Causes of blackheads on the face and how to prevent them

Skin blackheads are small dots mostly seen on the nose, around the nose, chin, and forehead. These blackspots prevent the face from looking glowing and clean, which can be annoying. In this article, you will learn more about the causes and solutions of blackheads, and you will also learn useful tips with which you can stop blackheads from happening.

What are blackheads on your face skin?

Blackheads are small points typically found on oily skin parts, such as the nose, chin, forehead, and around the nose. They are a type of acne caused by clogged hair follicles filled with oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells. The blackheads do not get inflamed, but they look dark on the face as the material inside the acne gets oxidized with the air. 

What causes blackheads on your face?

Different reasons cause blackheads on your skin. Here are the most common reasons: 

1. Excess oil production: The skin produces oil naturally to keep the skin hydrated and prevent it from getting dried. However, when this oil production becomes excessive, the extra oil can be combined with clog pores and dead cells of the skin. This combination leads to blackheads.
2. Hormonal changes: Another important reason for blackheads is the hormonal changes, especially in puberty, menstruation, or pregnancy. In these periods, oil production increases and makes the skin more prone to blackheads.
3. Poor skincare habits: The next important reason that causes blackheads is the poor skincare habits. The too oily cosmetics products increase the normal level of skin oil which results in black spots. In addition, incorrect skin cleansing can keep your skin still dirty causing clogged pores and then black spots on your face.
4. Sweating and humidity: Excessive sweating especially when wearing sunscreen or makeup can cause the oil and dirt to be trapped into the skin pores and leads to blackheads. 
5. Diet and lifestyle: Diets that contain high dairy and sugar can increase the skin oil production level. Additionally, a stressful lifestyle can affect the body’s hormonal activities which as earlier explained, result in clogged pores and blackheads on your face.

How to prevent blackheads on the face?

Here are some tips with which you can prevent the appearance of the blackheads on your face:

1. Regular cleansing: It is important to keep your skin always clean. Use a gentle cleanser twice a day to get rid of all dirt, oil, and dead skin cells. Using a soft facial cleansing brush can be more helpful to gently massage your skin with a suitable gel, especially the oily parts. Try to use face cleansing products containing salicylic acid, which penetrates the skin pores and helps clean the pores from oil and dirt.
2. Exfoliate regularly: another helpful method to prevent blackheads is exfoliating the skin regularly. Based on how oily your skin is, try to exfoliate your skin between once to twice a week. Using chemical exfoliants like beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) or alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) can effectively remove dead cells and extra skin oil.
3. Non-comedogenic products: Look for the non-comedogenic makeup and skincare products that prevent skin pores clogging. You can recognize these products by their labels.
4. Balanced diet: Keep a balanced diet to control the oil production level in your skin. Try to reduce the amount of sugar and oil in your diet, while increasing the usage of vegetables, fruits, and of course water.
5. Avoid touching your face: Do not touch your face as by doing this action the dirt and bacteria will be transferred from your hand to your skin, leading in clogging your skin pores.

⚠️ This article tries to provide you with useful information about how to prevent and treat blackheads on your face. Any medical recommendations made in this article should be first consulted with a dermatologist.

Lifestyle tips for clear skin and blackhead-free face skin

Keeping a balanced lifestyle not only helps your body and mind stay healthy, it can also prevent many skin issues including blackheads. Here are some general tips:

1. Stay hydrated: It is of the high priority to keep your body hydrated. It will be possible to drink enough water daily. Therefore, you can prevent the extra oil produced by your face.
2. Sleep well: It may look unimportant, but sleeping well can have a considerable impact on your body performance including hormonal activities. As your body’s hormonal activities become balanced, the level of oil production, which causes blackheads and inflamed acne, will be controlled.
3. Manage stress: The stress is another important reason that has negative impacts on your whole body including your skin and then blackheads. Stress can increase the level of oil production in your skin. You can manage your stress by doing activities such as yoga, meditation, and any other sports exercises. 

Solutions for treating blackheads

If you have blackheads on your face, here are some recommendations with which you can remove the black spots from your face. Before going for any of the solutions, we highly recommend consulting with your dermatologist.

1. Salicylic acid cleansers: The cleanser containing salicylic acid can penetrate your skin pores to clean extra oil and dirt. Regular use of salicylic acid cleansers can help you prevent and treat your skin blackheads.
2. Retinoids topical retinoids: They are strong tools that can treat and prevent skin black spots. They stop dead cells from clogging the skin pores. For strong retinoids, you will be asked for a medical prescription at the time of purchase.
3. Professional extractions: Visiting a professional facials center is one of the best solutions to treat blackheads deeply. The cosmetologist removes the blackheads using deep cleansers, masks, and special tools safely. Do not try doing deep facials at home as it may cause irritations and skin sensitivity.
4. Exfoliating masks: Using exfoliating masks like clay masks and face scrubs are also effective solutions for blackheads. It can remove extra oil out of the skin pores and impurify them. You can use an exfoliating mask once or twice a week regularly.
5. Pore strips: A fast but not long-term solution for removing blackheads is using pore strips. By using the strips, the black spots are pulled out of the skin pores physically. 
6. Microdermabrasion: Another effective solution for black spots on your skin is microdermabrasion which uses special tools to exfoliate the outer layer of the skin, leading to blackheads reduction and deep pore cleaning. This procedure should be performed by a dermatologist in a spa or skincare center.

Best cleansers for blackheads

Here are some recommended cleansers for blackheads that are gathered based on the products’ effective ingredients and customers’ satisfaction:

1. CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser
2. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel
3. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash
4. Sukin Oil Balancing + Charcoal Purifying Gel Cleanser
5. Alpha-H Clear Skin Daily Face Wash
6. O’Cosmedics Corrective Cleanser & Peel 130ml
7. O’Cosmedics Exfoliating Cleanser 100ml

FAQs about blackheads on the face