Sarah Wilkins
19 August 2020
Normal manifestations of common acne are blackhead pimples, which like most acne, arise in the face and in people of all ages. Also known as open comedones, blackhead pimples are wide-open pores not yet inflamed that have been clogged by sebum and keratin. This article explains how to treat pimples and acne at home.
Air is able to reach the keratin plug due to the open nature of blackhead pimples openings and oxidises the material, making it turn its blackish colour. Whiteheads, or closed comedones, occur in follicles with small breaches. As the plugged material inside is not accessible by air, it stays its whitish colour.
Blackhead pimples are much smaller than other types of pimples as there is no swelling involved. Blackhead pimples can arise in any area of the skin with follicles. The arms and face are the areas of the skin you are most likely to encounter blackhead pimples. Blackhead pimples on occasion can progress into a harsh form of acne and acne scars
How Do Blackhead pimples and Other Phases of Acne Form?
Blackhead pimples form through a similar process as other pimples. A normal functioning sebaceous gland produces the oil sebum, which makes its way to the surface of the skin through the sebaceous duct. However, sometimes sebum hardens or mixes with debris and/or skin cells and clogs the pore.
A blackhead pimples officially becomes a blackhead pimples when the plugged substance oxidises, giving it its trademark black colour. If this sebaceous canal is injured through sebum output or if inflammation arises, it is considered an acne lesion, or if acne is very severe, an acne cyst.
The root cause of acne is damage to the cells along the sebum ducts. During periods of teen acne (puberty) or adult acne (most likely caused by stress), androgen levels are high, fuelling sebum production and release. The sheer force that sebum is then thrust through the sebaceous canals to reach the surface of the skin hurts the follicle from within.
The type of sebum can also harm the follicle. If the body is deficient in linoleic acid, the glands make a harder oil that is more harsh on the cells lining the canal.
Furthermore, when the sebum becomes trapped below a keratin plug, it begins to accumulate, forcing the follicle to distend and become more irritated.
The body responds as it does to all other bodily injuries and sends lymphocytes, macrophages and neutrophils to the site of the damage for healing. Unfortunately, this causes the inflammation that we commonly known as acne lesions. The severe inflammation associated with cystic acne comes about regardless of infection. It is when cystic acne becomes infected that abscesses form, which also result in acne scarring.
Treating from the Inside: Acne and Blackhead Removal
Getting rid of blackhead pimples requires treatment and management of the causes: sebum production, excess dead skin and bacteria found in the skin. Here’s how to treat pimples and acne.
Though exfoliating the skin helps reduce unnecessary skin and is a good step towards treating blackhead pimples, it also aggravates the skin and other acne lesions, leading to inflammation and the development of other acne problems.
In order to treat acne, one must embrace self-care and find an all-inclusive answer that can be used on all manifestations of acne, including blackhead pimples, whiteheads, papules and pustules.
Most blackhead pimples-specific as well as some acne treatments only focus on the un-clogging of pores. They typically include harsh, skin drying chemicals like benzoyl peroxide that can further cause damage to the skin by producing free radicals.
You can treat pimples and acne by focusing on the inside by using a facial acne treatment that manages sebaceous gland activity naturally. Prescriptions that target sebum output have almost equally traumatising side effects: worsened acne for an extended period of time, unbearably dry skin, chapped lips, nose bleeds, eye and eyelid irritation and severe birth defects.
Licorice root extract is a natural inhibitor of androgen, the hormones linked to sebum activity. By better regulating sebum production and secretion, you prevent the foremost cause of acne – you manage the substance that is responsible for damaging and causing inflammation in the sebaceous canals.
Adequate consumption of linoleic acid will maintain sebum quality and keep it from becoming hard and abrasive to the skin.
Utilise the tricks of acne home remedies to treat pimples and acne and stop the foremost causes of acne. Focus on the causes and not the symptoms.
