How to Get Rid of Blackheads

At this rate blackheads are my long term boyfriend and I try my best to break up with them often, they get the message but then they just come crawling back! Does this sound like you? You could be more prone to them, just like me, for various different reasons.

This could be from hormones, genetics, skin type and the environment we are in. But have no fear, there are lots of ways we can get rid of blackheads.

How can we get rid of blackheads?

As with most things, prevention is key - well at least the attempt and effort of prevention. In the case of blackheads we should be trying to prevent the follicles from becoming blocked in the first place. Here’s how to get rid of blackheads from your nose and any other area they like to set up camp, starting off with..

#1 Exfoliation

The first step to get rid of blackheads is exfoliating. Exfoliating gets rid of the upper layer of dead skin cells, this way you are preventing anything old from dirt to makeup from getting blocked inside your pores.

The aim of the game is to prevent the follicles from getting blocked in the first place, which is why exfoliating regularly is key. By exfoliating regularly it reduces the chances of sebum settling into your follicles. Start off by exfoliating your skin twice a week and if your skin doesn’t have irritation you can even exfoliate three times a week. As always if your skin shows signs of irritation don’t continue.

You can use either a physical exfoliant such as clay masks or you can use a chemical exfoliant such as an acid serum. If you choose to use a physical exfoliant - just don’t over exfoliate (yes there is such a thing). An additional benefit of exfoliating - it helps your skincare products penetrate deeper into your skin which means they have the chance to work faster and better! Paula’s Choice Liquid Exfoliant is a great choice here as it contains BHA (more on that next) and really helps minimize pores.

#2 Salicylic acid (BHA)

This acid needs to be your bestie when tackling your blackheads. Whether you use a cleanser or an exfoliator that contains salicylic acid - it will work! Salicylic acid, also known as a BHA (beta hydroxy acid) has the ability to get into your pores and unclog it from the inside out, it helps break down the dead skin cells and lift them before they have the chance of getting clogged.

#3 Glycolic and Lactic acids (AHAs)

AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) much like salicylic acid, these two acids work well to get rid of dead skin on the surface level. However if you have a bit more sensitive skin lactic acid in particular is a gentle chemical exfoliator, as it also rehydrates the skin at the same time. You can use a lactic serum on its own, just patch test your skin as always!

#4 Retinol

I know everyone preaches about how amazing retinol is for wrinkles, pigmentation etc - and rightly so because it is! But did you know it can also help unclog your pores because it has the ability to speed up the renewal of our skin cells?! That’s right, it helps unbind skin cells so that they can be removed more easily without becoming blocked - which if that happens, leads to blackheads. Just don’t use a retinol on the same night as an exfoliator - you don’t want to over do it and irritate your skin. I’m currently using, and love, Medik8’s Crystal Retinal 1

#5 Clay masks

I love a face mask, it’s part of my Sunday evening routine and I look forward to it every week! Clay masks in particular are the masks you want to include in your self-care pamper night. They gently and naturally remove excess oils from the skin. If you do this regularly, once a week, you will prevent your pores from becoming blocked. We’re trying to not let our pores become over stretched so they become larger and more visible right?! Blackheads love it when you let that happen - lets prevent that!

#6 Facials

Facials to a lot of us can be a luxury, they’re not cheap but they are worth it. Even if you are consistent with your skincare and use the right products, blackheads can come back with a vengeance. At that point, I'd see a professional for a facial that includes extraction. A professional will thoroughly steam your face so that it loosens up the oil in your pores and they will either use a blackhead extractor tool or physically squeeze them out. You might think ‘I can do that myself’ - don’t! We aren’t professionals, we may end up damaging our skin by squeezing too hard, digging our nails in to get the blackhead off your nose - refrain from doing that! In addition to that you can end up pushing the inflammation deeper into your skin which can worsen and end up becoming a spot or a scar. If your pocket allows you, a facial is fantastic for blackheads.

What are blackheads?

When we hear the word blackhead, we literally think it’s got a head on our face and it’s black. We also might think that our skin is dirty and that’s why we get blackheads - this is not true. The technical name for them are open comedones and they are a clogged pore (another bugbear of mine). Blackheads are small blocked follicles that look like tiny black dots, you can see them but probably unnoticeable to anyone else.

They can occur on their own or sometimes with acne as well. They form when excess sebum combines with dead skin cells in the pore lining. After this combination reaches the opening of the pore at the skin’s surface, the oil oxidizes and turns black. They can appear anywhere on your skin but most of the time they appear within your T-zone - forehead, nose and chin. The nose tends to actually be more susceptible to blackheads because it has many hair follicles and produces more oil than other areas of the face - my nose is home to many blackheads that like to overstay their welcome.

What causes blackheads and how do they form?

Blackheads form for various different reasons from fluctuating hormones to your skin type. Some of us are just more prone to them - I feel your pain too. I have PCOS so my hormones are like a yo-yo and that also causes excess oil on my skin and yep you guessed it..the birth of blackheads. Even the products we use on an everyday basis can contribute to the cause. Wearing foundation and concealer sits in our pores, they have a little dance around and mix in with oil and what do you get - congestion.

It’s always good to know how something forms so we are armed with the knowledge of how to best tackle the skin concern like how to get rid of blackheads. In the case of blackheads, when there is excess sebum production in the skin’s pores, it makes it pretty tough for the sebum to get to the surface - hello blocked pores. A cocktail of oil clogging up and dead skin cells that haven’t been exfoliated yet and pores being open, all getting exposed to oxygen = blackheads.