatment for Teenage Blackheads – see how Dermaviduals can help & watch the video

Get in touch with the experts at the Face It clinic to book an assessment and / or treatment.