Off with those Heads: How to prevent and remove blackheads?

We’ll come right out and say it. Blackheads are disgusting and absolutely distracting if you don’t tend to them.

Imagine being reprimanded by someone, face to face, and all you can fixate on is the horrendous amount of blackheads on their nose. You won’t even remember the conversation, just the blackheads! Yes, this happened to us.

These little black dots on your skin are essentially pimples with no skin covering it, hence the dirt oxidises, creating the dark dots.

By cleaning your pores regularly, you’ll be able to reduce the appearance of your blackheads in no time. Here are a few ways you can prevent and remove blackheads without squeezing them.

EXFOLIATE REGULARLY

If the rest of your skin is sensitive but your T-zone gets a large amount of blackheads, scrub your T-zone regularly with a fine scrub and a light touch. Don’t tug at your skin too much, just scrub gently to remove the blackheads.

CLAY MASK

Clay masks work best to reduce sebum production and reduce pores. Look for rinse-off masks in the market with the ingredient kaolin or bentonite clay.

AVOID HARSH CLEANSERS

You might want to fight your knee-jerk reaction to use strong cleansers that strip your faces of natural oils. This only makes your skin produce more sebum which makes your blackheads come back mush quicker.

WASH YOUR PILLOWCASE

Never underestimate the power of a clean pillowcase. Sleeping on a dirty pillowcase can be one of the biggest culprits that cause your skin to act out.

STEAM YOUR FACE

Every fortnight, steam your face to open up your pores to let them unclog naturally. If you feel the need to squeeze your blackheads, they should come out effortlessly after steaming.

Cheryl Lee