A Dermatologist’s Advice on How to Get Rid of Blackheads

Post adolescence, everyone faces the question of “how to get rid of blackheads?” While it’s not possible to overrule the possibility of having blackheads, the blocked pores would harden over time if a good skincare routine isn’t followed.

How to Treat Blackheads?

Products used to treat acne, called keratolytic can address the typical concern by loosening the dead skin cells, thus removing the blackheads from the softened pores.

There are 4 nonprescriptive creams and cleansers containing keratolytic which can be used to treat comedonal acne or blackheads:

1. Salicylic Acid– highly effective to go deep inside oily pores
2. Benzoyl Peroxide– kills the bacteria causing acne known as P. acnes or C. acnes
3. Glycolic Acid– treats skin aging factors
4. Retinol– similar to the properties of glycolic acid and deliver the same results

However, the keratolytic components can irritate sensitive skin.

How to Address the Skin Concern?

It’s important to know the skin types before treating the blackhead problem:

• Oily and resistant- do you remember when your skin dried out or had irritation after using a product? If not, then it’s oily and resistant.
• Something in between normal and dry- your skin is prone to overtreatment and doesn’t turn out to be dry or chappy
• Sensitive- triggers an allergic reaction to benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid

Additionally one needs to decide the type of treatment:

Single-step treatment with a medicated cleanser: It would leave some amount of active ingredient.

Double step treatment: Post-application of cleanser, whether it’s necessary to apply a cream or lotion

However, salicylic acid would be left behind to treat blackheads post rinsing the lather off the skin. You can opt for products containing either benzoyl peroxide, retinol or glycolic acid, or a combination of them. On the other hand, if you would like to go by a low-maintenance routine, strong benzoyl peroxide can treat both blackheads and acne.

What Daily Skin Care Tips Can Treat Blackheads?

A steady home skincare routine can get rid of blackheads eventually with handy tips:

• Deep pore cleansing facials with extractions: it’s a great way to treat large blackheads with effective results over the period.
• Chemical peels: A series of light chemical peels are performed by a doctor or aesthetician to dissolve blackheads. The treatment involves using a higher amount of keratolytic than normal acne products.
• Sonic skin cleansing routine:Opt for a sonic skin cleansing routine to help a product penetrate deeper into the clogged pores. If your skin is too clean, medicated ingredients would be absorbed better. Ideally, it’s good to wash your face twice daily, in case you’re treating acne.
• Biore strips: they can help pull blackheads and sebaceous elements out of the nose pores. Note, they must be applied gently which otherwise might result in injuries.
• Clay masks: they can soak oil from the pores refining the pore size. Here, the results would be temporary. Also, they cant be used regularly since they can have an extremely drying effect.

What else are you waiting for? Just get started with the right skincare routine and see magical results in the next few days!

About Us

Dr. Abhishek Malviya is a Dermatologist, Cosmetologist, Laser Surgeon Specialist and Hair Transplant Surgeon in Pipliyahana, Indore and has an experience of 9 years in these fields.

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