Blackhead Removal

We all get them! What are they?  Are the dark areas on my nose true blackheads or just the shadow and natural oil of large pores?

What exactly is a blackhead? For starters, blackheads are large, open pores containing oil and skin cells that have oxidized from the air causing it to turn black. Contrary to what most people believe, it’s not “dirt”, it is simply oxidized oil and skin cells. You can remove the blackhead by extracting it, but once the oil fills back up in the pore, the air will cause the oil to oxidize again and now the blackhead is back again.

If they are uniform in appearance, they are really not true blackheads, however they can be safely removed and with the right skin care regimen, their appearance minimized.  True blackheads are not uniform but more sporadic – these are the result of mucus in the gut and will require not only extraction, but a mucus cleanse, such as Osmosis Skin Clarifier – a 10 day mucus cleanse that we all could benefit from on a regular basis if eating foods such as dairy, gluten and red meat.

STEP 1: Remove the blackheads. Whether you remove them yourself (gently, of course) or have a professional facial, they must be manually extracted. There is no magic mask or pore strip that will easily lift them out.

For a professional removal, book my Deep Cleanse and LED Facial – it was designed for safe, effective blackhead removal, using steam towels, gentle enzymes to exfoliate, a device that minimizes pain and LED to kill bacteria and heal skin to prevent breakouts.

-For do-it-yourself extractions, it’s best to remove blackheads after a shower since the skin temperature has been raised. Using a tissue around your fingers, press to gently squeeze out the blackheads, and most importantly, cleanse your skin afterwards because you have released bacteria which can cause a breakout.

STEP 2: Use enzyme based exfoliation to keep skin balanced and . Once the pores are clean, it’s important to incorporate products into your routine that use enzymes such as Osmosis MD Purify Cleanser to keep them cleaned out, as well as preventing the oil from filling back up so quickly. Also, add a weekly or bi-weekly mask with Polish, an enzyme based mask to exfoliate and hydrate and stimulate collagen production.

STEP 3: Prevent oil from oxidizing. This part is crucial for lessening the appearance of blackheads. As I mentioned, a blackhead is oil that has oxidized and turned black, so if you can prevent the oil from oxidizing, the oil will not turn black (or at least as quickly).

Antioxidants used in skin care products have many benefits such as encouraging collagen production, lightening discoloration (brown spots) and slowing down the production of skin-damaging free radicals, but one surprising benefit is their ability to prevent oil from oxidizing, hence the name antioxidants meaning ‘anti oxidation.’ Here’s an example of how antioxidants prevent oxidation. You know when you cut an apple into slices and after a while it turns brown? What would you do to prevent it from turning brown (oxidizing)? Simple. Just squeeze lemon juice, (which is high in vitamin C), onto the apple and the apple will not turn brown as quickly. Surprisingly, the same rules apply to the skin and blackheads. I can’t speak for all antioxidant products but I can tell you for certain, Osmosis MD Replenish uses a form of stable, no-sting vitamin C which makes this product not only suitable for preventing blackheads, but for sensitive skin too. Another good option is the Osmosis Catalyst AC-11, which is a powerful Vitamin C Serum and DNA Repair.

A word of warning: certain topical vitamin C products can actually accelerate the appearance of blackheads. When formulas use high concentrations of pure L-Ascorbic Acid or Ascorbic Acid, it causes rapid oxidation resulting in a darkening of the oil pore’s surface.  Also, I see a mixing of Retinols with Vitamin C in the same product – they do not work well together.  However, I recommend a RetinAl such as Osmosis MD Calm, Clarify, Correct or Renew along with Catalyst AC-11 – they work BEST together!  Amazing results!

Want a more customized solution? Book a Deep Cleanse and LED Facial today!  I will safely and gently exfoliate any blackheads and offer a customized plan to reduce them in the future.