In order to get rid of blackheads, you may have to jump through a few hoops, but patience and more importantly, the right knowledge to remove blackheads will solve that annoying problem.
Blackheads are basically the same as having acne (it is related) but it involves a hair follicle instead of just the skin.
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Quite a few people have blackheads on their nose and it can also appear all over their faces.
Blackheads can also be found all over the body where you have hair such as your shoulders, arms, legs, back, nose, cheeks, ears and chin.
Blackheads can be painful at times or you may feel no pain at all.
They can vary in size from very small to larger specs, bumps, sort of stone like pits and in worst cases, can be very big and black.
Blackheads in its simplest form are the result of blocked pores at the root of your hair follicle caused by an over production of sebum (oily or waxy type of substance) and the sebum getting infected with bacteria. Sebum helps to lubricate your skin and hair.
Once the infected sebum comes into contact with air, it oxidizes (a substance combining with oxygen… i.e. metal rusting) and turns black. It is actually not the sebum itself reacting with oxygen, but the melanin inside it that reacts with oxygen that causes the black color.
What’s the difference between blackheads and whiteheads? Quite simply, when the melanin in the sebum does not come into contact with air, then there is no oxidation taking place and the color stays white or yellowish. Blackheads and whiteheads are also known as comedones. To get rid of whiteheads, the treatment is the same as for blackheads.
The causes of blackheads can vary, but the myth that it is caused by poor hygiene is simply not true.
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In fact, washing your face and nose too much to remove blackheads can worsen the condition. Even if you try to scrub or wash your blackhead, it will not really help, but you can always use other ways to get rid of blackheads. Just don’t go and squeeze them though, unless you want your nose or face to look like the surface of the moon or a strawberry.
You also need to have a look at other factors such as your diet, your makeup, puberty, an oily skin and the root cause of your oily skin.
If you want to know how to get rid of blackheads naturally, then let’s have a look at some home remedies as well as other best ways that can help you to remove blackheads.
Some ways may not have any scientific backing at all, but it has worked for quite a few people… men, women, young and old. You may or may not agree, but at least give it a try and see what works for you.
1.) To Get Rid of Blackheads, Open Your Pores First
Before applying anything to your face, you have to open your pores with heat first, since this will greatly increase the effectiveness of anything that you put onto your blackheads. The heat is very important to open up your pours.
- Use steam – Pour some hot water into a sink, place a towel above your head and steam for 1 – 2 minutes or for as long as you can hold it. Tread carefully here; steam can easily cause severe pain, burns and permanent damage to the skin.
- Or… Use a warm cloth – Place the cloth in warm water (not too hot) and then onto your face until you feel your face heating up. Be very careful with this as well.
- Or… Wet your face with warm water; be careful… don’t make it too hot.
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2.) Use Brown Sugar or Honey to Get Rid of Blackheads
Both sugar and honey has great antibacterial properties and an interesting fact about sugar is that it can also be used to treat wounds that are infected; a fact that is not widely known. Some people swear by it and say that it is very effective to remove blackheads. Sugar is also an excellent exfoliator.
Sugar (or a combination of sugar and olive oil; sugar and lemon):
- Open up your pores first by applying heat with water.
- Start with a teaspoon or tablespoon of sugar and add a little bit of warm water until it forms a thick paste. Mix well.
- Apply the sugar paste to your nose or face where the blackheads are and gently massage for a few minutes.
- Close the pores by washing with cold water… dry your nose or face with a clean towel.
- You could also replace the water with virgin olive oil or lemon, but the lemon could irritate sensitive skins.
Honey (or a combination of honey and cinnamon)
- Open up your pores first by applying heat with water.
- Use cold or heated honey (more effective) and apply it to the blackheads.
- Leave the honey for 15 minutes or little bit longer if you want to.
- Wash with cold water and dry with a towel.
- For extra help, you could also mix the honey with cinnamon, since cinnamon is antibacterial as well as anti-inflammatory.
Honey also has other uses such as a treatment for acne and also assists in hair growth.
3.) Use Baking Soda as an Effective Home Remedy to Remove Blackheads Fast
Baking soda is a DIY way that will help solve your blackhead problem. Some people have had really fast results with this and results vary from decent to excellent. Baking soda works by removing dead cells from the skin and will also open up your pores.
There are a few ways that you can tackle this by using the baking soda as a standalone home remedy or by mixing it with other natural substances. If you feel your skin starting to burn, remove the baking soda or paste mixture immediately. If you have a sensitive skin, baking soda can damage your skin.
- Wash your hands first, then steam or wash your face with warm water to expand and open the pores of your hair follicles.
- Mix the baking soda with water until you see a paste forming. Start with 1 part baking soda and mix with a little bit of water until a paste forms.
- Gently use your finger to rub the mixture onto the blackheads for a few minutes. Then leave it on for another 5 – 10 minutes. If painful just apply the mixture without rubbing.
- Wash with cold water to close the pores.
- To remove blackheads forever, repeat the above procedure maybe once or twice a week.
By substituting the water with apple cider vinegar, it can also help you to get rid of blackheads. If your skin can handle it, you could also leave the mixture on for longer, but no longer than 20 minutes, just to be safe. If the apple cider vinegar hurts your skin, add water to reduce the strength.
You could also use this mixture for your face since the baking soda is an excellent exfoliant that will leave your face silky smooth and soft. If it leaves your skin dry, apply a moisturizer.
This will work for smaller blackheads, but if you have bigger ones, then you may have to remove the blackheads with a blackhead removal tool that you can buy online or at your local chemist. It is important though to follow the procedure as described above to ensure that your blackheads are loose enough for physical removal.
Baking soda is also useful for zits and to get rid of dandruff.
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4.) Are You Eating the Right Foods or are You Missing an Important Mineral? Don’t Dismiss This!
If your diet is wrong and you don’t eat the right type of foods, it will be very difficult to remove blackheads. This may or may not be the cause of your blackheads, but it is certainly worth having a look at what you are eating.
Avoid diary and dairy products, oily and greasy foods. Use olive and coconut oil to cook your food instead of the normal oils you use.
Fruits and vegetables are very good for the skin, since they have a lot of the vitamins and minerals that your skin needs.
If your blackheads are due to hormonal issues, it is strongly recommended that you take zinc supplements twice daily, even if the cause is not hormonal. Eat lots of food containing zinc such as chicken, spinach, red meat, etc. Zinc reduces the amount of sebum produced and helps heal damaged skin cells.
Research has also shown that a lack of zinc in the diet can actually produce acne and pimples.
Zinc is also beneficial in removing dandruff, getting rid of pimples, and also helps with stretch marks.
5.) Use Tomato Juice to Remove Blackheads
Tomato juice is a widely used home remedy to get rid of blackheads, whiteheads and pimples. It contains vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the skin and will dry up the blocked pores.
This is a cure that you can use overnight. As usual, open up your pores first by giving it some heat derived from water. Then apply the tomato juice to the blackheads. In the morning, wash your face with cold water.
6.) Use Egg Whites to Remove Blackheads?
Apparently so. There are a lot of people that believes in this and it has worked great for them. The egg white draws out the blackheads. It will however take a few daily treatments to remove the blackheads completely.
- Separate the egg white from the yolk and whip up the egg white if you wish otherwise use as is.
- Open your pores with some heat treatment as discussed earlier.
- Use your fingers, an egg or a paint brush to smear the egg white onto the blackheads.
- Wait for the egg white to dry and apply another layer or two once each layer has dried or… place a piece of tissue or toilet paper on the previously applied egg white and apply another layer of egg white.
- Let it dry. Once the egg white is dry, slowly pull of the tissue or toilet paper or wash your face if no tissue was used. Wash with cold water to close the pores.
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Other Tips and Tricks to Get Rid of Blackheads (Some are Really Weird or Gross)
- If you are woman and wearing an oil based type of makeup, try switching to a water based type. Best is to forego the make up for a while and see if it makes any difference.
- Drink plenty of water. Water is not only beneficial for the skin but can also lead to other health problems if you don’t get enough.
- Wash face. Dissolve 2 or 3 aspirins in water and apply to blackheads in the morning. Later during the day, wash face and use alcohol swabs to clean the blackheads.
- Dissolve 10 g of Epsom salt in a quarter cup of water and add lemon juice and tea tree oil. Massage onto affected areas and leave for a few minutes. Rinse with cold water. Epsom salt also helps with acne.
- Apply your own urine to get rid of blackheads. Yes, this is really gross, but some people have had success with this. If you want a natural way, then this is as natural as you can get.
- Use a natural moisturizer after applying any of the home remedies mentioned here.
- Use a white glue and apply it to the blackheads. Let it dry and then rip it off. Ouch! Could be painful. Get rid of the results quickly before it grosses you out too much.
- Use burdock root. Boil to a thick paste and add honey. Apply the paste to the blackheads and lightly rub it in. Then wait a few minutes and wash off the paste with cold water.
- Since opening up your blackhead pores with heat is important, you could also try the following; Use steam for as long as you can to heat up your nose and face. Do it 3 times. Then clean your blackheads with alcohol swabs or cotton swabs dipped in alcohol. Then wash with cold water to close the pores. Repeat a few times over a couple of days.
- Put water on your face every night and wipe it dry before you go to sleep. Make it a habit. It might take a few weeks, but you will probably get rid of your blackheads permanently.
- Use white toothpaste. Dab it on your blackheads and leave overnight. In the morning, wash it off with cold water. Tooth paste also helps with getting rid of zits.
- Wash your blackheads with dandruff shampoo. Yeah, dandruff shampoo. The effect is most probably due to the zinc it contains… this is very helpful for the skin. It can help you to remove blackheads fast.
- Are you smoking? This could be the cause of your blackheads.
It is actually very easy when you know how to get rid of blackheads naturally. Although not always natural, other ways can also help. It is my hope that some of these home remedies will help you to remove blackheads.
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