Skin Care Trivia 101, What Causes Whiteheads and Blackheads

Here is a little gem for a quiz question or to amaze your friends! Did you know that Pilosebaceous Units are responsible for those whiteheads, blackheads and other acne blemishes that show up on your face and elsewhere? No, neither did I! Apparently these Pilosebaceous Units (you say it like pie-low-sea-bay-shussî) is just a medical way of describing a unit made up of three things, a hair follicle that contains an oil producing gland and a hair).

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Of course this bit of trivia is not much help on its own, but when you think about where blemishes are prone to show up, how many of us have ever had them on the palms of our hands or the soles of our feet? These Pilosebaceous units occur most frequently, all over the face and chest and the neck too so it is hardly surprising that most blemishes are found in these areas. The reason why people do not get spots and whiteheads in these areas is that there are no Pilosebaceous units at all in these areas ñ only horror movie creatures get hairs on the palms of their hands!

Blackheads and Whiteheads are a very common problem and unfortunately, not confined to teen years as they can show up anytime. Hormonal changes in our monthly cycle can set them off, as can hormone levels for women going through the menopause.

These two types of blemish are really different forms of the same thing. They are both caused when a mixture of dead skin cells and other particles, get mixed with sebum (our skin’s natural oil) and clog up a pore. The difference is that blackheads do not have a top on them and so the contents of the pore gets to come into contact with the air and turns black by oxidation ñ just like when you cut a potato or an apple and leave it open to the air and it gets discoloured! Whiteheads on the other hand have a thin covering over the top which prevents the contents from oxidizing so it stays white or yellowish in color! (Pretty gross, right?). Anyway, if you want another bit of trivia, blackheads are technically known as open comedones and whiteheads are closed comedones.

I am often asked what is the best method of whiteheads treatment or how to get rid of blackheads, so here are some tips if you suffer from these blemishes and need some help to get back your clear complexion.

 

Exfoliate Regularly
This is important because the process of exfoliating removes those dead skin cells on the surface of the skin which might otherwise come loose by themselves and then end up blocking the pores. You might be a bit hesitant about using an exfoliator if you have sensitive skin, but the trick is to use a really gentle product. Look for one with tiny micro beads that will work without causing any abrasion. You absolutely want to avoid causing any irritation or breaking the skin surface which could cause even more trouble!

Concentrate on your problem areas and use the exfoliator as directed after cleansing your face as normal. The best way is to use gentle, circular motions, applying the product with just your fingertips. If you feel like splashing out, there are battery operated exfoliating tools available, probably the best known of which is from Clarisonic and these are good because you can use them in the shower too.
Exfoliating not only helps to stop the pores from becoming blocked and removes a food source for acne bacteria, but it also helps to improve the complexion by sloughing off the cells that cause our skin to look dull, pale, tired and lifeless.

 

Get Rid of Acne Causing Bacteria
Getting rid of bacteria, does not just involve use of an antibacterial cleanser. It also involves paying really close attention to hygiene. Change your pillowcase, your towels and washcloth frequently ñ there is no point going to all that trouble to cleanse your skin and then using a towel with bacteria on it!
Importantly, donít overdo your cleansing routine ñ if you do, you will just dry out your skin too much and what happens then is that the sebaceous glands that produce the oil will be ëtrickedí into making even more oil, because their main purpose is to ensure that skin remains properly hydrated.

 

Use The Right Skin Care and Cosmetic Products
The single, most important thing to ensure when you choose any skin care, or make up product (if you want to avoid whiteheads and blackheads, that is), is to check the labelling for the term non-comedogenic (another term for todayís trivia collection) and this just means that the product will not block your pores and cause the comedones we call whiteheads and blackheads!

 

Guest post by author Alison G. on behalf of the Under Eye Circles web site.

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