Blackheads are a recurrent issue which mainly appear on the nose and chin. They’re not serious, but they’re not very pretty and can make the skin appear less clean than it is. What can you do to stop getting blackheads on your nose?
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How to get rid of blackheads on your nose?
Summary
- Everything you need to know about blackheads
- Use the right skincare products
- Don’t confuse blackheads with sebaceous filaments!
Published February 17, 2023,
by
Stéphanie, Doctorate in Life and Health Sciences
—
4 min read
Everything you need to know about blackheads.
Blackheads, also called “open comedones”, don’t only affect combination and oily skin types. Actually, acne is often a warning sign of these small black blockages which fill up your pores and leave your skin less clear and smooth.
Blackheads are caused by overproduction of sebum by the sebaceous glands, which are attached to the hair follicle. This excess sebum mixes with dead skin cells and other impurities on the face. It fills up dilated pores and, on contact with the air, it oxidizes and turns black.
Sebum in itself isn’t harmful: it helps to make up the hydrolipidic film which protects your skin against external irritants and dehydration. However, your sebum production can become deregulated in several ways: hormonal issues, poor skin hygiene, products that are too heavy for your skin, certain medications, etc… All of these can cause excess sebum production, which can block your pores and thicken your skin, leading to blackheads, pimples, etc…
Use the right skincare products.
For smooth, blackhead-free skin on your nose and elsewhere, it’s important to have a skincare routine suitable for your skin type, which will regulate your sebum production and get rid of dead skin cells and impurities, stopping blackheads from forming.
Switch out products that are too aggressive or which block your pores in favor of natural, gentle, and alcohol-free products. You need skincare products which purify, exfoliate, hydrate and rebalance your skin. Cleansing and exfoliating are the most important steps for getting rid of blackheads. Why not try:
A gentle cleanser like our rebalancing cleansing bar with nettle, designed to gently but effectively cleanse the skin. It’s packed with active ingredients to regulate sebum production and rebalance your skin ;
An exfoliator like our peeling mask with red fruit acids, which is especially effective against blackheads. It lifts away dead skin cells on the surface of your skin, unblocking pores and stimulating skin cell renewal ;
Our purifying mask with charcoal and organic nettle which regulates sebum production, dries out imperfections and cleanses your skin. Masks are a great tool in the fight against blackheads. They unblock impurities from pores by sticking to their surface, making them easy to lift away. They work like a patch, with gentle extraction action.
Don’t confuse blackheads with sebaceous filaments!
Consumers often confuse blackheads and sebaceous filaments. And, actually, those little dark spots on your nose, or chin, aren’t necessarily blackheads, even though they might look like them. Unlike a blackhead, a sebaceous filament is a natural structure which helps sebum to reach the surface of your skin. Everyone has them, but sebaceous filaments are sometimes more visible on those with oily skin or with visible pores.
To tell the difference, sebaceous filaments are lighter in appearance, sometimes greyish, where blackheads are darker. If you squeeze a sebaceous filament, you’ll see a thin white trail of sebum, whereas if you squeeze a blackhead (don’t!), it’ll look like a spot (a black tip on a white body). Plus, blackheads are on the surface of your skin, whereas a sebaceous filament is deeper.
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