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Blackheads are a common skin problem that everyone has to go through at least once in their lives. When thinking of blackheads, most people would think of blackheads on the nose. However, they can appear on almost any part of your skin. People don’t want to have blackheads because they cause many skin problems and make the skin look unattractive. Once you have them, they are very easy to recur. Therefore, it is best not to have them in the first place. Today, we will provide you with some effective tips on how to prevent blackheads on nose and ears from coming back, so that you can always have smooth looking skin. The remedies we've focused on are traditional home remedies. You should always consult with your dermatologist and check out your skin and health condition regularly to know if a remedy is working for you.
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Top 5 Tips On How To Prevent Blackheads On Nose And In Ears From Coming Back
I. What Are Blackheads?
A blackhead or in the medical term, an open comedo, is a plug with a black top that is visible on the surface of the skin. Comedones are pores in the skin, clogged by a mixture of skin debris (keratin) and oil (sebum). The other type of comedo is whitehead or pimple. Whitehead is closed by the skin while blackhead is opened to the air. The air oxidizes the top part of the comedo and turns it black or yellowish, forming a blackhead. Blackheads usually appear on the areas that have more hair follicles such as the face, back, chest, and shoulders. People with oily skin are more susceptible to blackheads. Still, anyone can get them.
II. Why Should You Prevent Blackheads?
No one likes to have bumpy, rough-looking skin and blackheads will give you just that. Embarrassment and social or psychological difficulties are the biggest reasons why people want to remove blackheads. Smooth skin and even skin tone are more preferable, not a bunch of black bumps on the skin. Even after you thought you got rid of blackheads, they may come back repetitively. That’s because the skin produces oil and shed dead skin every day.
When pores are left clogged for too long, there is a higher chance of them getting infected by germs that are trapped inside the pores, hence creates acne vulgaris. Pores that are sealed with blackheads can easily get inflamed. The reason is when the skin produces more oil, the oil is trapped with the existing sebum and debris. They piled up exceeding the capacity of the pores, causing inflammation. Thereby, it could lead to a breakout.
III. Causes And Risk Factors
- Age: Age is an important factor. Puberty is known to be the stage where you are more likely to get pimples, blackheads, and acne due to hormonal imbalance[1].
- Skin types: As mentioned above, blackheads tend to occur in people with oily skin or oily-combination skin. Even if you have dry skin, you may suffer from blackheads too, because there are more oil glands on the nose than any other part of your body.
- Genetics: Your gene code determines your skin type and skin condition. A skin type that is prone to blackheads might be inherited.
- Health conditions: Some health conditions such as stress, menstruation, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)[2].
- Cosmetics: Covering pores with cosmetics without washing them off effectively can induce blackheads.
- Heavy sweating: Sweat along with keratin and sebum contribute to the formation of blackheads.
As their name implies, the symptoms of blackheads are small black plugs on the skin. Unlike acne and pimples, blackheads are not inflamed and do not cause pain.
IV. How To Prevent Blackheads
Check out these useful prevention tips:
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1. Keeping The Skin Clean
You can keep the skin clean with these easy guidelines:
- Wash your skin frequently to remove the dirt, excess oils, and germs. Choose a gentle cleanser that doesn’t leave your skin squeaky clean. A gentle cleanser makes sure that it doesn’t strip all the moisture from your skin.
- Don’t over-wash your face. Washing your face one or two times a day is enough. Any more frequent than that is unnecessary and can cause over secretion of oils that eventually leads to blackheads.
- After cleansing, use moisturizer daily. When your skin feels moisturized, it doesn’t need to produce too much oil that can potentially clog the pores.
2. Exfoliating
Exfoliating is the key. Exfoliating helps remove dead skin cells and prevent them from piling up. Depending on the sensitivity of your skin, you can use a cleansing brush or facial cleansing devices to exfoliate. Cleansing brushes are made to be really soft and non abrasive, yet they still get the job done. Another option is to dry brush your skin. When you use a skin brush on dry skin, it generates more friction as opposed to when the skin is wet. A little bit more friction helps to exfoliate more effectively. If you use this method to exfoliate the body, you can choose stiffer brushes. Remember to brush gently and use them only once or twice a week because the overuse of exfoliators can stress out the skin.
3. Using Clay Masks
It’s no surprise that clay masks appear on this list. Clay masks are well-known for their ability to draw out the dirt and junk from your pores. They loosen and clear away congested pores. Clay masks can also remove some of the dead skin on top of your skin. There are three main types of clay mask that work wonders for blackheads: Kaolin Clay, Green French, and Bentonite. Because the pH levels of clays are different, you will have to use water or raw apple cider vinegar with different types of clays. You need to read the instructions that come with the product you purchased carefully before applying anything on your skin. Clay masks are not just for the face. You can use them on any part of your skin that is in need.
4. Using Charcoal Masks
If clay masks are not for you, charcoal masks are an excellent alternative. Similar to clay masks, charcoal masks can extract impurities out of the pores. The magic ingredient in charcoal masks is activated charcoal. It has an outstanding absorbent nature giving it the ability to attract and trap toxins.
Whether you choose clay masks or charcoal masks, they need to be used on a regular basis to give optimal results. Since these masks absorb all the oil of the skin, you must moisturize your skin after every usage. Otherwise, the skin will try to secrete more oil to stay moisturized, causing blackheads to form again.
5. Avoid Using Comedogenic products
Comedogenic literally means “tending to clog pores and encourage the formation of blackheads”[3]. You should try not to use cosmetics or products that contain comedogenic ingredients such as occlusive oils. When shopping, pay attention to the labels. You should opt for products that are proven to be non-comedogenic. If you use makeup, remember to take it off before bed. Don’t sleep at night with your makeup on. If you are stubborn enough to let that happen, even noncomedogenic makeup can’t save you from blackheads.
You should try these tips out and see for yourself which tip helps improve your blackheads-situation the most. Persistence is very crucial when it comes to natural remedies. Don’t give up just yet if you didn’t see your blackheads disappear right away after using these remedies.
All content provided are for informational & educational purposes. We recommend you consult your dermatologists to determine if these methods are appropriate for you. In case you have any comments or questions, or you know other ways on how to prevent blackheads on nose and ears from coming back, the comment box is waiting for you below. Feel free to let us know our opinions about this article.
