Blackheads are small, dark or black bumps that appear on your skin. You can see them on your face and neck as these places have plenty of exposed pores. Before you can get rid of blackheads, you need to know how they come about in the first place.

Your skin naturally produces an oily substance called sebum. Sometimes the pores become clogged with sebum and dead skin cells. If this pore is still open at the top, the air coming in reacts with the melanin in your skin to form a darker pigment. This darkened pigment is what characterizes a blackhead.

How Can You Get Rid of Blackheads?

Though they are painless, blackheads can bring about self-esteem issues since they mess up your appearance. Therefore, it's really important that you know how to get rid of blackheads. You can either opt for the home remedies or play it safe and seek medical intervention. In any case, you should still seek medical advice before going in for the home remedies.

1. Home remedies

• Baking soda

If you're dealing with blackheads, your kitchen might be holding the solution you need. Baking soda is a great way to remove blackheads from your skin.

Take a teaspoon of baking soda and mix it with water to make a paste. Before applying this paste, wash your face with warm water, so that the pores can open up.

Apply this paste to the areas with blackheads and gently massage, taking care not to do so aggressively. Once done, wash it off warm water. When the paste is off, rinse your face with cold water, so that the pores can contract and keep the dirt out.

• Green tea

The kitchen provides yet another solution for your obtrusive blackheads. You can use green tea in a number of ways to fight blackheads.

Steep a green tea bag in hot water and wash your face with tea. You can also use green tea leaves in a scrub for your face. This makes your skin healthy and clear.

• Epsom salts

Epsom salts are good for exfoliating your pores. To get a good result from Epsom salt, you should mix salt with warm water. Gently massage this mixture onto the affected area.

If it's the face, don't apply near the eyes because the Epsom salts are very irritating. At last, don't forget to clean the mixture off with cold water.

• Masks

Masks are a great way to remove blackheads because they have a good ability to draw the stuff out of your skin.

Charcoal and clay are the most commonly used masks against blackheads. When your pores are clogged, these masks loosen them up and make it easy for the clogged oil and dead cells to be removed.

There are even sulfur-infused clay masks available. The sulfur degrades the dead skin cells so that they can be easily extracted. Apply the mask once a week for the best results.

• Products with salicylic acid

If you have sensitive skin, use a product with salicylic acid. It's gentle on the skin and doesn't cause any irritation. These products also take longer to remove the blackheads.

If you want more effective results, you should try gels that are infused with salicylic acid. Leave the gel on longer for breaking down the blackheads faster.

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), like glycolic acid, and beta hydroxy acids (BHA), like salicylic acid, are good at exfoliating the skin while making it look more clear.

2. Medications and professional aid

If the home remedies are not working out, you should try contacting professional medical help to see how to get rid of blackheads.

• There are over-the-counter medications for combating blackheads. They are mainly creams and face washes that you apply directly onto the skin. For example, you might use retinoid creams that contain vitamin A.

• If over-the-counter products don't work, your dermatologist might have to examine your skin more closely and prescribe some medication. This could be benzoyl peroxide which is very adept at unclogging pores and killing the bacteria within.

• Dermatologists also use low-energy, non-ablative lasers that reach under the skin to remove the blackhead without leaving any physical damage.

3. What to avoid when fighting blackheads

There is a strong urge to squeeze a blackhead when you see it. This is bad because it will allow an infection to spread. Also, the painless blackhead becomes irritated and inflamed.

Besides, you'd better avoid using medicines and ointments without consulting a medical professional. If you do, you might pair your skin with an unsuitable product, causing it to react badly and worsen the situation.

How Can You Prevent Blackheads?

• You need to ensure that your skin is always clean. Washing your skin keeps your pores open and clear, lowering clogging risk. You should also ensure that your cleanser has a neutral pH-level so that it doesn't irritate the skin.

• Stay away from bar soaps because the stuff that goes into making them can block your pores, resulting in blackheads.

• For the ladies, remove your makeup at the end of the day. Going to bed with it can clog up your pores.

• Your skin also needs to remain moist. Use suitable moisturizers for boosting your body's ability to clear itself of dead skin. Moisture allows the oil to get off easily and not block the pores.

• You can also keep your skin healthy by eating a balanced diet. This ensures that your skin produces an optimal amount of sebum that won't block the pores and form blackheads.

Take Home Message

You can get rid of those annoying blackheads by taking advantage of some home remedies. But please seek professional advice in advance, so that you use these remedies correctly. Your dermatologist can also offer medical solutions that will do a good job at removing the blackheads. If you don't have blackheads, there are a number of ways to keep them at bay, including regular cleaning of the skin and eating properly.